http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27883039/ Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:52:38 PDT
I'm taking the SAT November 7th. Honestly, words like bivouac, vociferous, garrulous, munificent, vacillation, eclectic, invidious, doctrinaire, etc., are really not words I like using. Personally, I see the use of a few of them (like garrulous, munificent, vociferous, and bivouac if you're talking about one), but the rest of these seem like pomp and arrogance. Who uses these words? Aside from annoying textbooks and essays from some genius with a PhD, who really uses these? I feel like there are better, more understandable words that describe the same things and flow easier in a person's mind. On the other hand, that could be because no one reads anymore and everyone I know thinks I'm super-smart-booknerd-woman because I say words like pristine and superfluous. Those words are common to me. Common! I've never understood why so many people freak out about the SAT. It's reading comprehension and math. How is that hard? The math, maybe. But the reading? Nah. That's simple enough. Right?

Wrong.

My cousin thinks I'm so smart. I'm one of the most "intelligent" members of my family--next to my mother and uncle that just got married. Both have a higher vocabulary than I. Why? Because their parents talked with more explanative words! Their diction was vastly more elaborate than what passes for modern-day vocabulary (or vocab, for short. Everything has to be short). My grandmother never dumbed things down for me, even when I was little (which I was, since she died when I was 8). To this day, my mom uses intricate words that accurately detail her emotions and describe her thoughts. She passed that on to me, and I am forever grateful. However, my family as a whole is of an older generation (my mother is almost in her 60s), and most people do not get to experience that. Kids these days grow up with...Lady Gaga? Uh, Shakira? And me? I grew up with the Police, Frank Sinatra, The Turtles, The Beach Boys, and so on. All the oldies. I didn't listen to more modern stuff until I was around...12? Yes, I think so.

With all that being said, is the SAT daunting due to the sheer volume of explanative, elaborate, and superfluous (lol, I had to use it) words? Words the younger (who am I kidding? I'm part of that group) generations no longer use? Why is communication such a massive behemoth of a mountain to overcome?

Love,
~

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27838648/ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:32:21 PDT

I mentioned Xmind in my last journal, but I wanted to elaborate on it a bit. I've come up with a term called "character mapping," which is just a character profile but more visual and easier (in my opinion) to re-read over and over. I made a WordPress blog about it, and I hope it will help. Personally, I love to read books filled with plot, awesome characters, heart-stopping moments, and the ever-present action that most books seem to have nowadays. However, I hate reading anything that has nothing to do with a story; after a while all the words just blend together. A character map makes it more visual, and you can hide a branch you don't want to see. That really, really aids me in creating a complex character. If I need to refer to a character's likes, I simply open up that branch of the map. Simple, right? Go check it out. I made my version of a character map downloadable and gave a link to it, too. It's all in the WordPress blog.

So, Halloween is coming up. It seems to be a very popular holiday around deviantART. Personally, I don't celebrate it. I'm a Hallow-Scrooge. Why? Religion. . I just don't believe in what Halloween represents and will not support it. Sorry if you wanted to go trick-or-treat with me; I'll gladly take half of the candy you get, though.

Also, I found a pretty handy website: Daily Writing Tips. They have a whole bunch of writing information all in one area.

Love,
~Amriah

PS: I think I might be having carb withdrawals. Ever since I've been going on a diet, I've felt icky and have craved spaghetti, hamburgers, and fries. All in one meal. Bleh. Remember kids, eating too much fat and sugar is bad for you.

My WordPress account

Warriors with a Pen

Official Website
Facebook Page

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda<... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27778058/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27778058/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:38:43 PDT

Sorry for the lack of updates. In all honesty, my life is bland right now and there's not much to update on. I mean, really. This is about it: clean the apartment and finally get settled in, take a Psychology final next Thursday, take the SAT next month--start studying, finish Government, start Sociology, finish reading Pride and Prejudice, finish English 12A. So, in short, my life is one giant classroom at the moment. I'm just trying to make up what I'm behind in. I really want to graduate before I turn 19--even if it's by a day. My birthday is December 3rd, so this ought to be interesting.

Oh, and the drama with John's mother is finally coming to a head; she no longer speaks to either of us, never wanted to talk to me, and is waiting for the day John will contact her and be healed. Yeah, well, in a few years, that might take place. It's not going to be the overnight trip she thinks it will be. But oh, well. I tried. People keep telling me to just talk to her and forgive her and love her. I...can't do that. Forgive her? Yes. That's necessary for my sanity more than for hers. Talk to her? No. I refuse. She's insulted me in every way possible and I'm just supposed to suck it up and deal with it because she's John's mother and I shouldn't expect decency out of her? That's ridiculous. John doesn't even agree with that mentality. He's equally hurt that she's doing this and wants just as little to do with her because of it. Oh, whoops. I went on a rant. . Sorry guys.

In other news, Dominoes (not the pizza) is the best game to play with a lot of people--unless you want alcohol involved. This is a G rated game, and a fun one at that. I always end up getting second place! Rawr.

Love you guys!
~Amriah

My WordPress account

Warriors with a Pen

Official Website
Facebook Page

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27588828/ Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:48:35 PDT
We have arrived in a strange location. The air is clear and cool. Water is everywhere and tastes bitter. Their source of light made my skin red and itchy. Earth is a really strange planet--especially this "Central California Coast." We will move on to a different planet to conquer; this one is too annoying.
----

Why do so many people want to invade/destroy/take over Earth, anyways? We're mostly ocean! Fail.

I'm going to Albany, New York on Wednesday for my uncle's wedding. Expect a detailed report later. Oh, and I have pictures from our random trip to San Simeon yesterday. They're pretty! I just need a better camera...

Also, a friend of mine told me about a idea-organizing freeware program called Xmind. It's really handy and perfect for plotting out, well, plot. And character personality/connections. Tell me if it's really a bad program in disguise (though I've been assured it's 100% legit).

Tell me how your lives are, too!
~Amriah

My WordPress account

Warriors with a Pen

Official Website
Facebook Page

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

Remembering (flash fiction/autobiographical)
What Is? (prosetry--I think)
The Boy: Updated (short story)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 2 (novel idea)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 1 (novel idea)
=Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27366727/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27366727/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:13:50 PDT
What the hell is the rest of that song? Damn you Beach Boys for slurring too much!

Anywho, I'm back. In my absence I have moved into an apartment with my fiancé. No more apartment limbo!

I did, however, press "Select All" then "Remove" on pretty much everything in my inbox--except for notes and comments (which are few). Sorry, guys, but I have little time to try to sort through 390 deviations, 192 journals, and 72 polls.

Hope everyone is doing well!
~Amriah

My WordPress account

Warriors with a Pen

Official Website
Facebook Page

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

Remembering (flash fiction/autobiographical)
What Is? (prosetry--I think)
The Boy: Updated (short story)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 2 (novel idea)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 1 (novel idea)
Generally Speaking(wtf lol)

Clubs

~ =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27153491/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27153491/ Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:54:12 PDT
Still in Apartment Limbo. The other apartment we had been working with eventually told us the same thing they had originally said five days ago: we can't take you. Now I feel jaded and strung along.
Next complex, please?
We're still waiting on these guys. The upside is that they're privately owned and have already said they would count my inheritance as income. After all, that's what savings are for, right? Tell that to the other idiots. Getting an apartment shouldn't be this complicated. Should it?

I've been working on Half Life. So far, I've transcribed around 2,600 words. I've actually written 59 pages! This is the farthest I've gotten with a story in a long, long time. I should stop jumping from idea to idea. That might help. Maybe.

How is everyone? Today is a very somber day--but I'm not the type to dwell on the bad in life. 9/11 was horrible, but we can learn from it, remember and honor those who died, and not drag on about it. Why not celebrate for them? It's hard, especially if a they were a family member. I just think they'd want us to be happy, you know? But that's just me.

