Hello, hello everyone! I’m SO thrilled to see you could make it to our first installment of 2014 of ‘Adjusting The Antennae.’ Our sixth episode is a wonderful one for plenty of reasons. First off, this is the first episode of 2014 and I know I'm bringing it to you right on the edge of the month, but I'm so glad you could be here, today. It's an honor to be a part of your day on deviantART. And of course, you guys know I have to bring you all a wonderful, wonderful guest for our first episode of 2014, right? But before I reveal this amazing deviant though, I am your host, chromeantennae, and it a pleasure to have you with us for the sixth installment of Adjusting The Antennae.

And my guest for today’s show is none other than the absolutely incredible HugQueen! A lover of cookie monster gloves, hugs, bending air and a multitude of other awesome stuff, Stephany here is simply a shining beacon of positivty in our deviantART literature community! Always loving, warm, and out going, Stephany here is one of the most impactful artists in our literature community, showcasing her altruism and kindness with her truly astounding features and her writing skills are simply too good for words in all honesty. She’s one of my favorite folks on deviantART, one of my favorite writers, and one of my dearest friends. I love Stephany so much and there is no one I’d rather have as my guest for my first episode of this year than her!  

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with me for this series, Stephany. Your presence on ‘Adjusting The Antennae’ makes this series that much more amazing as your influence is so great. It is so wonderfully appreciated.

Before we start this interview is there anything you’d like to share with us? How your day has been, any pieces you’re working on at the moment, any interesting trivia about you some of us may not know? Anything your mind can think of! From a shout-out to a favorite deviant of yours or a huge declaration. Ha! Anything that you want to say before we start this interview.

Thank you so much for the opportunity! You're so sweet and lovely and yes, thank you. ♥ I want to thank the Literature community for its continued support and for giving me the chance to know some amazing people. Other than that, there isn't much going on for me, I'm working on a few collaborations, but that's about it for now. c:

 

Now, to my first question: One of the first things I’m sure the people who come across your profile page (A truly beautiful page, indeed.) is that you love Power Rangers! And I’m curious to know where your love for this series came from! If I’m not mistaken, it actually originated from the show, Super Sentai, so do you know about this show too, along with Power Rangers? And for fun’s sake (Even though I believe I know the answer to this question), who is your favorite ranger?

Oh my gosh, do I love Power Rangers. I grew up watching Power Rangers and I'd always loved them, when I was older I kind of "re-discovered" them and their outrageously terrible puns.  I'm such a sucker for an awful pun, the ones that make you roll your eyes and go "Ugh, did they really just say that?"

Yes, I do know about Super Sentai, though have yet to watch more than a handful of episodes [there are like 15 seasons of Power Rangers I have to go through first--so many]. My favorite ranger has to be the Red Ranger! Only because there is no Purple Ranger, there should be, and because the leader is usually cutest.

 

But now, getting to actual dA related things; you’re also a Senior Member, not an accolade many deviants have, so how did you first feel when you received this great honor? And for those that don’t know, Senior Members are selected by the DCO (Director of Community Operations, fourteenthstar) and are given to certain deviants for a multitude of different reasons. To learn more, go here: How do I become a Senior Member?

Oh my good word, I'm still in awe of being made a senior member. It's such a great honor to be recognized and the day I found out I cried and was so flabbergasted. I was absolutely sure it was a mistake at first and it took a lot of refreshing for me to realize that it wasn't. A lot of refreshing. A. Lot. (That's absolutely fantastic.)

You’re also one of the most involved members in all of deviantART with your absolutely HUGE literature articles in the fantastic ‘Love dA Lit:’, ‘Lit me explain u a thing’, and ‘League of Lit Groups:’ series, and I would love to know how all of these phenomenal series of articles came to be. Where did the inspiration behind these huge articles come to fruition? (And these articles are actually a huge inspiration to me, with things like ATA and other features I try to do every showcase in a while.)

Wow, thank you, I don't know about most involved, but I do try to be involved! ♥ D'awww, you are unbelievably sweet. ARE YOU EVEN REAL?!

Love dA Lit was inspired by ATrue's "Lit List" after she had stopped posting it. I'd always wanted to get involved and I loved news, at that point I had a huge list of lit news in my personal journal, so I made a journal just for lit news and finally its own article.

