Elementary - Blog Posts

Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80's movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent rason. But no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life. — Easy A

Ideas for Teachers: Apollo Mission Control Simulation Lesson Plan

In this activity students will watch clips of system failures from Apollo 13 movie and must come up with their own solutions to the problem. This activity would be good for 3rd or 4th graders but can be modified to be harder or easier.

Introduce the Flight Positions

Split up students into five groups EECOM (Electrical Environmental and Communication) Power, EECOM Environment, BOOSTER, GNC (Guidance and Navigation Control). and SURGEON. They should have paper and a writing utensil.  

Teacher: "You are each flight controllers in NASA's Mission Control in Houston, TX. Have a picture on the board of NASA's mission control. For this mission I am the flight director but you are all  experts on a space craft system. You are in charge of three astronauts heading to the Moon in this space craft. If you have something you want communicated to the astronaut you must tell me. Have a picture of the Apollo 13 command module attached to the Lunar Lander on the board.

Point at EECOM Power

Teacher: "EECOM Power, you are in charge of the power system that keeps the communication system, computers, heat, and lights on the space craft. You will get data on the battery level, amps, volts and which systems are on."

Point at EECOM Environment

Teacher: "EECOM Environment, you are in charge of the air system on board the space craft. This means scrubbing the carbon out of the air and supplying enough oxygen. You will get data on the O2 CO2 and poisonous gas levels."

Point at BOOSTER

Teacher: "You are in charge of the boosters that fly the astronauts too and from the Moon. You make sure that there is enough fuel to accomplish each task. You will get data on the fuel level and functioning boosters."

Point at GNC

Teacher: "You are in charge of making sure the space capsule is flying in the right direction. You will get data on the flight path of the space craft."

Point at SURGEON

Teacher: "You are in charge of the health of the astronauts. You will get data on their temperature, vital organs, and comments from them on their well being,"

Above are examples of data slides you can display I made with an old Mission Control Picture. Note that these levels and figures in coming up simulation data are not very accurate. For example - in reality over 15% CO2 would cause black outs and brain asphyxiation. What is most important is that data is fluctuating and the students learn what data is important, how to write down observations and react.

Begin Mission

Pull up the current and nominal flight data on the board.

Teacher: "Here is the current data for each of your systems. Write them down because they may change and you may need to fix your systems when something goes wrong."

Students write down data.

Houston We've Had A Problem

Teacher: "These three astronauts are on a mission to the Moon, but something goes horribly wrong. And you have to do something about it. Let's see what happened..."

Show this clip: https://youtu.be/kAmsi05P9Uw

Teacher: "You are tens of thousands of miles away from the astronauts but must fix the problem. Pull up the new set of data. Here the latest data. Tell me whats wrong and how you think we can fix it.

Students write down new data and discuss among themselves whats going on. Students then let the flight director know whats going wrong. Change the data three times so it fluctuates, don't wait for students to write everything down, this is a real time crisis and things won't run as planned.

Example of data slide 4, the vitals show error because in real life the Apollo 13 astronauts took off their vital sensors for privacy.

Teacher checks in with EECOM Power and lets students share their thoughts

Teacher: "Looks like we are loosing power rapidly and can only use certain devices at once. We need to figure out how keep the astronauts alive, send data back to Earth using the computers, and collect enough data on board so we can keep each flight team updated. Hand them batteries, paper clips/ wires, lights and switches. Each light represents an electrical device on board. You must find the correct electrical configuration to power the devices and order in which they must be powered on."

Teacher checks in with EECOM Environment & SURGEON and lets students share their thoughts

Teacher: "Looks like we are losing oxygen for the astronauts to breath. How long till its all gone? Students suggest answers. Here are the materials on board to create a new air filter. This square peg in a round hole. Make it work. Dump the materials on their table." Inspired by this clip: https://youtu.be/C2YZnTL596Q

Teacher checks in with BOOSTER  & GNC and lets students share their thoughts

Teacher: Has BOOSTER & GNC sit closer to each other "Looks like we are off trajectory to the moon, the lunar lander is broken, the space craft is accelerating in the wrong direction we are losing fuel and the only logical thing to do now is head back to Earth. Both of you are needed to solve this problem. Give them a model of Earth, Moon, Capsule and attached Moon Lander. Work together to figure out how to then back to Earth with limited fuel."

Teacher: Talking to all. "Once you come up with a solution come up to the front and explain to your fellow flight controllers what you came up with and why it will work. The other flight controllers can argue if they think it won't work and why. Astronaut lives are at stake so it is necessarily to speak up if something is a faulty idea or you have a better solution."