In love and remembrance,
~Amriah

PS: I watched the whole Star Wars series this week. I realized how close Half Life and Star Wars are. Both have twins that are special (Luke, Leia; Faerín, Raanmir). Both have one menacing emperor (Darth Sidious vs. Highlord Malakaer). Both have a small rebel force trying to change how things are run (the Alliance vs. the slave rebellion). However, the comparisons stop there, and I like it that way. Nothing is original anymore--nothing. So, I like seeing how much my story is like Star Wars and tweaking with it a little. Who knows, maybe it'll become more original than other stories.

My WordPress account

Warriors with a Pen

Official Website
Facebook Page

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/27065977/ Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:55:39 PDT
No rental history.
One delinquency in your fiancé's credit history.
No credit history for yourself since you're eighteen and never had a credit card.
Low monthly income.

All of these things mean no apartment. I had no idea. We searched. And searched. Okay, it was only for one day, but it felt longer. We went to places I'd never want to go again. I hate the feeling that someone could harm me or catch me unawares.

So, I get the feeling to call the place we originally were rejected by. John does. Turns out, they can count my savings as income. They can use current rent, paid to my future aunt-in-law as rental history. All that is left is the one delinquency. Suddenly, that rejection isn't permanent. Approval is almost guaranteed if we can just get rid of that. Which we will on Tuesday.

This whole thing is a pain. But the place is worth it.

~Amriah

My WordPress account

Warriors with a Pen

Official Website
Facebook Page

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

Remembering (flash fiction/autobiographical)
What Is? (prosetry--I think)
The Boy: Updated (short story)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 2 (novel idea)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 1 (novel idea)
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26993142/ Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:17:25 PDT
-------
Bananas. Thought I was going to say membership, did you? Bleh.

We're moving out on Sunday if we get approved. We should know by today or tomorrow.

So, if I drop off the face of the universe for a while, I promise I'm still alive. I just don't know when I can pay for the interweb.

Oh, how many of you have a WordPress account? I want to get in touch with other people.

~Amriah

PS: Most of our stuff is being stored in Premium Bananas boxes from the local grocery store. Why? Because they're free, they're durable, and it's funny. . Over and out.

Warriors with a Pen

Official Website
Facebook Page

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

Remembering (flash fiction/autobiographical)
What Is? (prosetry--I think)
The Boy: Updated (short story)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 2 (novel idea)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 1 (novel idea)
Generally Speaking(wtf lol)

Clubs

http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26944748/ Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:49:46 PDT The Question

Since I have a WordPress now, I have a small question. Should I keep my work here or post it on WordPress, too? Or, should I just post on WordPress? Yet another or, should I just keep my stuff here and quit asking? Would you actually read my stories if they were on WordPress?

Where's a poll when you need one?

Also, how many of you actively use Facebook? I want to keep track of you lovely gremlins.

-----------
I'm running out of interesting titles for my journals.

I got a WordPress blog for myself. It's sort of my official "writers blog." Sound spiffy to you? I'm trying to create some sort of interest in my business as well as myself. I'm not entirely for sure how that works, though.

Our room is looking pretty bare now; everything (almost, at least) is off the walls and packed away in a banana box somewhere (we took them from Savemart, haha). Now, to get rid of the clutter on the floor...

Still trying to get some book signings. Things seem to be stagnant there. The problem is me being in high school with little free time. But, I'm very fortunate to have my fiancé and his aunt. They've really carried a lot of this business' weight for me. Like I've mentioned before, I want to open submissions next year. I wish that I could do it sooner, but I think my personal life is too hectic right now.

On a random note, I bought a literary magazine when we went to San Luis Obispo last Thursday. It's called The Kenyon Review. I haven't read much from it, but what little I have put me in a strange slump. These writers are so acclaimed that, even if they wrote poorly, it wouldn't matter. Someone would still like it because it was written by that person. It just seems contradictory. Work up, being rejected constantly, then no one questions anything after that pass into acceptance and limelight (at least the literary limelight). I guess that part confuses me.

So, how is everyone? I've been getting some great feedback on my work.

I have a Facebook page for Warriors with a Pen. Become a fan and stay updated!

~Amriah

Warriors with a Pen now has PayPal available on the site. You don't have to have PayPal account, either. It's free, fast, and secure (yay for advertising).

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

=Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26823711/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26823711/ Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:07:10 PDT
It's basically visual poetry. We though of it as a way to make extra money for WP. Thoughts? Feedback? Monkeys? We buy the picture frames and use add poems to stunning pictures. Does that sound like it'd be worth money to you?

My plan for next year (early New Year's resolution): focus on the business and finding new talent to publish. I think I want to take submissions next year for WP. Keep that in mind.

In other news, I love Office Max. So many pens, so many binders, so many options of cardstock for business cards. It's simply delightful. I'm in love. In contrast, Berean Christian Stores are...cliché and make me want to punch someone innocently ignorant in the face to wake them up. T-shirts with John 3:16 in Twilight font? Pathetic. Didn't the Bible say not to be of the world? Guess someone forgot to tell Berean and some other Christian bookstores.

But that's just my opinion.

So, who likes Hamburger Helper? I know I do. Cholesterol-filled beef, greasy piles of early death. And cheap, very cheap. I guess death is on sale this week at Winco. Yay! Oh, I'm very obscure.

~Amriah

Warriors with a Pen now has PayPal available on the site.

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 2 (novel idea)
Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 1 (novel idea)
Generally Speaking(wtf lol)
The Boy(short stories)
The Streets of Lorin(flash fiction)
Advice (open poetry)

Clubs

http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26754278/ Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:30:40 PDT
The end.




----The normal journal entry-----

A journal entry that has nothing to do with Warriors with a Pen? No. Sorry, you're not so lucky. Just kidding. You are.

I've been sitting in this room for days. I want to move out already. John and I are going to go for an apartment. I'm excited because we're going to have an actual office room! Right now, our room doubles--or triples--as a bedroom, living room, dining room, office room. I guess it quadruples.

I can see why publishers give authors only 10%; I'm considering lowering the amount of royalties my writers get. Marketing and whatnot costs a lot of money and WP has seen very little return on that. Heh. Guess you did have to hear about WP after all.

We're going to the mountains or the beach on Wednesday. If I can find my camera, expect a lot of photos Thursday. I'm making pit stops every five seconds to take pictures. John has a license now; I'm making the most of it.

Does anyone have anything going on at the moment aside from school? Anything you have achieved or are proud of?

I've been thinking of featuring a random deviant per month (writing only). I feel that good writing doesn't get enough exposure; in my opinion, DLDs and DDs are partial. Well, all of it is partial. But, I want to try to feature writers with great style, plot, characters, and story overall--regardless of genre (except sexual/yaoi. Not into that and won't. Partial? Yes, I guess I am). Does this sound like a good idea? Do you know of any writers on dA that need a little more exposure? Let me know.

~Amriah

Warriors with a Pen now has PayPal available on the site.

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 1 (novel idea)
Generally Speaking(wtf lol)
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26718802/ Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:32:33 PDT . Honestly, I can't express how excited that makes me. It's on a Sunday, 1-4 PM, at a mall. A mall on a weekend during the middle of the day! Can you say sales? I hope so. If anyone is in Fresno this Sunday, come to Manchester Mall and buy a book. You know, getting a book signing only two weeks or so after we got the books isn't too bad for a starting business. We're establishing some major connections--and we haven't even gone to all the bookstores in Fresno yet! The future looks good.

All eyes to the sky. We're headin' up.

~Amriah

Warriors with a Pen now has PayPal available on the site.

