Q. When did you discover dA and what made you start using it?

A.I became a deviant almost three years ago, and actually, I can't quite remember why. I think it was because my sister (*Creativity-Squared) joined, and I always wanted to do what she did back then. So, it happened in some fashion that I can't quite remember and I'm glad it did. 

Q. When did you begin writing?

A.Oh, I always loved writing stories. I think the first story I remember writing was for class when I was in second grade. It was about an invisible cat who had invisible kittens. Later I wrote alien stories. They were all really bad, of course, but I enjoyed it. I hope I've gotten better since then. Haha.

Q. What is the greatest inspiration for your writing?

A.Greatest inspiration? That's kind of hard. It's probably the people I know and love around me who have taught me so much about the human condition and about life. Books, tv, and and my faith are close runner-ups.

Q. Do you have a writing style or genre you prefer to write? 

A.I tend to write a lot of stories that have fantastical elements, if not straight-up sci-fi or fantasy. I've found that I can explore a lot about what it means to be a breakable human being through non-human characters. It's what originally drew me to Star Trek (specifically The Next Generation) and some other books and movies. 

Q. What was it like receiving your first DD? 

A.Oh gosh. It was totally unexpected. Right out of the blue, really. The funny thing is that I was a bit dissatisfied with the story that got the DD, but I guess some people liked it enough. I had written it for a short fiction writing class and my peers had made some editing suggestions which I didn't get around to doing, but I posted it up anyway. Such an honor – probably undeserved.

Q. What made you start working with DLD? 

A.Well, somewhere along the line, I became friends with =SilverInkblot, who's been working with DLD forever. I sent her a LOT of suggestions at first, and then they had some openings for admins. I've been a prose admin for a year and a half now and I really love it. It gives me a chance to feature writers who might not otherwise get recognition for great writing.

Q. What are some of your favorite authors? 

A.Jack Kerouac, JRR Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King...those are the only ones I can think of at the moment. Unfortunately I'm not as a voracious reader as I used to be in high school.

Q. What tips do you have for aspiring writers? 

A.Read – a lot, anything you can get your hands on. Talk with other writers and ask them for advice. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. I also found it helpful to take a class on grammar and mechanics – even if you have a good handle on that kind of stuff, it's really interesting to know how sentences work. I've found journaling by hand in a notebook helpful as well.

Q. Do you have any hobbies outside of dA? 

A.I like doing jigsaw puzzles! I also enjoy writing letters and sending mail. 

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

sidekickwhat does robin do without batman?
he surely doesn't become batman.
and he does not die.
batman does not die.
batman grows wings;
robin stands and walks
and runs and fights
without anyone holding his hand.  lit to parking metersteaching literature to parking meters
is a selfless art.
for parking meters merely take,
and are silent.  

Mature Content

  Rusted Nail“Rust is a sign of age, Alan,” my grandfather said as he lay underneath the car.  “You leave this cars out in the elements and the air rusts 'em, no matter what you do.  And you really can't fix rust.  The frame for this one still looks mostly intact, though.  Pass me that wrench, would you?”
I slid the wrench across the floor.  “Thanks,” Grampa Rob said.
I resumed my position in the fold-up chair, drinking my tea. It was rather chilly for the middle of September.  The garage was heated, but still a little colder than in the actual house, so I was wearing my college hoodie.
“Why do you like working on cars so much, Grampa?” I asked.  Grampa Rob had worked on old cars ever since I could remember; it had always been a hobby for him.  So much so that my grandmother would always nag.  
“That grandfather of yours,” Nana would always say, “you'd think he'd love cars more than he doe