Nichrysalis had this great idea to recap some of the major literature happenings throughout the year. He ended up not doing it and I really loved the idea so I asked if I could do it. Thus LIT me explain u a thing was born. It was more informal than his original idea [I like silly things and if you actually read through the whole thing you can see where I begin to go crazy], but I owe the idea all to him. c:

League of Lit Groups came about as a way to feature the past spotlights of Love dA Lit. And I've always been a big supporter of helping existing groups instead of making new ones, so I figured I could combine them both. so I decided to make a "League" where I feature a group and then feature another group that has an open administrative position.

 

You’re also a big part of many different groups here. So can you please tell us a bit more about some of these groups? Also, for up-and-coming deviant writers, any words of advice on how they could use groups more to their advantage, exposure-wise?

I am a part of some great groups! I help run the Literature related things over at dALinkSystem, which is a group that is meant to help bring exposure to other artists. I'm also a part of BurdenedHearts a fantastic group that aims to help bring people together and create a support system.

I help out at CRLiterature, the community hub for dA Lit things which you should totally join, and basically tell everyone how amazing they are. They're super amazing, by the way. ProjectDFC is another great group that specializes in events that revolve around forms, such as their December For Challenge or February Form Fiesta.

Over at theWrittenRevolution I manage affiliates and Lit News [told you I love news] and this group is wonderful if you're looking for some constructive comments. Last, but not least I'm an assistant at WordWars which was based of the game of the same name. It's really fun, you basically have 15 minutes to write as much as you can and you even have a chance to win some prizes!

I'm also part of LITplease and Expose-Lit, but they're both inactive at the moment.

As for advice, find groups that have writing similar to your own, the more like-minded people you find the more likely they are to read and comment on your work. Before submitting be sure to check out their gallery [and rules, of course] and see what kind of writing people are submitting.

 

You also have quite a few prestigious awards under your belt asides from Seniority. And that is a whopping five (Make that SIX after yesterday's Daily Deviation for Stephany.) Daily Deviations; one in ’08-’10 and ’12-’14. Since you have received this accolade numerous amounts of times now, would you say any of the DDs felt different or was it all the same kind of reaction every time? Or even, was there no reaction? After receiving it so many times I can only imagine the reaction of each one with different significance to each piece.

I Love You MotherI watched them smile happily at each other; I stood wide eyed at the fluidity of their movements: bending with each gust of wind and the sun warming their leaves, making them shift slightly. I kept my distance as I observed them, they tracked the sun with a hidden compass and never straying from their designated path. Each day they would lift their heads to the sky and gaze longingly at the pale golden rays blazing above them.
They would twinkle little melodies each time the sun would break from a stray cloud and shine even brighter. Their green hands would fold downward when the rain fell from the above, like tiny, clear pearls dropping delicately to the ground. I'd watch in amazement at the long complicated dances they would perform for their only audience, the Sun.
With their leafy tendrils they would carry loved ones high in the air, illuminated by the sheer joy the sunlight brought them. Raising their voices in unison they sang praise for the shower of golden rays that woke them e