Students work to solve their problems. Give them a little bit of time to work on it. After each team presents their solution.

Teacher: "Let's see how the NASA engineers solve the problems you were given..."

Note: You may want to scan these clips for swear words before showing them in class. And end the clip accordingly.

EECOM Power: https://youtu.be/KhoXFVQsIxw

EECOM Environment & SURGEON: https://youtu.be/Zm5nUEG5Bjo

BOOSTER & GNC: https://youtu.be/gmLgi5mdTVo

Teacher: "Lastly let's see if the crew makes it back after your adjustments"

https://youtu.be/-1BPx5Wsm7k

Celebrate with astronaut ice cream!

Ideas for Teachers: Space Lesson Plan

When I return back to my hometown I will be visiting schools to share about my NASA experience and teach programming. This is my lesson plan for teaching about NASA and space. One of my first stops will be my Mom’s Kindergarten class so you will notice my lesson plan is catered for elementary students.

Morning: Letter Of The Day

Start the day with a regular greeting an opportunity for students to share thoughts around the room. Your usual "magic talking stick" can be replaced by a space related object like an inflatable planet or space craft.

"Today we are going to visit your letter of the week in a way that is out of this world." Cheesy I know but we should let the students define what outer space is. "What is outer space?" Write down the students answers and this is the dictionary definition... the void between planets and other celestial bodies. Kindergarten classes often have letters of the week and outer-space things are very easy to categorize into letters.

Story Time

I had a unique opportunity to meet Buzz Aldrin, purchase a children's book written by him, and get it signed by him. I plan to introduce the students to the author showing pictures of him and the Apollo 11 landing. There are many children's books written by or starring astronauts. This particular story has a project involving creating a Mars habitat that students will compete after story time.

Nap Time

Prior to nap time I show a neat star mapping project put together by Google called 10,000 Stars. You can tour stars from around the Milky Way and see their name, color, size and brightness. The ambient music playing in the background is excellent for nap time.

Afternoon Snack: Eat like An Astronaut

"The International Space Station is a science lab orbiting the Earth every hour and a half. Let's hear about how they live in space." Show a few clips like this...

Chris Hadfield's Space Kitchen making a "sandwich": https://youtu.be/AZx0RIV0wss

Karen Nyberg washes he hair in space: https://youtu.be/kOIj7AgonHM

Sleeping in space: https://youtu.be/UyFYgeE32f0

Running in space with Karen Nyberg: https://youtu.be/_ikouWcXhd0

Pass out freeze dried astronaut food like ice cream, grapes and strawberries. While watching the astronaut clips.

Ideas for Teachers: Programming Lesson Plan 

When I return back to my hometown I will be visiting schools to share about my NASA experience and teach programming. I will be sharing my lesson plans here for a day of programming and a day of space related learning. Let’s start with programming. One of my first stops will be my Mom’s Kindergarten class so you will notice my lesson plan is catered for elementary students.

Morning: What is programming?

After your usual morning activities; “G-O-O-D M-O-R-N-I-N-G Good Morning Aye Aye Good Morning *clap* *clap”, drawing sticks and telling about your weekend, introduce students to the concept of programming. Ask students, “What do you think programming is?” Write down the answers on the white board. After answer along the lines of “Programming is telling a computer to do things - make a video game, control a robot, create an App, and more!” Next I would show them a short video with our current stars in technology.

Lets Start Coding

“Enough talk about programming let’s do it!” A great introduction to coding is a Made With Code project. The Yeti project is my favorite of these activities. Students take turns dragging and dropping blocks of code assigning attributes to the Yeti fur color and feet size. After assigning attributes the students can watch the Yeti dance. When I have had students write yeti code they enjoy changing the colors and dance many times!

Afternoon: Code Related Rotations

Skills needed to program are not only found in front of a screen but working in a team, time for activity rotations. (These will be the centers I will have but you all can have different ones.) At one center I will have my LEGO robot for the students to program. There will be objects that the robot can pick up or avoid. At the second center 3D printed puzzles will be available for students to solve. At the third center an activity with half a blank page and half a lined page. Students can draw a picture of what they think would be cool to program and write about it. Last center create a robot out of construction paper, foil, or other mediums.

Now You Try

Take a trip to the computer lab and let students try to program on their own. Hour of Code is a great resource where students can learn programming at various levels. Two activities I tested out an enjoyed was a Flappy Bird Game Creator and Star Wars Drone Game. Students can code on their own or work in a group to help each other figure things out.