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

Book Signings and Events
Sample Poems
Reviews
Table of Contents
Belinda
John

Recent Writing

Dasmar Lies: Ch. 1, Pt. 1 (novel idea)
Generally Speaking(wtf lol)
The Boy(short stories)
The Streets of Lorin(flash fiction)
Advice (open poetry)
Storyless, Hurried and Annoyed (short story)

Clubs

~devLIT
=http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26655944/ Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:49:55 PDT Warriors with a Pen now has PayPal available on the site. Never liked the thought of sending a check? Just go through PayPal and get the book. We're still experiencing some technical difficulties with the buttons (as in they're not spaced correctly), but bear with us. We'll change them and you'll probably never notice. Or would you?

There are also pages for:

John, Belinda, and me
Intimate Journey Table of Contents, Reviews, and Sample Poems
Contact form to join the mailing list/ask questions
A Book Signing and Events page to keep you up to date on WP activities
our online Store--complete with PayPal link and check/money order info. A legitimate storefront might take some time. We only have one book out so far, lol.

So, if you have a debit/credit card (and have the money to pay for it), head over to the store. If you don't, well, I'll kill yo--I mean, it's okay.

In other news, I feel very accomplished. I managed to get the site template up and running, get PayPal going (all on my own, thank you), and whatnot. That's a lot to say for around four day's worth of work. Homework has also been flying by as well. Oh, the joys of multi-tasking. So, when is everyone going back to school? I hear it's soon--very soon. .

~Amriah

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars Information
Journal
Deviation (with sample poems)

Recent Writing

Generally Speaking(wtf lol)
The Boy(short stories)
The Streets of Lorin(flash fiction)
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26466128/ Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:47:41 PDT UPDATE2: We managed to fix the problem by uploading a template. Things are easier to get to and I expect to have PayPal up and running by next week at the earliest. Go check out the site to see the changes!

-------
UPDATE: Now, you know that the site for Warriors with a Pen is a bit grungy and basic. I don't have the slightest clue how to fix that and our web designer isn't exactly doing her job. So, this is a call for web/logo designers. I don't have much to pay you, but if you're interested or know someone who is good with web design, please note me or e-mail me at elisamichelle@warriorswithapen.com

Thank you!

---------
My fiancé got a job working for Cutco. I've heard some nasty things about Cutco, but the pay seems promising if you are a competent salesperson. Then again, I'm in high school. What do I know of sales? Speaking of sales, sorry about the constant updating of one journal; I wanted to leave the information in one place. I'm fed up with the sales pitch. Again, what do I know of sales? It irritates me. No one seems to have $12.50 anymore and, sometimes, even if they do they aren't interested. They put a good word in their journal only for more people to say they too lack the funds. What's the point? Exposure? Publicity? It lasts two seconds and then fades away when a new journal is posted. To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting. Did I aim too high? Probably. Oh, well. Did I overdo it? Yes. Sorry, I got way too excited about the book. I promise that any promotions will come at a less hyperactive pace from now on.

I'm taking a class that is a Texas requirement: BCIS. I have to go over all the Microsoft Office 2003 programs: Access, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and Word. Here's the thing: it's 2009, I have Microsoft Office Suite 2008. For the Mac. That kills Access and Oulook; I got Entourage, Excel, Powerpoint, and Word. So much has changed between versions that it's supremely idiotic. Require 2007 or something. Did anyone else notice I used three colons in this paragraph? I didn't.

I haven't read much lately aside from BCIS and Pyschology. Psychology isn't too bad; human behavior is amusing. I have another story idea that was inspired by my current residential dilemma. It's called Dasmar Lies, and we'll see where it goes. I believe every story has to include the writer, even if it's fantasy and has nothing to do with our world. There has to be a tie somewhere--the writer. Their thoughts, beliefs, emotions, experiences. All of it. I mean, don't have it verbatim. If you argue with your family, don't go write that down with alternative names and call that a novel. Short story? Maybe, if it's a good argument. Half Life, The Realm Within, and a few other of my story ideas all hold something of me in them. Granted there are some Mary Sues in there (-cough-Seraph-cough-), but they can be fixed. They have a litmus test for that. It's quite humiliating if you have an incredibly obvious Mary Sue like Seraph. She needs a new name, ASAP!

How has everyone been? I request an update. Who is going back to school soon? I'm homeschooled so I have no set summer schedule. In fact, I haven't had a carefree summer in two years because of how behind I am in my classes. Too bad, they used to be really fun. Sitting in front of the computer, lazing around, eating junkfood and watching some poorly trasnlated anime on Cartoon Network. Oh, wait. I do that anyway. Moving on.

~Amriah

Intimate Journey: Battle Scars Information
Journal
Deviation (with sample poems)
Website: Poetry Information

Recent Writing

Storyless, Hurried and Annoyed (short story)
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26382192/ Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:01:45 PDT *Moonlightwriter was kind enough to make a news feature for me!

More sample poems (3 per writer) can be found here at our website. The site itself is still going through some updates so if things are a little of, we're working on it. So go check them out!

Thanks for all the journal features, guys! I am very honored to have such a supportive group around me!

UPDATE: Check here for more detail about the book. This includes covert art, the introduction, two sample poems, and how to buy innformation.


Warriors with a Pen is pleased to announce the debut of their first book: Intimate Journey: Battle Scars

If you are interested in the book, it is $12.50 ($10.00 + $2.50 for shipping).

If you want to buy two books, it is $24.50 ($10.00 per book + $4.50 for shipping). For every book you want after that (ex: 4 or 5 copies), add $12.50 for each copy to find your total cost (ex: 4 copies=$12.50x4=50).

Right now, we only take checks, cash, or money orders (preferrably checks or money orders).

If you want an autographed copy or have any questions, e-mail me at elisamichelle@warriorswithapen.com
Please keep in mind that I did note write this book and it will be signed by John Noe and Belinda McDanel.

Make check or money order payable to:
Warriors with a Pen

Please send to this address:
Warriors with a Pen
5823 W. Menlo Ave.
Fresno, CA 93722

Please include the return address.

The option to purchase with a credit card is expected to be available on our web site September 2009.

Books sell best through word of mouth. Please, spread the word around even if you don't purchase a copy. Pass it alone to anyone who might be interested. Put something in your journals, too.

Check out our website for news updates and further information. Also, join our mailing list to keep up with us!


Thanks,
~Amriah

PS: Thanks for the response on my short stories. Your support and kindness is much appreciated and valued!

What Other Deviants are Saying
_{Thanks for the enouraging words, guys! You rock!}


~TheStorageGnome here's something the writers and readers of DA might wanna check out! Fellow DA lit veteran has published her first piece of writing - an inspirational poetry book centered around healing through the words we pen! It's a gorgeous book and a great way to support small publishing houses and fellow writers! For more information give this link a click: [link]
_{original journal}

~cupcakemichi

[link]
just click the link. seriously. go. now. NOOOOOOW.
because she's awesome. and you totally need a new book.
so why are you still herrrrrrrrre? CL... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26137726/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26137726/ Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:49:27 PDT Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

------

I'm finally on to other subjects that don't require mathematics or science--especially not the science. With all my effort, I got a 90 average in Chemistry class! That's the first A I've gotten in a science class since 7th grade.

Black Beauty was a great book; the horses are intelligent and push many sound moral judgements into the light. Religion isn't religion if you don't follow it, regardless of how often you go to church (can I get an "Amen"). No one should oppress the weaker ones among them but try to help them out instead. If you don't speak up then you are "sharers in the guilt". Right, wrong, or otherwise, no one should ridicule another for having their own opinions. All of these take center stage during the 245 page narrative of Beauty's life. During his time at Birtwick park--or even before that at his first master's farm--Beauty hears and sees horses treated cruelly by their masters and had the fortune of living with gracious ones that would never do that to him. Then, as he ages and changes hands, his life becomes harsh and cruel. Finally, he becomes a cab horse under Jerry's ownership. During that part of the book, you'll find that Jerry is a very opinionated fellow and tries to help others and be fair to his horses, despite his poor situation. I really liked that about him and this world could stand to have more Jerrys living in it. However, when things turn for the worse, Beauty has to face the harsh conditions that horses and other animals had to endure in London back in the 1800s (the book was written in 1877 just before Sewell died). This book was very heartwarming and, ironically enough, confirmation of my own personal beliefs. If you do read it, I hope you look past the book's slightly simple narrative. It is a nice change of pace to hear a story from a horse's limited perspective. Certain things are left unsaid that the reader understands but Beauty never does which is a sign of great penmanship. Again, I hope you enjoy this book. It's one of my favorite stories. Oh, and the movie is also quite good though the morals were not as highlighted as they are in the novel. Also, certain aspects were changed around as they often are for the screen.



