Flint and Steel Writing Prompt

Hello! I’m Elin, a Norwegian Country Girl Who Dreams of Expanding Her Horizons

Featured Writer at Flint & Steel

Thanks to Ellie Jacobson for featuring Flint and Steel writers. 🖤

How did you discover Medium and how long have you been writing here?

I discovered Medium by coincidence when I babysat kids I’m an aunt to. It came up in a Google search. Once I was inside Medium, I never left. I was a reader for the first six months. I never thought I would write something, mostly since English isn’t my native language. Thank God for Grammarly.

What are you reading, listening to and/or watching these days?

I’m currently enjoying the lovely book ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’. Fantasy, dystopian books and thrillers are my go-to genre. I listen to Norwegian country-like songs and watch Chicago PD. The whole family watches TV series together every night, which is super nice.

What is around you while you write?

First of all — I always start with a cup of coffee. My dog is always right by my side. To be creative, I need quietness. I listen to this playlist on Spotify if the others in my house are making noise (which they usually are). I’m writing in my living room; see the picture below. I find peace from looking at the forest outside the windows.

What is your guilty pleasure(s)?

Coffee! My favorite beans are Starbucks Pike Place medium roast. I make my coffee in an AeroPress.

To get energized and boost my immune system, I take ice baths. It’s addictive.

To relax, I read YA fantasy and dystopian YA.

What must be in your fridge (and/or cupboards) at all times?

Besides my coffee beans, I need Brown Cheese (Norwegian specialty), butter, dates, and popcorn.

Fun fact: I eat raw cow’s liver at least once a week because I firmly believe “Liver is one of the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet.”

If you could travel anywhere right now where would you go? (in the perfect bubble where money, covid, and the world is not an issue)

If I could travel wherever I want, I would take my family and go to Florida 💖 We have been there twice before and loved it. Everyone dreams of going back soon.

I’m dreaming of experiencing more of the world. After Florida, I want to travel to Canada and the Himalayas.

Tell us about one of your Medium articles that you loved writing, that you are the most proud about?

I want to highlight this one. It’s my first attempt to put the experiences from a demanding time into words. I loved to share a personal story.

It’s challenging for me to bring something like this out in the open. My fear of not being enough, of not being the mom they need kicks in. However, I’m proud of how we handled this situation in the end. Although the anxiety comes back occasionally, we grow personally every time we try to work through them.

Tell us about your favorite Medium writers, ones you read on a regular basis.

Medium has so many inspirational writers! Some of my favorites:

Umme Salma, Trista Signe Ainsworth, Ellie Jacobson, Kristina God, Anangsha Alammyan, Benya Clark, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Marrisa W., Yana Bostongirl, David Ferrers, Scot Butwell, Walter Bowne, Susie Pinon, Sahil Patel, pockett dessert, Robert Roy Britt, Shaunta Grimes, Margaret Pan.

And your favorite Medium publications to write for and why?

I could mention many. But besides this (Flint & Steal), I like to write for Books Are Our Superpower (BAOS). I enjoy taking pictures. For a ‘BAOS’-story, I can take relevant pictures myself. To write an article about a book, I need to analyze the books more thoroughly. I like to share my favorite books, and I find a lot of inspiration from reading other people’s book recommendations.

Where else can we find you outside of Medium?

Connect with me on Instagram and Twitter.

Thank you, Ellie Jacobson!

Check out the featured writers prompt:

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