Have fun teaching students about programming! In the future I hope to get a Sphero, 3D printer, and Arduino type kit. Maybe you all have other ideas for a programming lesson plan.

Launching Your Aerospace Career

As unbelievable as it seems my passion for aerospace and space research was not found until my senior year in high school. There are many programs I wish I had known about throughout my schooling and programs I still want to participate in the future. I hope this post open doors about ways you can launch your aerospace career and spark your imagination.

Elementary School

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Jr. LEGO League  (Jr.FLL) Students ages 6 - 9 create an invention out of LEGO parts that solves real world problems.

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Students ages 9 - 14 design, build, and program LEGO Robots that compete in a game. A really cool FLL team

VEX IQ Challenge Elementary - middle school students build controllable robots to complete tasks and compete.

Middle School

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Students ages 9 - 14 design, build, and program LEGO Robots that compete in a game. A really cool FLL team

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Students in grades 7 - 12 design, fabricate, wire, and program robots to compete in alliances. A really cool FTC team

VEX IQ Challenge Elementary - middle school students build controllable robots to complete tasks and compete.

VEX Robotics Competition With skills in computer aided design, programming, animation, and fabrication middle school - college students build robots and compete on alliances of 2 V 2 to achieve reach the top score.

High School

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Students in grades 7 - 12 design, fabricate, wire, and program robots to compete in alliances. A really cool FTC team

FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) In only six weeks high school students from around the world design and build 120 lb robots to play games such as soccer, basketball, and Ultimate Frisbee. I captained an FRC team in high school and can vouch that all the FIRST robotics leagues (JrFLL - FRC) are fantastic! My old high school's FRC team

Texas High School Aerospace Scholars High school students from Texas get to collaborate with NASA engineers onsite to complete a week long project and work among fellow scholars.

VEX Robotics Competition With skills in computer aided design, programming, animation, and fabrication middle school - college students build robots and compete on alliances of 2 V 2 to achieve reach the top score.

Glenn High School Internship Project (GHIP) Eight week paid internship for high schoolers to work at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. This opportunity is for incoming juniors and seniors.

K - 12

Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) Summer filled with innovation offering activities for all Contact

Destination Imagination Improv to engineering, art to teamwork students compete from around the world in many disciplines.

College

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Community college students get onsite and online NASA experience and education.

VEX Robotics Competition With skills in computer aided design, programming, animation, and fabrication middle school - college students build robots and compete on alliances of 2 V 2 to achieve reach the top score.

NASA College Internships Paid internships at NASA available for year round and every season at the various NASA centers.

NASA Pathways Internship (College Co-Op) Now the OSSI internships are different than what NASA calls Pathways Internships (more commonly known as Co-Ops) where you are a civil servant with higher pay and benefits. You also go on “tours” (at least 3) where you switch between a semester working and NASA and a semester studying three times.

All Ages and Disciplines

Alphabetical order list of NASA programs for all ages and disciplines.

*My earlier posts explain FIRST Robotics better* **Next post, as a woman in STEM, I will focus on resources for women in STEM!**

(TopL: NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars Credit: NASA, TopR: Jr. LEGO League creation Credit:FIRST FLL, Middle: Me lining up my high school robotics team’s basketball shooting robot Credit: Daredevils FRC Robotics Team 2512, BottomL: LEGO Mindstorm robot Credit: LEGO, BottomR: In a parade with NASA Glenn and their Orion float.)

another one from Instagram :]

I’ve really gotta continue this series man👀

also ik this is just the sketch but his actual blanket being the colors of the Union flag is pretty funny to me

(Damn, just hating Benekind Cucumberbadatch like that😔/gen (based on their tags)) But here are some others I know about: Sherlock Holmes (the 2 movies with RDJ from 2009 or so), Enola Holmes (1&2 so far), Elementary, Granada Holmes (actually just called The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [from 1984] if I remember correctly), Young Sherlock Holmes is also a movie (from 1985), Moriarty the Patriot would be an anime with more of a focus on Moriarty (from what I've seen, at least, I'm not through yet), Sherlock Hound (it might also actually be called something like the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, but it's an anime that's described by most as "Studio Ghibli-ish"), Sherlock & Co. (If you wouldn't mind trying an audiobook/podcast, it's really good)

Yeah those are the TV ones I'm aware of so far, personally wouldn't necessarily recommend all of them, but NONE of them are unlikable or anything at all, it just depends on what kind of media you prefer :]

If you're also looking for games somewhen I can recommend the Frogwares ones! Especially Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One; but some others that they made are: Devil's Daughter, Crimes and Punishments, The Awakened and some more

(Also one more book series I've been reading is Young Sherlock Holmes [it's different from the movie])

[I'll also correct this post if I notice any errors]

I'm slowly reading the sherlock holmes books and I'm really enjoying them. I would like to watch some adaptations, but I don't really know many. so, mighty tumblr sherlock holmes fandom, what do yall reccomend

Sherlock isn’t even Sherlock to me. When I say Sherlock I am talking about Elementary (2012-2019)

Yes.

does anybody on this godforsaken hellsite watch elementary??? the sherlock one!????