The next book I'm reading is for both pleasure and school (who'd have thought those could go hand-in-hand). Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has more reviews and critical essays to last three or four lifetimes. Still, I'll add my brief opinion on one of my personal favorites after I'm done reading and writing a critical research paper on it.

I know I've said this a few times, but this time I'm serious: The poetry book is almost ready. Within a week or so, you'll be hearing way more from me on this subject. Do you know how exciting it is to see your hard work come to life? It may not be my poetry, but I put a lot of work into it and am very proud of how it's come out.

You'll hear more from me later. On a personal level, I hate drama. Who doesn't? And sorry I haven't been active on here; I've been out of town and then incredibly busy with school. My goal is two lessons a week. Let's hope this expands my vocabulary and helps me learn how to juggle more things at one time. Always look on the bright side, eh? That's a recent development for me, so I don't know how often I can do that.

Bye!

~Amriah


Recent Writing

Storyless, Hurried and Annoyed (short story)
Come Away with Me (flash fiction/romance)
An Ordinary Day (flash fiction/rant)
Chain Reaction (fixed poetry)
Trapped (acrostic poetry)
=Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26041824/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/26041824/ Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:04:31 PDT Outlander

------

If anyone watched Outlander, I don't know if you liked it. I, however, loved the Moorwen (or however you spell it). That was a unique beastie, yes it was. The plot was a bit thin outside of that, but there were a few gems in the movie: the shields game, the Moorwen and its baby, and that awesome sword. Of course, some could say those aren't original but I thought they were. Then again the feel of the movie was my style. After Kainan (props for the interesting spelling) crashes on Earth you begin to learn of the deadly, unwanted cargo his ship had carried: the Morwin. He unites with a Viking tribe led by Rothgar. Ironically enough, he has a fair, beautiful, red-headed, feisty daughter named Freya (played by the same woman who played Isolde in Tristan and Isolde). Enter romantic interest, eh? You also meet Wulfric who is her cousin--I think--and wants to marry her for the throne and so he can seek revenge on the tribe that killed his father (typical). The action sequences are really good. The graphics are great for such an unknown movie (or at least unknown to me). The movie is overloaded with cliché lines and overused plot changes--and plot pitfalls. They never exlpain if Kainan i actually human, who his people are (other than being greedy planet-stealers), or anything like that. But I'll forgive all of that because of the Moorwen. The ending was rife with a hoarde of clichés, but I forgave them. The Moorwen was worth it.

All in all, it's not an excellent movie but it's worth $1 if you rent it at Blockbuster for a night.



Now, for the brief review of This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Warning: Ideologically sensitive material.

At 508 pages, This Present Darkness looked promising and had come highly acclaimed by John. The first 50-80 pages are pure set-up. Seeing as how the book is 508 pages long, I expected this but had to plow through it nonetheless. It took me 8 days and a plane trip for me to finally gnaw past it. The good news is that Peretti flaunts his angels and demons early on in the story (around the first 5 pages, I'd say) and later everything ties up nicely. That was the central, crippling flaw of this book. It could've been great, fantastic, phenominal, or anything else it wanted to be if the climax hadn't been a measly 8 pages. 500 pages of set-up and the climax is the last chapter of the book! I skimmed it, unfortunately, but didn't like it anyways. All that toiling up the mountain of information to be rewarded with a steep and sudden drop off. Screw that, I'm going back the way I came. I shut the book and imediately grabbed out the next one.

I will give Peretti this: his theology is unique. I don't like how much power he gives angels-or too little, in some areas. God is the One we call on, not his angels. If we ask God to delive us from a situation I don't think he sends an army of angels to manipulate everyone around them like we are little better than pawns. I disagree with that view on spiritual existence. His depictions of demons is interesting but I disagree with it as well. From my own experience, demons don't have a set shape; they become what you think they are. Peretti does set that up, at least, and I think he gives the demons a definite shape so readers can keep up with the story, which can be jumpy and sporadic at times. The chapters had a bunch of paragraphs from the viewpoint of several different people. Half of the information could've been left out, but I think Peretti kept it in to keep up dramatic effects; it definitely came off as a cheesy suspense/action movie. If you like Christian books with interesting theology then go for it. If you don't, I suggest leaving this book alone.



I was expecting to have more substance to that review but the book sort of killed that idea. It wasn't worth adding flavor. Oh, well. I'm back from Houston. We had a great time. My family loved John and everything went well, which surprised me because I expected some reaction similar to John's family. When my family didn't do anything but say how much they thought John was perfect for me, I began to settle down and John loved it there. He really likes my family and that makes me happy. We went to Galveston. The place is a mess and we only stayed for about 30 minutes because there was nothing to do. Everything was wrecked because of the hurricane that hit them last year. We also went to the Galleria, Houston National Museum of Natural Science (whew, what a mouthfull), the Woodlands, Meyerland (local place), and many other places that all seem blurred into a few, short days at the moment. But we were there for 10 days. It went by so fast!... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25756584/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25756584/ Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:39:32 PDT King Arthur

----

warriorswithapen.com is now live--but under construction. Having my own website is really exciting. Intimate Journey: Battle Scars will be available soon; we plan to give it over to the printers either tomorrow or the day after.

Then I go to Texas with John for 10 days...

Sorry for the lack of activity. I did get a DLD on Trapped:Visual. I am happy about this, but part of me wishes my prose would get such attention. Then again, I haven't posted many of my longer pieces. Still no word about The Phoenix's Revival. I hope it gets accepted but, rationally, rejection is the most obvious ending. Darn pessimism.

I'm excited about the groups thing. I want to make a group for Warriors with a Pen. We'll see. I hope y'all like the poetry book! ~liquid-etherealism has done a wonderful job with the cover art! Check back for more details later.

~Amriah

PS: I like giving book reviews. If you like them as well, I'll keep posting them. Right now I'm reading This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. It's okay, definitely written in the 80s, and very big on spiritual warfare. I like that part. Anywho, just let me know if you like the reviews, and I'll keep posting.

Recent Writing

Chain Reaction (fixed poetry)
Trapped (acrostic poetry)
Deviating for a Day (fixed poetry)
And God Laughed (theological prose?)
Tense Assumptions (fixed poetry)
Creeks in My Heart (poetry)

Clubs

~devLIT
=Inked-Page
*Prompt-A-Day
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
=RawEm0tion
*RenderWonderland
*Self-Publishing-Club
*simplyprose
*The-Novelist-Club
*WordCount
*writeaway
*Writers-Workshop

Books I've Found Helpful

http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25619926/ Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:33:26 PDT The Count of Monte Cristo
-----