I Have HopeI have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have to remember to breathe every time those words come, I don’t want to believe it. I still can’t believe it. I remember the first time my counselor looked at me and told me that my depression and anxiety might be something more. Great, I thought, What could possibly be worse than this?
Firstly, PTSD is not a disorder that only affects our war heroes, though that is what it’s commonly associated with. My own first thoughts were: “isn’t that a disorder for war veterans or someone who witnessed war first-hand?“ The truth is there are many causes for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, for example: witnessing or experiencing  incidents, such as mugging, rape, child abuse, drug abuse, illnesses, car accidents,  plane crashes, or natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes can all trigger PTSD.
However, not every person who survives a traumatic event develops PTSD, as we all Of Half-Filled WordsShe is not a flutterbird.
Her fingers are skittish,
her smile is not.
Do not fear that you will
drive it away.
Sadness is her fumbling limb.
It is unwanted, yet
necessary.
When it is January
she will tell you,
"I am still struggling.
And I am becoming so many people
all at once.
A conglomeration of beauty that
I have managed to mangle.
Please, do not be sad for me."
Sometimes her sorrow is
meant for you. But mostly her.
Those specks and spots
of ocean storm lulls
reveal her truths:
ones she does not want
to extract from herself.
Her heart is not a rabbit.
When it beats
faster, faster, faster,
you need not
run harder to catch it. SorrowbirdI watched him flap helplessly between the teeth of a barbwire fence, screeching for help.
"Papa, look Papa! A boy!"
My papa stood dazed for a moment, dust billowing at his legs, his eyes teetering along the field. It wasn't until later that evening he told me he hadn't understood what I had seen. What he had seen.
With grass tickling the backsides of my legs, I bounded toward the boy, "What are you doing? Are you okay?"
As I approached him, I felt his skittish eyes rake across my every movement. With his ten-year-old arms slung inside the gaping maw of a fence and darkened feathers pasted along the creases of his face; he looked squarely at me. I could hear his bird-bones quaking at my voice, he pushed harder against the fence. I winced for him.
"Hold still, we'll get you out," I turned back to my papa who stood alongside the road, "Papa," I pleaded, "Please! Help him!"
Reaching out, I touched his shoulder, "Don't be afraid. We're going to help you."
He didn't pull away from me. I thou  EmpyreanMomma said to never marry an astronaut,
they will always prefer the twinkling starlight
to the light in your eyes.
They'll only end up in ships that float
aimlessly in zero gravity and you will not be there.
Momma said to never marry an astronaut.
You will stand firmly on the earth,
clutching the ground and knowing
they will always prefer the twinkling starlight.
Planets will fracture and stars will collapse
long before he recognizes he can travel
to the light in your eyes. 

 Golly, every single one had a slightly different reaction because they're all different pieces that I wrote for different reasons. They're all special to me in one way or another. I Have Hope and Of Half-Filled Words are the pieces that are nearest to me and probably the hardest to write. Though I'm very proud of the other ones as well, those two are deeply personal. (Empyrean was awarded a Daily Deviation yesterday.)

 

 

And with you being a person who consistently puts out literature gold out for the world of dA (Her works are truly astounding.), what is your writing process? What really gets you inspired to sit down and write? What’s your muse?

Oh my word. That is so sweet, you are so sweet. Thank you. ♥ (My pleasure, of course.) My writing process is really sporadic. I usually don't sit down and write as much as I should, which is my own fault, but when I do I sit at the piece for a few hours and write and edit and write and edit. I edit as I write so it takes me quite a while to get a piece to "finished". I draw inspiration from everything around me, people. places, a word, everything. Most of the time takes the right inspiration for me to really sit down and write, but I'm slowly trying to write more every day.

 

With you being someone who is SO deep into the literature community here on deviantART, how old were you when you first began to write? You exhibit so much love, enthusiasm, and passion with everything you do here with this community and I’d love to know when you first began your literature journey that helped get you to this point with literature. Anything that truly sparked your love for lit.?

When I first began to write? Oh my, um, I can't remember exactly when, but I know that I have loved writing for as long as I can remember. What really sparked my love for literature was my tenth grade English teacher. She was a truly supportive and amazing woman, who really encouraged me to write. I owe my love for literature to her.

 

And since you’ve been around deviantART for such a long while now I know that you have seen plenty of literature and writers over your time so I would absolutely love it if you could highlight some of the users you feel don’t as much attention as they deserve! This is a thing we love to do with Adjusting The Antennae as you know, highlighting writers from all over spectrum, well-known to those just starting out.

crushasphyxia, TheTerrorOfTheDeep, fallenidle, seabelle, EsotericHeart, FrayedHeartString, and DreamingAutumn.

 

Now that we’ve gotten around to some of your favorite deviants, what are some of your personal favorites in your gallery? What are a few of the pieces you’re most proud of?

Personal favorites. Um, oh dear. They would have to be:
Of Half-filled Words, I Have Hope and every single collab.

The pieces I'm most proud of would be:
A Conglomeration of Beauty, Allaying Alideya, and Sorrowbird

 

Now onto other writers’ pieces that are favorites of yours. Is there anything that you have read lately that you have absolutely loved that you would like to share with our audience? Or maybe even pieces you’ve read from years ago that have still stuck with you to this day?