PLEASE ANYONE???

I have the strongest sense of deja vu

-Sherlock Holmes

I just rewatched the episode of elementary where Joan does her first case herself, when she breaks into that guys car boot bc she thinks his wife is in there but she isn’t, and then she gets arrested.

Sherlocks face when he visits her after posting her bail… I got butterflies he looks so damn proudddd I almost squealed then I remembered I’m 23 years old.

I love this show sm

... That’s not the point.

choosing to subtitle sherlocks Hindi conversation in papyrus is so stupid (and probably orientalist) but it does make iyengars response in English EXTREMELY fucking funny

Misanthropey was so simple, Watson. Elegant. Sometimes I miss it- Sherlock Holmes.

Love and Justice in Elementary — "The One That Got Away"

I rewatch this episode from time to time, and it strikes me over and again just how committed it is to non-legal means of justice, which is particularly rare given that Elementary technically operates within the copaganda genre (with some room for outliers here and there).

When Kitty is about to murder Gruner, the man who sexually assaulted and tortured her, Sherlock shows up. Typically within the police procedural, Sherlock would be the Character Who Reminds [X] That Killing Is Wrong and Legal Justice is Right. But Sherlock doesn't do any of that. He tells Kitty that she deserves to know that he's found a way to prosecute Gruner - he will spend eternity in jail. He tells her that this is an option she can take if she doesn't want the stain of murder on her. While following the law is not what Sherlock thinks Kitty ought to do, it is a viable option nonetheless. What would be unfair, Sherlock understands, is for Kitty to have no way out but murder.

Kitty responds, "What does that have to do with me? With what he did to me?"

And she's right, prosecuting Gruner has nothing to do with what he did to her. What the police wants is not what she wants. Kitty's assault was a singular event, and only she can determine what justice should be. It's an oddly refreshing take, given that most procedurals would remind to Kitty to uphold the law (e.g. SVU).

Sherlock replies, "Nothing. Everything. Wish I could tell you. If you decide that killing Gruner will make you feel whole again, I won't stop you. But whatever you decide, you will always be my friend."

I've thought a lot about this scene, and how it places Kitty's decision and Sherlock's love at the center of what justice should be. It also brings to the forefront Sherlock's struggle with addiction — he doesn't have many friends which means that his gesture of love is completely genuine. It's a gesture of unconditional love from a stoic man who finds it difficult to love, to a woman whose experience of love has been destroyed by sexual abuse. It doesn't matter to Sherlock if Kitty kills Gruner because the fact that she is his friend will always come first. What happens, as Kitty soon realises, is that she is offered something that she has wanted for so long but thought she couldn't have. That someone loves her so much that she feels, for the first time, that she is able to say it back and mean it. So it is beautiful that the episode ultimately ends with Kitty saying: "Do you know what I haven't said to anyone in a really long time? I love you. Isn't that the saddest thing?"

While the heart of Elementary will always be Sherlock and Watson, stories like Kitty also reveal that sobriety requires love at its center, and it requires that Sherlock show up for his friends. He's a self proclaimed misanthrope, but his time with Joan has changed him; instead of embracing being a lone genius, he puts in the work to be worthy of the care and love that he receives in return. It may be corny or whatever, but the series is about true, genuine love, the kind that is so huge that it passes on from one person to another, healing everything in its way.

Out of ALL the Sherlocks on screen, or that have been on screen, Sherlock in Elemementary will always be my favuroutie.

Look, I love Bendedryll Cucumber as much as the next person, and Robert Downy Junior was amazing, but have you watched my boy Jonny Lee Miller absolutely SLAY as Sherlock in a modern setting?

Jesus christ, this man single handedly made Sherlock a human. A real person with real issues, feelings and struggles.

All the others do this, but there's a sense of "other" given to him in everything else.

Sure, Elementary kind of does that, but not to the extent that the others do. Sherlock here gets growth and development, and soon you grow to realize that he isn't "other", he is just different and has alot of shit to deal with.