Are the only ones who get happy endings! I wanted Mercedes and Edmond to get together. It was interesting that Villefort, in my opinion, got the worst punishment. He lost his parents-in-law from his first marriage, his daughter Valentine (at least he thought he lost her), and then his current wife and son, Edward. Then he went insane. Of all the people Dantes sought revenge for, I think he felt the worst about Villefort. Then again, the dialogue was obscure in certain areas and I had a hard time keeping up with who was saying what. Haydee, who really had a screwy background (daugher of a murdered sultan, mother dies after they're enslaved and Fernand sold both of them for a profit). It was interesting that Haydee went away with the Count in the end, not Mercedes; the Countess was too broken by the Count's revenge and her feelings of being a coward in her lonliness. In the end, Dantes tries to find peace and sails away. Having hope is the central message in the last few chapters, which was an interesting twist. The ending did seem a bit rushed for all the setting up Dumas did. Maximillion was the starstruck soldier who fell in love with Villefort's daughter, whom Dantes wants to kill as part of his revenge. He robs Danglars of his money--the thing he valued most. I did like that Edmond repayed Monsieur Morrel (his former employer when he was first mate of the Pharaon) and his entire family (encluding Maximillion more than once). He gives Julie (Max's sister) and her lover a way to be married; he fakes Valentine's death (resulting in M. de Villefort's insanity) so that Max and her can be together and blesses them with his entire treasure trove of riches. Also, I felt the whole thing between Fernand and the Count was anticlimactic. No duel, no showdown. Fernand goes to the Count, who reveals he is Edmond Dantes, then goes home to find Albert and Mercedes leaving. Ouch. But not ouch enough compared to Danglars and--most especially--Villefort's fate. This story is sort of for hopeless romantics and sort of not. I was rooting for Mercedes and Edmond the entire time (because they get together in the movie, damnit!) but it wasn't meant to be. Still, it's a great read if you're willing to push past the confusing dialogue and references to their time and all the French words that mean absolutely nothing unless you have an understanding of that era in time. The theme of revenge is best served cold is almost counteracted by the message that God reigns supreme and you can't take Providence into your own hands. Essentially, let God distribute judgement. Dantes regrets a lot of his actions later on: when Villefort goes crazy or when Maxilillion confesses he's in love with the already poisoned Valentine and begs him to do something about it. In the end, he prays for hope and Haydee refuses to leave him and gives him a sign of hope. Again, a good read.

~Amriah

Recent Writing

Chain Reaction (fixed poetry)
Trapped (acrostic poetry)
Deviating for a Day (fixed poetry)
And God Laughed (theological prose?)
Tense Assumptions (fixed poetry)
Creeks in My Heart (poetry)

Clubs

~devLIT
=Inked-Page
*Prompt-A-Day
*ProsePlease
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25530930/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:05:46 PDT Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

"Easy warrior goddess, I'm just a little salvage scrap drone."--Wheelie,Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

Mr. Gilbertson: "Where is Andrew's parents house exactly?"
Andrew:"Sitka... Alaska."
Margaret: "Alaskaaa."--The Proposal
----

You know, I loved both of those movies. As a woman, I love romance flicks, but this one was hilarious. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock have great chemistry. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen had a huge turnout for its release. We went at 9:30 and still had to wait in a line. The Proposal was an equally good movie for its romantic comedy genre.

Oh, and I got all As on my lessons in chemistry! All that's left is to take the final. . I'm so relieved that crap is over with. Almost, at least. Even if I get a 70 on the final, I'll come out with a low A (or a high B, not sure). Awesome, huh? I can't believe I actually got all As! I'm still so shocked.

Pulling another all-nighter; this time, I have the caffeine prepared. The poetry book is coming along quickly. We have the front cover art (thank you so much, darkelfrising. You still have to tell me your first name), the editing is almost done (thank God) and I have found I'm not too bad at it either. We already got our ISBNs (10 of 'em at least) and 2 bar codes. Did you know you have to buy those things separately? I think it's just so those ISBN-selling people get cash. Hmm, we'll get our permit some time this week (or next week) and then we'll have a news release with the local newspapers and post it on the website's main page. The website looks so beautiful! We just...well, need to get it up and running. . I promise we'll make it live once we have the poetry book ready for pre-ordering. Oh, and we're talking to a printer. I have to confess, I was looking at a larger expense and am delighted to be proved wrong. Very, very delighted. For anyone living in Fresno and looking for a good printer, go for Dumont Printing; they've really been helpful towards us so far.

On a different note, there has been some drama in the household, but that's to be expected. There are seven of us. But...when people perpetuate their own pain and you see it as clearly as the sun shines during the day (and night, in certain parts of the world), it hurts. A lot. I just want things to be okay, you know?

Oh, and John gets to meet my family on July 8th! We're going to Texas together for the first time since we got engaged (well, this is his first trip overall). I think John's a little nervous about meeting my family; I don't blame him. I did move all the way to California to escape their oppression. They're the reasons I feel I have to forego my creativity in order to survive in this world. They're also the reason I have no understanding of true familial trust, but I'm the one who went rogue. They didn't do a thing wrong. I am excited to see my Aunt Doreen, my father's sister. I haven't seen her in five years and can't wait for her to meet John. Aside from my mother, she is the person that holds the most weight in my eyes.

I love Spirit, but there were a lot of obvious errors. Then again it was made a while ago and CG graphics and effects have improved (look at Transformers and Star Trek). And Tyler Perry movies can only be watched in pairs. I can't stand any more emotional drama after that.

Also, I edited The Phoenix's Revival and submitted it to Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. I hope it wasn't a rash decision but it was worth a shot. I just felt it was ready for submission...

What's up with all the poetry I've produced lately? I think this poetry book is getting to my head. I need to work on Half Life or something to get back into the fiction mode.

~Amriah

Recent Writing

Chain Reaction (fixed poetry)
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25439073/ Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:24:07 PDT Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Bad food that you really don't want to eat and missing carbohydrates.

Warriors with a Pen should have a book to be printed within two weeks. I'm so excited and nervous. I want to prove my family wrong, that I can be creative and still survive in today's world. I can, I will, and I will excel at it. More than they expect me to at least. The fact that I haven't even graduated high school and have a business should say something but they think I'm just me wasting my money. A spoiled brat trying to get around working like every other person. Why can't making a book be work, too? Because I'm not getting callouses on my hands, acquiring scars on my body, or slaving away at some store for four to eight hours a day? I'm following God but no one seems to think so. God would call me to do productive work like getting a solid nine to five job. Lovely. Where does life go from there? You work, you get a car and a nice house. Punch out a few kids, work some more to cover their schooling, and then what? That...doesn't sound appealing to me. I guess I'm a lot like my character Tim from "Surprise". That shouldn't be surprising, though. If you know me, you'd know I'm pretty reclusive and anti-social (despite my online endeavors I'm uber shy in real life).

The Count of Monte Cristo is a brilliant book. Alexander Dumas has produced some of my favorite action stories. The Three Musketeers, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Count of Monte Cristo, etc. Granted, the style is outdated (it was first published around 1844-1845) and the dialogue can be hard to follow at times, but the plot Dantes wraps himself in tugs you into the story--unless you stumble over the time change. I know a lot of people don't like the book because of that and I don't blame them; it's taken me about a month to get halfway through it (but the slowness is, mainly, because of time constraint). I want to read The Three Musketeers now. Once I actually finish The Count and The Scarlet Letter. I might put Scarlet on hold, haha. Too much old school. Give me a good contemporary book to read that has nothing to do with vampires or werewolves. At least none that are named Edward or Jacob.

I'm going on a diet (that's what this post was originally about but I started thinking about my family and how they don't believe in WwaP). I want to fit into my wedding dress (top and skirt, actually) and want to buy it as soon as possible because it's not a real bride's dress. It's a bride's maid's dress. Cute halter top (black) and an ankle-length skirt (crimson red, hopefully). Red and black are my favorite colors and I've never wanted an overly fancy wedding; it's not my style. We're having it in a local park and the reception in the same place. It's convenient and cheap, since I am only 18 (by then I'll be 19) and am broke. I'm so excited about that, too. Even if it is 10 months away! I can't wait to be married to John and shun his family even more out of spite. They think once we get married we'll be right with God and they'll stop throwing a fit about us living together. Too bad for them. They're not invited to our wedding, they will continue to be shunned by us and we won't talk to them for a long, long time. I don't want to deal with that kind of hypocrisy: yay, you're married now and you won't go to hell. Everything's okay now. Yeah, right. No they're not. They still treated us badly and I won't let that slide. I may forgive them but I don't have to live with that kind of abuse. No one does, in my opinion. Forgive and forget is shit; you forgive and move on, but give your trust out to those that hurt you with wisdom not blind ignorance.

