Julius

I'm trying to take my blog in a direction that's more my creative writing than story analysis. And my Intro to PW class today ties right in! We did a fun writing exercise where one person chooses a character for someone else to write about. We had some really creative stories like a young catholic girl who was considering being a lesbian, a were-pigeon who was transitioning, a six year old with a super power, and a zombie killing its thirty-fifth victim.

My story prompt was a scientist who's discovered a new element:

The gray-silver liquid solidified into my new throne as the king of science. This new element would skyrocket my career. The perfect combination of water and titanium, the element could be destabilized with significant vibrations and reshaped into a new object.

I sat back in my chair in my dimly lit lab feeling the cool element chill my aching back muscles through my nearly threadbare brown t-shirt. After eighteen years of school and another seven working on my project, I had finally discovered success. The weight of my accomplishment settled on my shoulders like an expensive mink coat, comforting.

Who would I tell first? I scrambled up and across my lab, tripping over ragged textbooks, discarded notes, and misplaced beakers. I stopped cold in front of my interactive hologram connector.

Because of my unwavering attentions, many of the important people in my life had wandered off over time. My brother had moved to Portland, taking his wife and three children with him. But I could still tell him... He might even come back now that I'd succeeded. I could finally repay him for my student loans, the material costs, and my mortgage. This new element would make me a millionaire. And to prove to my brother how much I appreciate his contributions and to resurface from my guilt, I would name my element after him, Julius.