I'm Back!

Whoa! Have i been gone for a while or what? Anyway, I'm back now with the complete determination to continue blogging and sharing stories with other writers at WritersCafe.org

Let's see, lately I've been struggling with my stories again. I love my Legend of Fury trilogy plot line, but my character is a bit weak. Not literally, she's supposed to be this strong, spunky girl, but I didn't do a very good character sketch on her and I might have to go back and reinvent her all over again. And on another note, I haven't really been in the writing 'mood', so I haven't been working on it all that much. Meanwhile, my other main story has this amazing character, partly because I actually started writing it as a way to vent how I felt about myself, so I already had that foundation of myself. Somehow I changed it into a story called Rebellion. I love the character, because she's so much like me, but I don't quite have a plot line figured out. *Sigh* Where's a writing tutor when you need one? Once things finally quiet down, I'll finally be able to join that Winghill writing school where you get paired with an author who tutors you. Plus if you don't sell enough stories by the end of the course to pay for the course's cost, you get all your money back.

Oh, and other big news in my life... I'm moving. To Edmonton. I think it'll be pretty awesome, I've got a cousin who lives nearby (who btw has a couple of horses, and I love to ride!) so I don't really have to worry too much about being all alone. I'm a bit of a loner, I'd rather spend my time curled up with either a book or my laptop than go put myself in awkward situations with other people. Yes, I am shy. I'm getting better though, which is a huge hope for the future. :)

Wish me luck with my writing!

-A. Siemens

Murder

You know how in books, movies and on TV how those murder stories start: "Murder just didn't happen here or She wasn't the type to get murdered". That kind of thing. I personally think that's a stupid hope or wish of a person who didn't want to face the reality of it all. The truth is murder can happen anywhere at anytime. I've been lucky enough never to have anyone I know or cared about murdered. I can never imagine what kind of torture that would be like, nor could I ever imagine the sick, twisted thoughts of the killer. To just take a life without any remorse, is a horror. I don't believe a thing they say about being born that way. I don't believe that certain elements of your DNA create a tendency to kill. I do think that life experiences have something to do with it, but that's no excuse. Tons of people have experienced horrible things throughout their life and have still made it out ok. I believe that we all have decisions to make. There are only two options good or evil. I know, it's totally cliched (did I spell that right, I don't know. Forgive my mistakes) but it's true. All of us have the capacity to choose good, but we also are more drawn to the evil, it's the path of least resistance...at least that's what we think.

Now, this goes back to Adam and Eve. I, in case you've forgotten, am a Christian. I'm not sure if you've heard the story, but basically Eve in enticed to eat the forbidden fruit by Satan in the form of a snake. He tells her that the fruit will enable her to become as powerful as God. So, Eve bites into this apple and finds it to be quite delicious, she offers some to Adam who also takes a bit from the apple, completely going against God's orders. When they realize just exactly what they had done, they hide from God, ashamed. God finds out what happened, and surprisingly is saddened to hear it, not very angered. For what he has to do now, is throw Adam and Eve out of the Garden.

There is, or rather was, a lot of displeasure regarding Eve. Throughout history, men have place woman at a lower status then themselves, using Eve's betrayal as an excuse. They try to place the entire blame on Eve, which I totally disagree with, not only because I'm a girl. Like I stated earlier, we all have a choice. Eve had the chance to say "no" to Satan, and do what God told her. Adam, too, had that choice when Eve offered him the apple. It wasn't just Eve's fault, sure she might have used some peer pressure to get him to eat it, but it was still his choice. These days if you get caught doing drugs because you had been pressured into doing it, you don't get let off easy with "ok, next time don't listen to your friends". No, you get the same punishment that you're friends did for doing drugs, even they were the ones who started it. Peer pressure is no excuse! Not in the past, not now and not in the future!

Anyway, I've been going a bit off topic. What I've been trying to say is that there's no excuse to choosing evil. In the short run it seems easier, but in the long run it'll just ruin your life. Good is...good. It's more beneficial, it's going to help you not harm you, at least in most cases. And being good doesn't mean to let down your guard. Even if you are good, there are still evil people in the world who will gladly take advantage of your kindness. So, stay vigilant, live your life and live with goodness inside you.

More thoughts to come eventually!
You're friend, A. Siemens

Writing Class

I feel so proud of myself right now! I might have mention (or maybe not) that I've recently started an online course to improve my writing. It's a 6 week thing, in which your teacher gives you lessons and assignments and tons of feedback on your work. Anyway, our assignment this week was to write a 500-750 word story with the title "The Window". Here's my finished assignment:

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The Window

The window is my looking glass, into a world I have only viewed, never visited. Sometimes I’ll sit by my special looking glass all day long and pretend I’m there; in the other world with all of ‘them’. Ever since the day I was born I’ve been here, the only glimpses of the other world is from the window. It’s my magic looking glass; my crystal ball that, even for a second, lets me be one of ‘them’; the outsiders, the people of the other world.