Wow, long rant. I'm in an angsty mood, apparently.

Anyways, once I have WwaP's website up and running, we'll be taking pre-orders of the book available as well as some excerpts. Obviously you want good poetry for your money. Or, you could simply help out a friend.

And thanks again, darkelfrising (I don't now you're real name!), for doing the cover art for the book. I really, really appreciate it. And thank you, reader, for actually reading this whole thing. You must really like to meander through other people's borish writing or just have an exceptional amount of patience.

~Amriah

PS: I thought it was interesting how many pageviews And God Laughed got. I guess ideologically sensitive pieces spark interest more often than non-sensitive pieces.... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25300396/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25300396/ Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:29:51 PDT "Exactly! Which is why everyone dreads it!"--Eleanor Whitman to her D.A. (Arnie), The International

John is still burning a bunch of people on that damn Stronghold: Crusaders game. And I wrote an ideologically sensitive piece. Yay for religion. Go check out And God Laughed. Read the disclaimer. It's not there for my good health.

I am listening to John kill a bunch of people on Stronghold: Crusaders. He loves that game for some reason. Men and their death. It's so cute.

I am on Lesson Nine! So close to being done, so close to the deadline: June 25th. Scary, stressful. Relieving. I can't wait for this to be over!

I wrote a new poem. I don't know why they're popping out so frequently now. I guess stress+emotion = poetry? Interesting. It's not a formula that I'd like to continue for much longer. I want to go to the coast again--hopefully some time soon! John is taking me to see the new Transformers movie once it comes out in celebration of completing Chemistry. I hope it's a celebration not nursing me back to health because I didn't make the deadline. I am going to keel over if I don't make that stupid deadline. I want to get a better camera, one with a better focus and megapixels, and go back to that same waterfall area and take a bunch of pictures. Oh, and stop at all the turnoffs they have on the side of the road. Perfect scenic places. And I want to look into going to Ragged Point for our honeymoon. I think that would be the best place! Overlooking the sea, gorgeous scenery, it's away from town but not at the same time. I think I could do that. I'm getting married in about 10 months! Gosh the months are just rolling by. I felt like it was yesterday when John and I were calming our families down, saying, "It's a long engagement, don't worry. We're getting married in a year and a half." Well, it's only ten months now. Oh, his parents aren't invited to our wedding. . I confess to being very, very happy about that. Knowing them, they'd find a way to ruin the day that is about John and I somehow. They have that effect.

Despite the chemistry and frightful soon-to-be-in-laws, I am quite peaceful. I prayed a lot today, wrote that poem, and resolved some stuff that I've been struggling with. The people I live with don't really see the issues or, if they do, admit it and then dismiss it. I guess they don't like hearing me call them on the carpet and pointing out their dirty laundry, so to speak. Who am I--an 18 year-old--to tell them what's going on? That's the crux of that poem, which is why I titled it "Tense Assumptions." I felt it fit the situation. I can't wait to move out, but we'll move out when we feel the Lord is calling us away. We're here because of Him, not them. And when He says it's time to move on in our lives then we will. For those of you who don't believe what I believe, that's cool. But please, please, don't be mean about my beliefs. That's just a disclaimer. . Sorry, I'm just guarded.

And sorry about the long journal.

How is everyone? I've been getting a lot of pageviews and I wanted to say thanks for the interest despite my last journal. I appreciate it guys, I really do.

~Amriah

Recent Writing

And God Laughed (theological prose?)
Tense Assumptions (fixed poetry)
Creeks in My Heart (poetry)
The Phoenix's Revival (first person narrative)
"The Sun and Moon" (poetry)
"Villain University" (satire)

Clubs

~devLIT
=Inked-Page
<... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25253021/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25253021/ Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:54:54 PDT "I'll be back."--Kate and John Connor, Terminator Salvation

Apparently I made it to 19,000 without realizing it! It was about two weeks ago that I hit 18,000! Thanks, guys. I can't believe the pageviews are so high!

As much as I love favorites and massive amounts of pageviews, I am not pleased with the sudden spike of favs. They're all on the pictures I took at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It's not that I don't mind the favs. I just wish that my writing was as exonerated as my photography. Then again, maybe my writing needs some work. I just don't like how, suddenly, when I post pictures, I get upwards of 25 favs within a day. It frustrated me, to say the least.

On a personal note, Chemistry sucks. I'm down to Lesson Eight but all my energy is gone. Its like my body said, "Fuck this, fuck you, give me rest!" Lovely.

~Amriah

Recent Writing

Creeks in My Heart (poetry)
The Phoenix's Revival (first person narrative)
"The Sun and Moon" (poetry)
"Villain University" (satire)
"Lightning" (short story)
"Surprise!" (dialogue experiment)

Clubs

~devLIT
=Inked-Page
*Prompt-A-Day
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
=RawEm0tion
*RenderWonderland
*Self-Publishing-Club
*simplyprose
*The-Novelist-Club
*WordCount
*writeaway
*Writers-Workshop

Books I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped me the most out of all the other reference books! It makes sense, explains in a concise way (or at least in a way I can understand), and is funny. What more can you ask for in a how-to-write book?... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25187308/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25187308/ Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:57:35 PDT Troy

Yesterday was awesome. We drove along the Coast for about two hours, bought a poetry compilation, had lunch in the most beautiful place, and drove for a good 6 hours total. In short: it was the best day of my life. Also, ~armed-with-a-pen wrote a poem called "Escape, Arise" for me because I read her whole journal. To be honest, the ending sort of solidified my feeling of freedom yesterday. I felt like that person for so long, trapped in a glass cage, being kicked and kicked until it became a part of me. Now, I feel renewed and free. And it feels so good. Thanks, ~armed-with-a-pen. I really, really appreciate it.

I'll be posting pictures from yesterday and from when we went to Cayucos last Thursday so keep your eyes peeled for my horrible shots.

Oh, and go wish my fiancé, John (~AmongTheseSteps) a happy birthday. He's officially 21!


I am on Lesson Eight of Chemistry, almost on Lesson Nine. I am so close--so close! Tuesday is John's (my fiancé and ~AmongTheseSteps) birthday. He'll be 21 (not that it means anything since we've vowed not to drink). In celebration, his sisters came down today. We're not on speaking terms with is mother or stepfather right now. I guess I just feel let down about the whole thing because his sisters stayed for two hours and that was it. We bought cake and ice cream, planned to take them out to eat at our favorite local restaurant (California Wok) and they didn't even tell us they had to leave so soon. It was ridiculous. And I hate his mother. She tries to play the innocent mother, I didn't do anything to hurt you, it was all your horrible stepdad crap. Makes me want to strangle her and John's stepdad. Did you know they called John and I fornicators? Lol. Welcome to the family, huh?

On a happier note, we're going to Morro Bay tomorrow to celebrate his birthday on our own. Our goal? To have fun, longboard, and find great sales on books at the local thrift stores. Then, we're going to a place that I have never been to in order to go hiking. Sounds like fun, yes? The good news is I don't have to drive at all! Less stress, more fun. I can dig it.

Sorry about my rant. I think the future in-laws are gnawing my brain in half.

~Amriah

PS: I created a new story idea based off of the drama that goes on with living with six, perfectly normal, dysfunctional people. I might post some of it, but I'm not sure. It seems like a good novel idea and I might run with it. Now, to finish Half Life! God, I haven't touched that story in weeks.