It's just so good.

HE NAMED A BEE AFTER HER!! SOMEONE SEDATE ME

Yo is elementary tumblr still a thing??? Im hyperfixating on it again

Have some art :)

Realised I couldnt draw Joan like, at all, decided to change that because she beautiful and she deserves better

And I did better! Not perfect, you mind, but good enough I suppose.

Rewatched no lack of void, turned to quick art trying to direct all those feelings somewhere else because that ending BREAKS me

And, of course, drew the blorbo himself a few times 🫶

Sometimes a bit more successfully.. ish...

And sometimes neither true to my style nor to sherlock...

Too lazy to devide this post, so yall get everything at once

I have ephita! These small rodent-like creatures (except for their beak) have the ability to read the desires of other nearby creatures. That’s how they sense hungry predators! 

I have fjordans! They are somewhat like horses, but thinner and longer, with scales on their bellies and instead of manes. They can run incredibly fast! The little ‘wings’ on their legs help them decrease speed dramatically within seconds. Their nickname ‘cliffdiver’ stems from the fact that wild fjordans can be seen sprinting towards cliff endings. They will stop at the last moment, making it look like they are intending to jump.

 I have wren! I have mooncats (spoiler alert: they are nothing like cats)! I have coulags and sentri!  

I think the world needs more fantasy novels with completely made up animals. No more “horses.” No more “rabbits.” Deer can stay but ONLY if they’re weird. All wolves must have wings, NO exceptions. No more laziness, its time to Make Shit Up. I expect your heroes to be riding scaly civets with antlers by midnight. I demand a survey of wildlife in the nearby forest that leaves me with no idea what a single word you said meant. I want CREATURES WITH FUNKY NAMES THAT YOU MADE UP OUT OF YOUR OWN HEAD. I want to be UNABLE TO PRONOUNCE THEM. I want all of your RODENTS to be POISONOUS for NO REASON. I deeply desire GIANT BIRDS. I hereby sentence you to five hours on Wikipedia reading about the Carboniferous period and hydrothermal vents.

If you can’t be creative, at least reskin some dinosaurs. It’s time to decide what kind of man you are—the kind that would let his evil overlord ride a tyrannosaurus, or a coward.

This is fun, because I always write stories with a lot of POV's. So:

Elementary: Tungsten, Silver, Phosphore, Tin and Zinc.

Waterways: Alba, Paco, Mikel, Josephe, Kalliope and Imanol.

hey, guys! do me a favor! reblog this post and tell me the name of the main character for the wip you’re currently working on!

This is what I am writing!! Befuddled early twenties! Panicked late twenties! Falling in love again - and it’s still hard. Maintaining a relation - also hard! Hunting down a crime organization while trying to organize a found family - very hard! 

we need more books that are written like YA novels but have characters in their 20s… like I can’t keep reading books about teenagers but I’m also not ready for the weird adult romance section of the book store

a tip for writing female characters: don’t be afraid to make her feral. just absolutely batshit. her actual intelligence? that can vary. but bring out the chaotic stupid tendencies. embrace her as a one brain cell enemy of the state

Thanks to @ladyliliana for tagging me! (And sorry for not getting back to you, I want to and I will! I am just a mess). 

Writing tag game

1. If you could go to one of your OC’s bachelor/bachelorette party, which would you choose? (also: who would have the wildest one?)

I would probably want to go to Soufre’s. She’s happy and fun and would make sure everyone had a great time without getting too crazy.  The wildest one would definitely be Copper, simply because he does not know the word ‘moderation’, nor can he handle his drink half as well as he thinks he does. 

2. What’s your favourite time of day to write?

I usually write whenever, in between other tasks. But if I have time, I prefer early afternoon, when I am well-rested and have a long day in front of me. 

3. What’s your favourite relationship in your WIP? (platonic or romantic)

In Elementary, I’d say either Soufre and Zinc or Bismuth and Fer. Soufre and Zinc are the most lovely and healthy couple I’ve ever written and I make it a point to have them stay that way the entire course of the story (their relationship is not the main focus anyway, they just love and support each other in the background). Bismuth and Fer are best friends and the ultimate raincloud-and-sunshine relationship. The will sit by the fire endless hours in the evenings and just talk. All the other Elements have grown used to falling asleep with their voices in the background. 

In Waterwegen, I love Paco and Mikel, who are two rowdy eleven year old boys that will literally follow each other to the end of the world (and steal each other’s ice-cream cones). I also love Josepe and Alba, father and daughter, because there is a lot wrong and complicated between them, but they try their best and they are fascinating to write. 