I was born a misfit. An unwanted, unloved child. My parents didn’t even want me, hence my banishment to this tower closed off from everyone and everything else. It was a tower...sort of. Really, it was just a suite on the third floor of my parent’s manor. All that was the tower was this small, spindly little thing that hung off the side of the manor. The stairs were steep and twisted sharply in the tower’s small frame. Every day I climb those long, winding stars up to the top of the tower; not for fun, or for exercise, but for it. The window; my window. That was the only reason for my daily trek up the tower.

The window was all I had. It was my lifeline, my anchor to reality. Without it I’m almost certain I’d be driven crazy with madness due to that lack of things to do within my prison. Through that magic looking glass I saw the most beautiful things imaginable. On the left side of my window, I saw the light blue skies, the warm, glowing rays of the sun. I saw the fresh, green grass peak its head up through the moist earth, and the colourful butterflies fly around the spring flowers, creating a rainbow of colours within the small meadow.

While one side showed the beauty of nature, the right showed the harshness and hope of people. Cobblestone streets twisted around buildings; buildings that ranged from the poor, broken homes of peasants to the tall, elegant buildings of the rich. As soon as daylight struck those buildings, the streets seemed to come to life. People filed out of their homes and started to work; a concept that was foreign to me for some time, you see, I’d spent my whole life in my tower with people to attend to all my needs. I finally learned the truth of this endeavour while I read a wonderful book-which, to this day, is still one of my favourites-that describes the life of a noble who finds herself working as a maid when her family’s fortune is lost. Anyhow, every day there seems to be a routine to which everyone in the city follows. Every day a paperboy stands at the corner of the street, almost directly underneath my window and shouts out the news headlines. I like to think he chooses that spot just for me; so that I may understand a bit more of their world. Maybe at least someone knows I’m here, as much as my parents would like everyone to forget. Several vendors, set up their shops on the street to sell their products, and the constant chatter of bargaining is heard until the sun finally disappears for the day.

All that comes between these two very different parts of the world I view is an old, moss-covered brick wall. All that comes between my world and the real one is this tower...and my parents. Without my window, I’d be lost. Without it, I could never have survived the harsh world I live in. One in which it seems my parents are just waiting until the day I die, but I’m determined not to give them that satisfaction. With my window, I just know I will survive. The window; my window; my sanctuary.

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So, what do you think? Good-Ok-Bad-Awful? My teacher thought it was pretty good, which is my reason for holding my nose so high in the air. I'm so excited and I feel like I have some talent. And I give all my credit to God. Without him, I could never write a sentence, much less a story. He gave me all my talent and helped me to bloom. I pray that he'll continue to help me flourish and create these mini pieces of art. Thank-you so much! Other than the clearly obvious, I have to thank all the people here on Earth that have helped me. My friends, my family and my teachers. I thank you all! Wow, I'm in such an awesome mood today! Enjoy it for now, you'll never know when it'll change. ;) That's what I get for being a teenage girl. :p


Luv ya all,
Asiemens



P.S.- If you're interested in taking some online courses I'd suggest you check out this site: Gotham Writers' Workshop They have awesome online classes for both teens and adults, not to mention great merchandise, book recommendations, etc. Check it out!


P.P.S.- I've sounded a lot a advertisement lately, haven't I? First the Guilty Pleasure cd, then the writing course. What will come up next? hehe! ;)

Twilight, Hannah Montana and the Jo Bros

You know what? I don't understand all this hype about things like Twilight, Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers. I think it's pathetic and pretty much stupid how people act when it comes to things like that. Have you seen all the postings on websites and stuff with things like "I love Edward!" or "I'm the future Mrs. Joe Jonas". Get a life people! They're real people, they are not some sort of God or Goddess. I've got nothing against any of the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana or even Twilight. I do, however, have some things against the people (the so-called #1 fans) who do their best to look like crazed, psychopathic fans when it comes to stuff like that. I loved the Twilight books until this whole Twilight craze came about. I do have to admit that it's extremely well written and you get hooked within the first few lines. I guess I just have an issue with things that get too much hype. I have no desire to act crazy or mentally insane when it comes to famous people and things. It's just not worth my time. I don't believe all fans of the big Disney stars, or Twilight, are psycho. Some of them have some sense of self-control. You can enjoy something without going crazy. I love Ashley Tisdale's new album, but I'm not going to go around proclaiming it to the heavens by shopping on ebay for Ashley Tisdale's used tissues. I don't get people who do that. Do they even have common sense, or should I just buy a horse to use it's sense to help them? Get your lives together! Do something normal for once! Live your life, don't waste it by being some crazed fan! *rolling of eyes*, what is wrong with you people?