Recent Writing

The Phoenix's Revival (first person narrative)
"The Sun and Moon" (poetry)
"Villain University" (satire)
"Lightning" (short story)
"Surprise!" (dialogue experiment)

Clubs

~devLIT
=Inked-Page
*Prompt-A-Day
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25133579/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:10:51 PDT Cayucos today. You should have seen the beach! It was partially planned, but mostly spontaneous. For those of you who were kind enough to comment on The Phoenix's Revival, know that I haven't forgotten to reply to you. I simply took an unplanned-sort-of vacation.

My question is should I upload the few, horribly taken pictures? My camera is cheap and is only 6 megapixels so the detail and clarity is lacking to say the least.

I'm exhausted but relieved. I love the beach, and Cayucos is a wonderful place to relax. I even bought four books while I was there: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. I feel we paid a better price for them at an antique store than we would have at Borders. Fair enough. And I spent my vacation money on classic books. Typical me.

Oh, and I will look through everyone's deviations. But I warn you: I probably won't comment on them this time. Sorry, I'm backlogged. Know that I love you and, if I truly like your work or think it needs feedback then I will. Eventually.

~Amriah

Recent Writing

The Phoenix's Revival (first person narrative)
"The Sun and Moon" (poetry)
"Villain University" (satire)
"Lightning" (short story)
"Surprise!" (dialogue experiment)

Clubs

~devLIT
=Inked-Page
*Prompt-A-Day
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
=RawEm0tion
*RenderWonderland
*Self-Publishing-Club
*simplyprose
*The-Novelist-Club
*WordCount
*writeaway
*Writers-Workshop

Books I've Found Helpful

http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25082460/ Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:12:07 PDT
I am loving the prompts on dA. I forgot how creative and fruitful they were. I've been meandering through my old work. Some of it wasn't bad. I want to change a few things around, re-post them and see what happens. Who knows, some of you might not see the difference.

Gottshalks is going out of business and rightly so. Their prices are exorbitant--I mean, you pay $40 for a $10 dollar shirt. Ridiculous! So, I am happy about their going out of business.

I have no life. Aside from those three, fleeting paragraphs my life has remained the same. Aside from the burn out. All the drama with my fiancé's family, living with six people (not including myself), and teaching my self a class in which my teacher does not know left from right and expects me to know the difference is overwhelming me. Then I feel weak. I mean, that's just three things. I've heard of people juggling all of that and more without so much as one complaint. Perhaps I am a whiner?

~Amriah

Recent Writing

The Phoenix's Revival (first person narrative)
"The Sun and Moon" (poetry)
"Villain University" (satire)
"Lightning" (short story)
"Surprise!" (dialogue experiment)

Clubs

~devLIT
=Inked-Page
*Prompt-A-Day
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
=RawEm0tion
*RenderWonderland
*Self-Publishing-Club
*simplyprose
*The-Novelist-Club
*WordCount
*writeaway
*Writers-Workshop

Books I've Found Helpful

Writing Tool... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25040539/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/25040539/ Sat, 30 May 2009 20:59:11 PDT Terminator: Salvation! Christian Bale made for an excellent John Connor. Better than the guy who played Connor in the third movie at least. I hate that guy.

The Count of Monte Cristo is an old yet elaborate tale. I really love how Dumas tells the story. Some of it is detail through Dantes or through the eyes of Dantes disguised as a priest or a businessman. I've only plunged into it recently and gained passage through 138 pages though. I guess I am a detail oriented person because I love detailed books and I love when my books are equally descriptive.

I changed my mind about a kiriban for 18,500 pageviews. I have neither time nor energy to do any required writing.

Chemistry is still killing me, but I am almost on Lesson Eight. So close yet so far.

Oh, and I'm surprised at the amount of people who liked "Villain University". My other short, very experimental, piece named "Surprise!" wasn't that great. Then again, it was an experiment. I shouldn't expect perfection out of my self, huh?

~Amriah

Recent Writing

"Villain University"
"Lightning"
"Surprise!"

Clubs

~devLIT
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
=RawEm0tion
*RenderWonderland
*Self-Publishing-Club
*simplyprose
*The-Novelist-Club
*WordCount
*writeaway
*Writers-Workshop

Books I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped me the most out of all the other reference books! It makes sense, explains in a concise way (or at least in a way I can understand), and is funny. What more can you ask for in a how-to-write book?

Painless Grammar by Rececca Elliot, PhD.
This is a middle school/high school grammar book. However, I've been reading through it and found that I have been making basic grammar mistakes all the tim... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24953916/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24953916/ Wed, 27 May 2009 23:32:29 PDT I didn't notice I was so close to 18,000 pageviews! It's already at 18,040! Thank, guys. I'll do something for 18,500. Maybe a story or a feature. My past kirbans haven't been so great. We'll see, though.

< PS>I am on Lesson Seven of Chemistry 1B! Just two more lessons left after this one. I'm so excited about that. Chemistry is my arch-rival, or arch-nemesis, or...arch-zebra. Yeah. My arch-zebra.

Have you ever seen Troy? A lot of people disliked that movie, but I loved it! The fight between Hector and Achilles was well choreographed. I love dissecting movies; I put on the subtitles and read them, learn from them, and apply them to my style. It's fun.

I took my English final today; the essay killed me. The question was simple enough. It was on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. And, it was the typical, five-paragraph high school essay. I guess that's what got me. It was too simple. I couldn't be creative with it. I had to give facts for a rigid question. It's just not something I can do! Still, I am relieved the final is over. Now, on to English 12A!

Tonight is the first night I have stayed up past midnight in two or three months. For some reason, sleep eludes me.

John, my fiancé, is starting another dA account: ~AmongTheseSteps. His old one was overrun by teenage girls. We are getting on dA in order to grow in our poetry/prose and do a little advertising. Eventually.

I have joined a lot of clubs. Do look into them, if you haven't done so already.

I'm excited about this short story. It's almost done and, so far, is around 2,300 words. Not too bad, eh?

~Amriah

Clubs

~devLIT
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
=RawEm0tion
*RenderWonderland
*Self-Publishing-Club
*simplyprose
*The-Novelist-Club
*WordCount
*writeaway
*Writers-Workshop

Books I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped me the most out of all the other reference books! It makes sense, explains in a concise way (or at least in a way I can understand), and is funny. What more can you ask for in a how-to-write book?

http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24907645/ Sat, 23 May 2009 13:01:43 PDT
I have an English final on Monday at 11 o'clock. I hate to say this, but I am a horrible student. Or I used to be. I barely remember the things I learned! Maybe it's all the Chemistry I've crammed down my brain. Oh, my poor brain. I feel dumb, though. It's like...all of the sudden my mind decided to turn on and now I'm learning the things I never cared to learn before. I figured out what Realism, Modernism, Naturalism, and Romanticism are. All in a matter of 4 hours, lol.

John made smoothies today. I've been sick lately with girl things and stomach things, along with cabin fever and brain-fry. So, he decided to try out the blender we bought yesterday (our first house-hold appliance we bought as a couple) and made strawberry-banana smoothies with milk and sherbet. Delicious! My mouth was in heaven. Oh, and he bought me Milano cookies. I had a sweet tooth I guess .

I've been working through Painless Grammar (see below for buying info) with John (my fiance). It's been hard, but worth it. I feel bad for him; he has natural talent, but his grammar and punctuation are low. I don't mind teaching. It was a weird realization! I mean, I hate working with others, but with John I can do it. If I get over my shyness, I might not be a bad teacher!

Warriors with a Pen is sort of at a stand-still. =illuminara is making our cover art (at least she's going to try ) and we're still editing the poems. As much as I would like to publish other authors, right now I don't think we have the money. But, I was thinking about asking someone who is good with poetry to help edit. It was just a thought, but I haven't decided.

Anywho, off to play Maplestory for two hours. It's double-exp for the next few weekends. I feel like a nerd . Bye!

