WayWords (4)

Welcome, all you lovely deviants! It's a pleasure seeing you here at LiteratureRoadtrip for the fourth edition of WayWords, where we interview one writer about what they do, how they do it, and possibly even receive some tips on how to become better writers ourselves! And, for all those who suffer from a funk, we here on WayWords give out a prompt that can be used freely, whether it be a word, a phrase, or even an inspirational image! Now, before I introduce our lovely artist for today (That's right, I'm looking at you, Eager Edgars and Edgarinas), let me first introduce myself; I am Eevee1999, preferably Chris, and I'll be your host for the January 21st Edition of Waywords!

Now, our amazing poet for today is none other than the one and only betwixtthepages! Elizabeth is one of the admins for the amzing people at DailyLitDeviations, where they hand out DLDs to deviants who deserve the literary compliment. They work very similar to Daily Deviations, but are solely based on the Literature Community, so give her and all of her fellow admins a big hand for their work! She is involved in several other groups, one of which is TheTitlePage, a group that focuses on poems created using found poetry by using titles of other deviations on the site, which is one of the most creative and idealistic ideas I've ever heard of, so once again, give her and the fellow admins a hand for that, too. Now, as you can likely tell from her username, Elizabeth mainly writes poems (and by god, are they amazing) and has been doing so for almost six years now! She is by far one of the most dedicated people I know, so go ahead and stop by her page to spread a little love!

Before we start the interview, is there anything at all that you'd like to share with the viewers about yourself?

I promise, I'm human! I've had a lot of people tell me that they don't know how I do so much around the community and still have time for my other life obligations, but trust me, the dA community--especially the Lit side of it--is SO, SO worth the time I put in! You guys are all wonderful, kind, beautiful people, and I LOVE talking to and getting to know you (and reading your stuff)!

My inbox is ALWAYS, ALWAYS open. If you have any questions about the Lit community, if you'd like some feedback on a piece or two, if you'd like to try your hand at collaborating (or if we've collaborated before and you want to do so again), or if you ever just need someone to talk to, you can come to me, so please, please, don't ever hesitate to shoot me a note! I don't bite!

How did you come across the name 'TwilightPoetess'? I can understand the second half, but the first remains a mystery that our readers would love to solve!

When I was in high school, I was under house arrest for most of my time. I'm a type 1 diabetic, and my mom was addicted to narcotics--and was very "protective." I spent most of my time on the computer, talking to people on MSN Messenger. But I get bored very, very easily, so I played around with my MSN name ALL THE TIME. Twilight Poetess was one of the names I came up with, and it sort of just stuck--I LOVE twilight (NOT THE BOOK, but the time of day!) and I'm a poet, and I write a lot about the sunset...so it just sort of fits me.

Is there anything in particular you do before a writing session or do you just... do? Is there any process to your brilliancy?

Uhm. Well, I usually get a niggling feeling in my fingers before anything. I work by myself a lot, so in the mornings I'm always thinking about stuff I want to write next/story lines/characters...but when I get home, usually I end up writing poetry instead. There's really no process, though. Sometimes I'll think "I should write a haiku about THIS" and I'll do so, but I'll change it in the writing process. Sometimes I'll think "I should do a title poem!" so I spend some time collecting lovely titles and putting them in an order that makes sense. Other times... Well, other times the poetry just happens. I hand write EVERYTHING first, though--that's one thing I've always done, and will probably always do. I think better writing it out than I do trying to type it.

While sticking to that writing topic, when and how did you become a writer? Is there anyone in particular you'd like to thank for helping you through your trek to becoming a poet?

Oh jeeze. Well, I did a bit of writing in elementary school (third grade we had to do some poetry and a few short stories) but that sort of fell off when I was diagnosed with diabetes. It wasn't until sixth grade that I really became passionate about writing--I had a friend who had started a poem and couldn't finish it, so she passed it off to me to finish instead (first collaboration, guys!) Since then, I haven't been able to put down my pen, and I spent most of my school career (from 6th grade through college) writing when I should have been paying attention in class. So, I guess I'd like to thank her for getting me started.