I'm bad at remembering things so I'll mention some things I recently 'd

in terminusyou say my timeline is infinitesimal
when compared to your hourglass
anatomy; a never ending cycle ticking
time away like a metronome, and
again gravity refuses to bend for me;
i cannot see the fault lines in our skies
any longer. my crystal ball is cloudy,
filled to the brink of destruction --
your broken words and the obscure
misology that is to be our fate.

Mature Content

Goodbyei didn’t fall in love with you
until your skin was already grey and i
had to tell you what the weather was like
since you couldn’t leave your bed.
i didn’t mind long nights in the hospital
because making you laugh brought a warmth
to my cheeks that burnt hotter than a
forest fire, you never laughed at me for blushing
i snuck you in alcohol and forbidden foods
and pushed you around in that rusted wheel chair,
and all the nurses looked at us with
miserable eyes that said more than the doctors
would ever tell me.
naively i thought it was good news
when you said they were sending you home; but
when i saw you strewn across your wine red sheets
my heart was heavy with foreboding, and
neither one of us said anything while i
slid an iv into your paper-skin hand, so
i never asked if you were okay.
we kissed and i didn’t comment
on your snowflake lips or the fact that
your hands shook like earth quakes when
they grazed my thigh and i held you tightly
like if i could keep How can I believe it?It was almost like they didn’t know they were dead.
He was on the ground, eyes staring ahead, arm outstretched towards her.
She was in her chair, head tilted forward towards her chest, as though she was merely sleeping.
In the end, I think it was better that they went like that. It’s hard, of course, to see them so close together and know they’re dead. But when they don’t even look like they are - when they look like any second they might move again and embrace each other…
It’s even harder. Because if they don’t know that they’re dead, how can I believe it? A Mechanical Watcha mechanical watch, maybe
I picked apart in my last dream
it slid back on melting ice
all figure eights like dust
moon-spun out in front
of the house I’m not afraid
to die in
                 tonight, anyway
my handwriting changed often
and I felt cold when I wasn’t
close to you—this begs no
interpretation

 

I’m also curious to know what writer(s) (If any), given the perfect circumstances, would you like to collaborate with in the future if at all possible?

Oh gosh, I wouldn't even know who I'd want to collaborate with, there are lots of people on dA I'd love to collab with so them for sure. [There are too many to list, so basically everyone.] Otherwise, I wouldn't know as I've never thought about it.

 

Finally, I would love to know what continues to inspire you on a daily basis. With all that you do, both community and literature-wise, what inspires that and what inspires your amazing altruism and kindness? Your bubbly and wonderful disposition is simply infectious and I would love to know your secret to always staying so wonderfully positive! (There MUST be a secret you have up your sleeve to show you’re always so wonderfully warm and adorable with everyone!)

The people I love inspire me every day, the inspire me to keep going and to keep smiling. I remember reading something once that every morning we have a choice. We can choose to wake up and look at things positively or negatively. So every morning I make the choice to be positive, because no matter what goes on during the day I get to choose how I perceive everything. Even on days where I'm sad or upset I still look at things positively because I know dwelling on the negative will only make it worse.

And to everyone that took time out of their days to tune into another episode of “Adjusting The Antennae,” I give you my most gracious thank you. Also, for those of you that are new here, “Adjusting The Antennae,” is the show where we try to shift the focus of dA to the greatness of poetry and prose. Of course, it is my greatest pleasure to have gotten this far with you all and I hope you all know how much I love and appreciate everyone’s support of me, my works, and this series. I also hope that you all enjoyed the sixth installment of “Adjusting The Antennae” and the first of this year. I hope to have plenty more to come for you all. 

I also want to give a huge thank you to the truly beautiful and amazing HugQueen for taking time out of her busy schedule to share more about herself and her spectacular artwork with this amazing community of ours.

On one last point, if you know of a writer who deserves more attention or a writer you believe would make for a good interviewee, please comment below or note me with your suggestion(s)! You're also more than welcomed to add questions along with your suggestions, too. Also, if you enjoyed this interview, please show Stephany some love, spread the word on this series, or just let your thoughts be known on this with a comment!