"There are no pacts between lions and men."--Achilles, Troy

Clubs

~devLIT
*LitterBugs
*ProsePlease
~Prose-R-Us
=RawEm0tion
*RenderWonderland
*Self-Publishing-Club
*simplyprose
*The-Novelist-Club
*WordCount
*Writers-Workshop

Books I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped... ]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24861165/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24861165/ Thu, 21 May 2009 15:36:33 PDT I am going to be on dA more often now because I want to improve my Photoshop skills. Don't be surprised if you see little of my writing. I might post some not-magazine-worthy short stories, just as practice. Anything else is being written for Warriors with a Pen, and it would be foolish of me to post them on a site like this. I hope to see more of y'all now! I guess I wasn't gone from dA for very long, lol.

For those who are interested in wolves, check out this Wolf Maker made by *Kaylink. I had a lot of fun with it today!

The Enter button is in the most inconvenient place on this laptop.

Well, I have found a love for old-fashion electric and manual typewriters. I was watching Finding Forrester the other day and took an interest to the old Underwood typerwriter Sean Connery's character used. Plus, John's grandmother gave two of her non-profit organization's old typewriters to us. It's a nice piece of machinery given the fact that it's a few years old at best.

I've decided to work with Photoshop more often. I love creating the characters from my story, and I want to be able to do it professionally if the publishing business falls through. But I don't know what the future holds; I'm simply trying to brace myself, haha.

With all this happy updating, my stomach chose to balance things out. I've been sick with a bad stomach virus since Monday evening. Stupid stomach.

In other news, I'm on page fifty of Half Life now, and have written a new short story called "Surprise!" for the *simplyprose prompts this month. I surprised myself by how quickly I wrote it. And, that's when I stumbled upon the awesomeness of typewriters. Outdated forms of writing are often the best.

~Amriah

Writing I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped me the most out of all the other reference books! It makes sense, explains in a concise way (or at least in a way I can understand), and is funny. What more can you ask for in a how-to-write book?

Painless Grammar by Rececca Elliot, PhD.
This is a middle school/high school grammar book. However, I've been reading through it and found that I have been making basic grammar mistakes all the time. This is a non-boring way to learn (or re-learn) the basics of grammar.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
This is the original Elements of Style, written in 1918. There are other, more recent copies (the later ones are written by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White) for sale but this one is online and free so enjoy.

_{I'll add more to this as my collection grows. This is the basics and more than enough material for the beginning (or intermediate) writer.}

]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24712049/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24712049/ Mon, 11 May 2009 21:32:51 PDT
In other news, iPod's are awesome. Until you try to put music onto iTunes. Then it is a monstrosity. I can't do it! I want to put my music I had on my old, crappy computer onto Spiffy. But no. iPod's don't do that. Why? Because Apple likes to take your money and run. Then come back for more and snicker about it. Grr!

I applaud whoever took a bite out of their logo .

~Amriah

Writing I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped me the most out of all the other reference books! It makes sense, explains in a concise way (or at least in a way I can understand), and is funny. What more can you ask for in a how-to-write book?

Painless Grammar by Rececca Elliot, PhD.
This is a middle school/high school grammar book. However, I've been reading through it and found that I have been making basic grammar mistakes all the time. This is a non-boring way to learn (or re-learn) the basics of grammar.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
This is the original Elements of Style, written in 1918. There are other, more recent copies (the later ones are written by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White) for sale but this one is online and free so enjoy.

_{I'll add more to this as my collection grows. This is the basics and more than enough material for the beginning (or intermediate) writer.}

]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24476672/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24476672/ Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:33:10 PDT
My Chemistry is due June 25th (two months away!), and I am only on lesson five. Out of nine.

Warriors with a Pen is sort of stuck in limbo until we finish editing all the poetry for the first book. My writing has made a comeback; Half Life is now 34 pages long. dA has slowly crept back into my life, though mostly to talk to old friends and read/write journals.

My goal is to have the first book made by Warriors with a Pen to be published by late June. So, with that in mind, if any of y'all are interested in buying it let me know. It could be published in July or even August, but my goal is still June. Even with Chemistry, God has blessed me with this publishing business and I want to put all my talent, time, and ability into it. That's the least I can do for Him.

I hope everyone is doing well. I want to read more writing from my watchers, but I've been busy. Forgive me for that (especially you, =illuminara). I will try to do it more often after Chemistry and the poetry book are dealt with. I promise.

~Amriah

Writing I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped me the most out of all the other reference books! It makes sense, explains in a concise way (or at least in a way I can understand), and is funny. What more can you ask for in a how-to-write book?

Painless Grammar by Rececca Elliot, PhD.
This is a middle school/high school grammar book. However, I've been reading through it and found that I have been making basic grammar mistakes all the time. This is a non-boring way to learn (or re-learn) the basics of grammar.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
This is the original Elements of Style, written in 1918. There are other, more recent copies (the later ones are written by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White) for sale but this one is online and free so enjoy.

_{I'll add more to this as my collection grows. This is the basics and more than enough material for the beginning (or intermediate) writer.}

]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24036964/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/24036964/ Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:31:44 PDT to at least look at the site to see if the book is worth buying. Wish me luck on this, I know economic times are hard right now.

~Amriah

PS: =illuminara is hosting a pretty nifty High Concept Story Contest. Go check it out because you know anything she writes/does is amazing!

Writing I've Found Helpful

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.
This book has helped me the most out of all the other reference books! It makes sense, explains in a concise way (or at least in a way I can understand), and is funny. What more can you ask for in a how-to-write book?

Painless Grammar by Rececca Elliot, PhD.
This is a middle school/high school grammar book. However, I've been reading through it and found that I have been making basic grammar mistakes all the time. This is a non-boring way to learn (or re-learn) the basics of grammar.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
This is the original Elements of Style, written in 1918. There are other, more recent copies (the later ones are written by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White) for sale but this one is online and free so enjoy.

_{I'll add more to this as my collection grows. This is the basics and more than enough material for the beginning (or intermediate) writer.}

]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/23414497/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/23414497/ Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:07:34 PDT I've added two more references under the "Other Tools I've Found Helpful" section. Clink on the links to all of the books mentioned in this journal to buy them on Amazon

As a writer, I must confess that I stumble around my pieces more often than I forge a credible path through them. Until now.

I found a great book almost three weeks ago. It's called Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark. This man is a famous journalist and vice president of a journalism institute that is world renown (too bad I don't want to be a journalist ). This book has helped me with my structure, coherency and the overall quality of my work.

I figured I would mention this since most of my friends here on dA are writers and could always use tips and references from other accomplished writers. Everything in this book has helped me and I encourage y'all to at least look at it. Maybe it will help you, too.

~Amriah

Other Writing I've Found Helpful

Painless Grammar by Rececca Elliot, PhD.
This is a middle school/high school grammar book. However, I've been reading through it and found that I have been making basic grammar mistakes all the time. This is a non-boring way to learn (or re-learn) the basics of grammar.

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande.
Written in 1934, I found this book has been useful because it claims that the problems with some writers are not technical problems but emotional. If you have self-confidence problems (like me, lol) and people tell you that your writing sucks no matter how hard you try to correct it, maybe you should read this book.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
This is the original Elements of Style, written in 1918. There are other, more recent copies (the later ones are written by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White) for sale but this one is online and free so enjoy.

_{I'll add more to this as my collection grows. This is the basics and more than enough material for the beginning (or intermediate) writer.}

]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/23296757/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/23296757/ Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:36:23 PST
A little update on me: I've chosen to try to break into the world of short stories, literary magazines, and harsh editors. I hope that it will help me improve my writing skill because I feel such passion about what I do, about the worlds I create that I want to gain experience in order to mold my stories together in a way that people will find entrancing and hard to turn away from.

Also, I'm engaged.

So, I hope you are all well and happy.

~Amriah

]]> =Amriah http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/19877977/ http://Amriah.deviantart.com/journal/19877977/ Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:56:32 PDT
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