Whilst on the subject of poetry, do you have a preferred topic for your poetry? A specific style or format? How 'bout favorite deviation(s) of yours?

Let's see... I write a lot about nature, and space/the moon and sun/the stars. My favorite subject is, of course, the moon--I'm not sure why. I write a LOT of haiku--it's easiest for me, in a way. Whenever I'm exhausted or I KNOW I don't have enough muse to write longer things, haiku is always there so I can say I wrote at least one thing that day.
My personal favorites would have to be...

Summer Roses, one of my newest pieces;
The Heat of the Night, which was inspired by a picture of Marilyn Monroe;
and
Phoenix Songs, which is a contest prize I did for Sleyf.

We're still on poetry, what would it feel like if you deviated, no pun intended, from your poetic norm?

Uhm... Well, I can't say for sure that I have an answer for this, because if I'm honest, my style (or poetic norm) is ALWAYS changing.

When I first started writing, I wrote (like all poets just starting to find their voices) in mostly rhymes. But then I started writing these big, LONG narrative pieces that focused more on word play than on rhyming, and from there, my style has changed for almost every piece I write. Yes, I have those things that I always fall back on (haiku, the moon, stars, nature...) but I'm always pushing myself to do something different, you know? So... I guess... my poetic norm is to deviate from my poetic norm.

And can you list your favorite deviations of other poets/ writers?

Oh goodness, this question is so difficult! Uhm... Let's see... JUST TO NAME A VERY FEW--

Black Coffee Comfort;
on clarity, seeing yourself as you are;
To Grandfather";
broken faith;
darling heart;
salvaging _________;
The Stellar Void;
Romancing Cotton;
and
Hotel

You've also received many DLDs and four DDs on Anthropomorphism for Beginners, Puddled Gasoline, Harvest Moon, and Fragile--FFm Day 7. What was it like, seeing that first DD in your inbox?

Anthropomorphism for BeginnersI found Grandma on the street today
reborn as a rock.
I didn't recognize her at first
without her turquoise-rim glasses
or her always-falling-out-in-public teeth;
she was standing in the gutter on her bald,
lopsided head.
Mom tells me Grandma's gone to nag God into slaughtering spiders
and taking the farts out of vegetables,
but if you squint your eyes and tilt your head,
you can see Grandma's crooked nose--
the one that she broke
playing badminton last year--
and the way her eyes crinkle at the corners
when she talks about cheating
to beat me at checkers.
And it's just like Grandma to come back as a rock;
Mom's always called her a stubborn old crook,
and it looks like Grandma's holding a bag of stolen money
under her billowing Hippie-Days shirt sleeves
if you turn her just slightly to the right.
I think I'm gonna keep her in my bedroom.
Just in case. Puddled GasolineHear me read it!  Puddled Gasoline
Someone left the car on
with the garage door closed again;
mother-of-pearl rainbows
streak the harsh winter concrete
as I breathe past the fumes.
Your son,
forgetful seventeen
at its finest,
blares Grunge
or Punk
or some other form of noise
I'm not familiar with.
He will not hear me screaming
when I tug open the door
and you spill out like a puddle
onto my freshly-buffed shoes,
because I will not be screaming
at all.
For the first time
in almost twenty years of marriage,
you've silenced me. Harvest MoonThree a.m. moonlight
across lazy dust motes; a
tree scrapes the window.
Your arm weighs on my hip like
whispered promises of love. Fragile--FFM Day 7Lindsey Stirling blared from my ear buds and I bobbed my head, furrowing my brow.  My hand was shoved deep into my purse, searching for my keys.  Instead, I found receipts from the Stone Age, a collection of seashells from last year's vacation, and enough pepper spray to blind at least twenty bears.
Frustrated, I dumped my portable landfill on the welcome mat; lipstick tubes and loose change bounced across the wood and disappeared, lost beneath the porch.  Spreading objects out with my hands, I sighed.  No keys.  "Damn it all to Hell and back ag--"
Glancing up, the box near my door caught my eye.  Wrapped with neon-colored paper, a large skull-and-crossbones bow held a handwritten "FRAGILE" note in place.  The colors were garish, clashing with the ivory siding.  
Wrinkling my nose, I pulled the package toward me, keys forgotten.  The paper was slick, slipping against the pads of my fingertips like silk.  Examining the box, I flipped the "FRAGILE" note over--and gasped.
Yanking the ear