4. How far are you into your WIP?

About 1/4 for Elementary, and at the start of Waterwegen. I am trying! 

5. If you were stuck in a broken elevator for twelve hours, which OC would you choose to be stuck in there with you? (note: you have to be in there for the twelve hours. no Houdini escape)

Mercury! Clever, funny, passionate, into philosophy and art and with no qualms to talk hours on end. 

6. What’s your favourite colour?

All shades of blue. 

7. Where would one of your OCs propose to the other? (if this question isn’t up your alley, replace “propose to” with “surprise attack hug”)

Since I’ve already talked about their relationship: if Zinc was to propose to Soufre, he would do it in a clearing in the woods that he knows. He has collected wildflowers there before, to give it to her. 

Also, Soufre might surprise him and propose instead! She would do it on a normal evening, by the fire, surrounded by all of their friends. She’d love to see his surprise turn into excitement, and she would want to make him blush. 

(Zinc will definitely cry in either scenario).  

8. Which OC is most like you?

Probably my main character, Tungsten, because he is always conflicted between his fear of new people and the big world, and his longing to explore. He is scared of opening up but he craves his own found family. He is timid, but he still wants to be on stage. He is always fighting himself.  

9. Do you prefer writing with ambient noise, music (if so, with or without lyrics), or in silence?

Depends on my mood. I usually write with either soundtracks in the background (preferably fantasy ones), classical music or one song on repeat. Because I tend to read my work out loud, I also often work in silence. 

10. If you suddenly got the power of teleportation, where in the world would you go first?

I’d love to explore Sumatra and Java, or visit my friend in New Zealand! 

Fer describing my MC Tungsten to Silver (all from Elementary) : ‘I know you think he is spoiled and ungrateful, but I see something else: I see a lonely boy. Look at him stumble over his words. He might dress fashionably, but he’s a misfit as much as the rest of us.’

Let’s play a game!

Describe your MC in the voice of any secondary character, using no more than three sentences!

I have some animal companions for you! They are all animals my band of traveling artists, The Elements, encountered on the road and adopted, either because they were left behind by someone or because they have disadvantages that would have made surviving out in the wild hard for them.  The first one is Milton, named after the poet that wrote Paradise Lost. He’s something called an ‘epitaf’, which is a small rodent-like creature, but with a pointed beak instead of a snout. An epitaf has the ability to ‘read’ wishes, so if a hungry predator comes near them, they can feel their hunger and hide. They are extremely quick climbers and usually live in and around trees. However, Milton is albino, so he stands out quite a bit. Now he inhabits Tungsten’s top hat. 

Then there is Guiseppe, a simple sheepdog that was the victim of a levitation spell gone wrong. When the Elements found him, he was up in the air and almost strangled by the cord that bound him to a tree. He usually wears a weighted harness to keep him on the ground, but during performances The Elements sometimes gives him a basket to collect money and let him float at knee height. 

The third animal is a wren called Valentine. A wren is basically a very small dragon. They live up in Northern Scotland and are about the size of a cat. They are not usually domestic animals, but Silver has tamed this one and it enjoys sleeping in his lap. The scales and wings of a wren change colour according to the temperature/seasons. However, Valentine’s scales are extremely sensitive. If he lays next to a fire, he gets brighter green, while running an ice cube over his paws will leave white trails. 

Last but not least, there is Ginny (her actual name is Sigal). She is a so-called cliffdiver. Cliffdivers resemble horses, but instead of manes they have scales that run along their neck and over their foreheads, forming patterns around their eyes. Their bellies are also scaled. They are extremely fast and can speed up and slow down in a matter of seconds, the scales on their stomachs protecting them against pebbles and other matter flying up around their hooves. They live mostly in Norweay, where they tend to galop to the end of fjords and stop suddenly (making them look like they will jump off and earning them the name of cliffdiver). Because of their speed, cliffdivers are often used as warhorses. So was Ginny, who was left behind when she was wounded, turning her right eye blind.  

If you guys have any cool animal companions/creatures/monsters/cool plants in your wips, you should come tell me about them. I want to know. Reblog. Comment. Message me. Send an ask. Idc I just want to KNOW

For Elementary it was a list of elements in my chemistry book in high school. The list gave the English names, which I hadn’t heard before, since English ins’t my native tongue. These words struck me as beautiful names for a band of traveling artists. (Tungsten, Tin and Silver stood out to me in particular. I just knew the people they would be from the first moment on). For Waterways, it was a setting - or an anecdote. A teacher told us about a small town somewhere in Spain which was painted blue entirely for the recording of a movie. I could not help imagining the inhabitants of that town watching one house after the other turn blue.  There’s no blue houses in the current version of the story, but that silent, dusty Spanish village stayed. 

