I was curious, as to whether anybody uses elementals in their worlds and if so how are they used and portrayed?

In my very early ones, I did. All those projects have been scrapped because they basically plagiarized Bionicle and LotR.

I have elementals in my world. They are basically just normal people with slightly changed features. They are not a part of their element, but are merely born with the ability to control it and move invisibly within it. Though I have not written anything with them yet, they would typically be portrayed as good.

Melody K uses elements, and hers are very interesting.

Nice I havent tried that before it's a nice twist to a story.

When you say "elementals" what do you mean?

^^Yes. Do you mean elemental type creatures, or elemental type magic?

I should have clarified. I mean both. The creatures and the magic.

I don't think I have any elemental creatures in Ritharael (I might; but I have none yet.)

For magic, nearly all magic in Ritharael is elemental. Each of the seven races has a natural skill in one of the elements that corresponds to the different regions of the land they were made to take dominion over. Elemental magic comprises of using that skill along with magical energy and a proper shape to channel the magic through, and then having enough concentration and knowledge about how the element works in order to manipulate it. So that's the rough summary about how I portray them in my world, if that answers your question...

Thanks Rea! It did.

I have elemental dragons in one of my shorter stories that I'm planning on recycling into a full novel. They're not really magic, though. There's nothing mystical about their abilities - they just do. As in, the sky dragon has a special gland that produces electricity, and it can spit lightning, and the water dragon can spew large quantities of a boiling liquid with huge amounts of force, etc.

Did I misunderstand the question?

Nope! You seemed to encase it.

*Chuckles* Okay.

I have elementals in one of my worlds (I think there are threads somewhere in the depths of the Bestiary room) that are more aligned with the original concept, they are creatures made out of a single element. There are four main kinds each based on one of the four main elements, and then there are different varieties of each of those. *should really hunt down those threads*

I also have races that are descended from elemental creatures and races that are semi-elemental in that world. But much of it is still under-developed.

I don't have any elemental type spirits like naiads or gnomes or anything, but I do have characters with elemental "super powers" if you will. They don't really have a specific reason for existing outside of any other creature. Their abilities help them survive in different environments.

This novella I'm working on (and planning to self-publish), Dreamwalkers, will kind of have Elementals in it--there are four wolf packs representing all four elements, and they each have special abilities to go with those elements. The wolves from the Air Pack have the abilities of walking on air/flying and controlling weather (though just slightly, and only in a small area at once). The Earth Pack can, obviously, control earth and trees.
The Fire Pack can call fire out of nowhere, and walk through it unharmed.
The Water Pack can breathe underwater.

Sounds like a nice read.

That sounds really neat.

I have elementals (and elemental magic for humans) in one of my stories. The elementals can take a humanoid appearance or drop it and disappear back into their element. The magic needs work, as I recall, but essentially, some humans can manipulate one or two of the elements (fire, earth, air, water, for the curious) and a specific group can manipulate all four.