It was... I can't even describe it. I'd been having a rough time--I was living with my mom, working two jobs (going in from 6 am-2 pm, taking a small nap and a shower, and then working at another place from 3 pm-12:15 am) trying to get enough money to move my fiance to town with me, and I was dead exhausted...but when I saw that in my inbox, it was like... for the day, everything disappeared. The depression, the exhaustion, the loneliness... it didn't matter for a while, you know?

Now, you have been a deviant for five years and counting What's amazing is your contributions to the literature community; you're an admin for one of the best literature awards of DeviantArt, DLDs, and you're always giving back to the community, even holding a DLD and DD suggestion contest so those unknown people can finally get the attention they deserve. How has your time on dA been, and would you change anything about it?

My time on dA... I honestly wouldn't change anything about it. I've met some amazing people, been saddened by other amazing deviants leaving, and had the time of my life (and hope to continue to do so for a long, long time.) I've gotten SO MUCH support and feedback on my work, and could never hope to give back nearly half as much as I've received, though I try my best to every time I log on here. dA has been an amazing experience; the people here are truly wonderful.

Speaking of unknown deviants, are there any people on your watchlist that you do not feel are getting the attention they deserve? Would you mind naming a few, some, or maybe even all?

Oh goodness, let's see here...

Aerode, shipwreck-stars, Sammur-amat, ErinM31, haphazardmelody, A-Lovely-Anxiety, toxic-nebulae, toxic--sunrise, camelopardalisinblue, Story-of-a-Mind, misaoseta, solis-ortus, DamagedHomewrecker, weight13ss, everystupidstar, nosedivve, straybutterflies, and brain-tree are all people who write BEAUTIFULLY and don't get nearly enough attention around here.

Who would you list as your biggest inspirations and supporters on dA?

Biggest inspirations:

SilverInkblot, Nichrysalis, LionesseRampant, HugQueen, LiliWrites, PoetryOD, fervvent, dreamsinstatic, momo-madness, PinkyMcCoversong, chromeantennae, FuzzyHoser and vespera, all for various (and different) reasons.

Biggest supporters:

I honestly couldn't tell you. I know there are so, SO many, and I can't even begin to start listing you all, so thank you. You all know who you are.

And finally, what are some last things you can say to our readers? Any shoutouts, and even tips on writing would be extremely helpful, especially the latter.

Keep in mind, it's okay to write for yourselves. If you're having a bad day and you need to vent, feel free to do so--write a poem with bad grammar and no punctuation. Write it in gibberish, Morse code, or invisible ink if you have to, but get it out, because bottling that stuff up isn't healthy. Write it out, and then let it go--holding on to the negatives is like drinking a glass of poison every night before bed. It doesn't get you anywhere.
Feel free to hurt, and to cry, and to scream--we're all human, and we need to do these things sometimes to feel better. To feel like we're still connected to ourselves, because sometimes we lost sight of that in the day-to-day grind.

Shout-Outs (in no particular order):

To our wonderful Lit CVs -- neurotype-on-discord, BeccaJS, DorianHarper, inknalcohol, and SingingFlames --thank you for being awesome; I appreciate you all!
To the groups that strive to help people out with writing, wishes, life, or just to make them feel loved-- BurdenedHearts, dACompliments, wishingwell, LiteratureRoadtrip, Adopt-A-Writer --thank you for all the hard work!
And to those of you who are struggling right now--with life, with your muse, with the little brother that annoys you every minute of every day, with that boy who doesn't know you exist or that girl who couldn't care less, or with any number of other things--please remember that there are always people here to lean on. Stay strong. You're loved. You're worth it. You're beautiful.

---

Wonderful words from a wonderful deviant
Now, as I mentioned before, Elizabeth left me with a fantastic prompt for you guys:

Write a double acrostic--must include at least one ocean image/theme.

Very specific, and quite possibly challenging. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy, and, until next time, I'm Chris, and thank you for being here!