I love hearing about this, so y’all should tell me what the very first spark of your WIP was! Was it a character? A line of dialogue? A setting? 

Nicholas: ‘Eros, please, hold on!’ Eros: ‘No, you hold on.’ 

I can't believe I made his last words a corny joke. 

for any ocs who have died, whether permanantly or otherwise - what were their last words?

If you are still interested in ass-kicking warrior ladies, I two in the historical fantasy I'm writing! The first one is Tin. She feels strongly about justice, equality and respect and is always picking fights to protect these values (she has quite a temper). She can throw a punch, but she prefers dueling; her gun Charley is part of her arm at this point. She likes wearing male clothing, though because she is small and curvy, it seldom fits. Luckily she has a friend that helps her adjust it. 1/2

My other warrior lady is called Phosphore. Phosphore’s fighting is more subtle than Tin’s, but definitely as dangerous. She is very smart and prefers using logic and reason to win a fight. Yet, there is always a dagger in her pocket. She is a dancer and with her quickness and agility, she can have her blade to your throat in a matter of heartbeats. The elaborate dresses she wears don’t hinder her. Though she won’t harm without good reason, you are in trouble if you touch her friends. (2/2)

I am always interested in ass-kicking warrior ladies!  And yours sound awesome! Fighting for justice? Being badass? Using wit but also weapons? And being fashionable about it?  

I love them! 100/10! Don’t mess with them! But I do want to be their friend! Also Phosphore is an awesome name!

I was tagged by the amazing @pen-for-sword. Thanks a lot! 1. Who has the darker backstory, your protagonist or your antagonist? My protagonists (all of them). My antagonists are usually motivated by a false sense of what is right, rather than a dark backstory.

2. What creeps out your main character? Tungsten is creeped out by old, empty buildings full of cobwebbs and memories. Tin dislikes superstition and the idea of bad omens or spirits. She freaks out about stuff she can't fend off with her hands. Silver doesn't deal too well with closed spaces; he needs to know he can get on the road when he wants to. Phosphore can get anxious in big groups of people.  

3. How long have you been working on your latest WIP? Since december 2016.

4. Which character is most like you and why? I suppose I gave all of the Elements some of my characteristics and made them wholly unlike me in others. But if I had to choose one, I'd say I am a combination of Tungstens unease and will to travel and Bismuths instinct to nurture.

5. What genre is your latest WIP? Historical fantasy.

6. What’s your main character’s idea of a perfect date? Tungsten would like something simple, quiet and sweet. Maybe a walk in a pretty forest or watching a sunset while holding hands.  

Silver has a hard time being vulnareble enough to actually date anyone, so if he did, he would love something that proves to him his partner has put thought and effort into it. Something with style and grace, like a surprise-diner in a fancy restaurant.

Phosphore would like to visit a museum, stroll around silently, and have a cup of coffee afterwards to discuss the art and maybe life.  

Tin is the hardest to satisfy with a date. She would want to do something unconventional and no-nonsens, like join a protest mars. It's more about getting to know someone right away than being romantic.  

7. If your main character was an animal, what would it be and why? Tungsten would be a bunny: small, soft, nervous and impossible to dislike. Silver would be a cat. He wants all of your attention and love, but the moment you get close to actually pat him, he puts out his claws and hisses. Phosphore is a swan: solemn, beautiful and serene. Tin would be a guard dog. She is loyal to those who need her to be loyal, but any threath can be sure to be bitten. And she does not bother to hide that dangerous side.  

8. What books/films/songs have influenced your WIP, if any? Though the story has nothing to do with it anymore, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them did spark my first idea of the atmosphere. The soundtrack also helped a great deal.  

9. What annoying writing habit do you have? (ie, too many commas, too many looong sentences etc). I can't properly connect one scene to the other, so I always end up with a list of two-page scenes instead of a seamless story.

10. Describe your WIP in one sentence. Eleven run-away magicians and artists attempt to live at the edge of society, but get caught up in a Romantic rebellion instead

I am tagging @dreamsofbooksandmonsters, @anightravensecho, @ladyliliana, @temporarysentences​, @authorisada and @andtheotherwriter. Don’t bother if you don’t feel like it!

