Tag Yourself: Waterways Edition I Know This Meme Is Dead, But I Enjoy Shitposting. For Left To Right:

since nanowrimo starts tomorrow and I haven't seen that much about it on my dash, let's talk! who's participating and what are you excited about? ✨

@roach-works // Melissa Broder, "Problem Area" // Mary Oliver, "The Return" // @annavonsyfert // Koyoharu Gotouge, Demon Slayer // Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance // David Levithan, How They Met and Other Stories // Tennessee Williams, Notebooks

what is the best/worst book you've ever read?

My childhood love are the books by Tonke Dragt. She has created the strangest, most fascinating universes, always slightly unsettling but at the same time inviting, and wholly unique.

One book that will always have a special place in my heart is The Bookthief, by Markus Zusak, because that is the book that showed me I didn't have to be ashamed of my love for stories.

More recently, I was very impressed by Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami. It's a crazy, almost absurd, book, but I was immediatly caught in this confusing, magical world of his.

I also am a fan of Donna Tartt, who's meandering works have never failed to give me wonderful images and inspiration and insights.

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! 

For Priscilla, the girl who literally died, by @theimpossiblescheme. I hope you like it! Requests for OC aesthetics are open.

Thank you for doing this. You are seen. You are loved.

This is just the sweetest thing. Thank you so much for using your time to make a stranger's day a little brighter. <3

what is one thing you absolutely need to write?

For a deadline: I need to write a short story that is respectable and good enough to send to a potential publisher.

For myself: I need to write a story about leaving and homecoming, about friends and family and love and how to find out if you have told the truth when you are not sure anymore. I need to write about the beautiful pointless passion of people. And I need to write about the gravestone with the poem etched into it, because I cannot stop thinking about 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!

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

Thanks for tagging me, @cauldron-stories! I’m flattered :)  TOP 3 SHIPS: I’m not much of a shipper, but I support these: 

* Jon and Martin from The Magnus Archives (how could I not)  * Eleanore and Chidi from The Good Place (hell yeah, healthy romance in which the characters actually have fun together)  * Achilles and Patroclus from A Song for Achilles (it’s all just so poetic)

LIPSTICK OR CHAPSTICK:  Chapstick. I really like how lipstick looks on other people but I’m super bad at make up and at this point I’m too afraid to ask. 

LAST SONG I LISTENED TO:  I’ve been listening to a lot of The Mountain Goats lately. Sometimes you just have to find some weird lyrics to yell along to, I suppose. 

READING:  I’m reading Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak, and it’s wonderful! I love his writing style. 

Tagging: @teaspool, @ezrasaysokay, @mo0-mo0 and @thestarstho. I know I’ve never talked to you all, but I’m interested! 

I was tagged by @thanatasia.

Rules: Tag 4 people you’d like to get to know better.

Top 3 ships:

Gurjin × Rian (Gurjian)

Rian × Mira (Mirian)

Rian × Deet (Stonegrot)

(I seem to have a favourite character … at least for shipping …)

Lipstick or chapstick: Neither.

Last song: oh, what a vague question all on its own …

Last song that I listened to: either Andrew Bird – Skin Is, My or Within Temptation – See Who I Am, I don’t remember.

Last song that I played on piano: Starset – Echo

Last song that I sung: Coldplay – White Shadows

Last song that I played on piano and sung: Evanescence – Your Star (in the original key and octave. I’m a madman, I do that.)

Last movie: frankly, I don’t remember. The last movie-like thing that I watched was Doctor Who series 4 episode 6 ‘The Doctor’s Daughter’.

Reading: two dozen tabs of unread AoR fanfiction open on my computer … and I’ve started on the Dark Crystal novel series but I’ve only read Shadows so far – Song is on its way, though, and I’ll probably get it in the next couple days and dive right into it.

I tag: @tickfleato @venterry @lilac-city-skylines @redrosessoulcabin (let me know if you’ve done this already)