10 Questions

Thanks so much for tagging me, @authorisada! I've been gaining a lot of new followers lately (yay!), so this is a good moment to talk some more about my WIP ^^. 1. Tell me something you love about your current WIP(s). I enjoy the sense of discovery I feel when writing this story. It had been a while since I had written any fantasy, and only now I notice how much I have missed it. The adventure, the magic, the feeling that everything is possible... Plus I really love the 1800's, so doing all kind of research on that period is very inspiring.

2. Three of your characters are coming with you on a road trip. Who are they and why did you pick them? If I'm picking characters from Elementary, I'd choose Bismuth, Zinc and Mercury. Bismuth is a general sweetheart ánd very responsible, so he would take great care of us travelers. Zinc is an explorer from his toes to his fingertips. He would somehow feel exactly which road to take to find the prettiest and most lonesome places. And Mercury is just the kind of guy you need when you are lying on a car in the middle of the night, having eaten nothing but old sandwiches, looking at the stars, thinking about life.  

3. How do you name your characters? I either spend four weeks scrolling through every single page of behindthename.com without ever finding the right name and settling for the one I started with, or I know the name of my character immidiatly and without doubt. There's no in between.

4. Which relationship do you write more of—romantic or platonic? Platonic. You can prey the misfits-to-family-trope from my cold, dead hands.

5. Has your main character(s) gone through any major changes through the course of your WIP? I think Tungsten has become a lot stronger and more secure. Though he is and always will be introverted and shy, I think he and I both discovered with quite a bit of surprise that he has a core made of iron.

6. Which tropes, if you’re aware of any, are in your WIP? Well, there is the misfits-to-family trope that I mentioned earlier. There is also a pretty and dangerous women (more than one, actually), a main character with extraordinairy strong magic (though he seldomly uses it) and probably some real bad romance cliches (because I can't write love but I also feel the need to write gay stuff). And I'm sure there are a thousend more, but I'm trying.

7. Favorite hero from any book/movie/etc.? That's impossible! I've always loved Maggie, from Heart of Inkt, and Liesel (and Rudy, and Max, and I just really love this book) from The Bookthief. Cormoran Strike from The Cormoran Strike mysteries is also lovely.  

8. Favorite villain from any book/movie/etc.? Littlefinger from Game of Thrones is an absolutely horrifying and genius bad guy.

9. What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Editing, honestly. I love going over my work seventeen times, changes sentences over and over till they sound just right.

10. What makes your story different and compelling for readers? The characters, I think. I try to bring interesting, lovable characters with good intentions and many flaws. A friend once told me she could feel how much I cared in anything I wrote, and because of that, my work always felt warm. I thought that was very sweet and exactly what I am aiming for. I believe in mankind, as fucked up as it might be, and I hope I can make people fall in love with living and with humans just a little bit.

I don’t know who to tag, but the questions are great, so just fill them in if you feel like it!

More taggames! I was tagged by the lovely @andtheotherwriter to share the first three lines of my WIP, while the wonderful @merigreenleaf tagged me to the share the last line (at least, the last I’ve written so far). This is for Elementary: He had been repeating the name in his mind for weeks. Tungsten. He muttered it when he was standing behind the counter of his father's shop, wrote it in inkt on his lower arm, whispered it into Miltons ears. Slowly, the sound had wrapped itself around him, comfortable like an old jacket.   

And the last one: Tungsten sat down and cried. He's going to be okay, I promise! I’m not tagging anyone because this has been going around for a while now and I’m not sure who’s already done it, but if you haven’t, feel free to take this note as a tag!

The wonderful @andtheotherwriter tagged me to explain my WIP in memes. Thanks! So, here goes:

I think I’m gonna send this as a summary to a publisher one day.

I’ll tag @anightravensecho, @dreamsofbooksandmonsters, @whatdoyoumeantheresonly3episodes, @whatevertotesyourgoat and whoever else thinks this is fun! (Please don’t do it if you don’t feel like it).

Title Game Both the lovely @knightedwriter and @panticwritten tagged my to scroll through my WIP at random and use the sentences I land on as titles. Thanks so much! I’m using Elementary: 1. Are You Hungry? 2. Sunrise at the Graveyard 3. Like Looking at a Map 4. Enter the City like a Scarecrow 5. First Answers, Then Facts 6. You Expected a Man 7. He Blushed 8. A Fleeting Image 

If I’m being honest, I could use some of these ;). I’m not tagging anyone because I don’t know that many people here and I don’t want to spam you all, but if anyone feels like doing this (come on, it’s funny), consider yourself tagged!