Anyway, I'll get back to being semi-nice. This week I've been busy helping my uncle paint his grain bin. Actually, my Brother and I did it. I'm kinda afraid of heights (and snakes...but that's a different story) so it was a challenge for me. I had to climb up this totally vertical ladder, (Like, there wasn't even a tiny bit of a slant) to paint the top and I was terrified!!! My poor uncle, grandpa and brother. I was climbing up and I was about halfway when I stopped. My uncle yelled up at me to climb higher, and you know what I said? "Am I allowed to be a Drama Queen if I climb up a bit higher?" lol! I'm such a ditz! Of course he yelled NO! really loudly, but that didn't stop me. I still acted like a Drama Queen. :p We (my brother and I) spent like 4 days painting it....that thing was HUGE! And after doing that, I had to spend a day babysitting. I hate babysitting! Don't get me wrong...kids are cute...but I don't like wasting my whole day having to be a fun, clean and an enforcer of rules babysitter. I did however get paid so that was good.

This has been Asiemens...reporting to you live from somewhere in Manitoba, Canada....on her Mac....while listening to Ashley Tisdale's "Acting Out". Thank you for tuning in. We hope to see you sometime next week here on "The Exciting and Incredibly Interesting Life of A. Siemens" hehe!



****NOTE**** I totally recommend buying the entire album "Guilty Pleasure" (Ashley Tisdale's new one). I love ALL the songs on there, and ever since it's been released I've been listening to it at least once a day. If you're not sure if you want to just take my advice, then go to YouTube, listen to a couple of the songs (or all of them...whatever you want) and then decide whether to buy it or not. I usually do that before buying an entire album, plus I also check out the lyrics too....just in case. Have an awesome week! -Asiemens

The boring, the life lost; the usual

Well, today was...a day. Nothing special, just a typical day in the life of a teen on summer vacation. Woke up at 11:30 this morning, played on the computer 'till 1, then had lunch. Spent the rest of my afternoon losing brain cells while watching TV and so on and so forth. Actually, I'd like to point out that most of my TV watching consisted of crime shows (the real stuff! Not CSI. Actual crime stories, with actual things that ended up with a conviction) and medical shows. I learned all about pacemakers and forensic science. Yay me! I'm getting semi-smarter! I've been trying to put away some time towards my story writing, but sadly, I'm way to lazy to get my butt off the couch and put my Sims 3 game away. :( hehe! I'll keep trying! I'm babysitting Friday, which I must say I do not like. I've never been a huge fan of children. I like them, I think they're cute, but I've got no desire to spend my whole day chasing them around. Plus, unlike my cute little puppy dog I call either Ace or "Stuppy" (Stuppy: Meaning a stupid or mentally delayed puppy), You can't squeeze their cuteness out of them. lol! Anyway, I'm going to try and get to bed early. Which in my world means before 1 am.

Adios!
A.Siemens

Intro

Who am I? Hmm...interesting question. My age isn't important, since I find many people love to place people into certain categories based solely on that, but I am fairly young. Yes, I do have two X chromosomes, which for all those who have no idea what that means, I am female. *Shock* Yes, that's true. As far as basics go, I'm an author and a very philosophical thinker. Which means you'll probably find a lot of my thoughts connected to both those developing feelings. However, I often surprise myself with my own feelings and thoughts, so there is a high possibility that a completely different type of thought will magically appear throughout my posts. As far as my likes and dislikes go, I enjoy works like Homer and Shakespeare because of the poetic flow of their art. I enjoy many types of music, from past to present. As far as good thinking songs go, I prefer classical for it many styles. Listen to it carefully and you'll find it can go from sad, to happy, to firey, to magical, etc. As a hint, in case you haven't quite realized it, the types of music you listen to often can aid or hinder your creativity levels. Anyway, back on topic, welcome to my blog. Enjoy and feel free to comment.

I've started this blog basically as a place to share my thoughts and feelings and maybe help someone along the way. Life is not easy...whether you're a teenager or not. Life is never perfect, you will always have your ups and downs, but we've all got to learn to make the best of it, no matter what life throws at us. Think of this blog as something like a diary, everything written will be how I felt, thought or saw. I will write about myself, my family and my life. There may be things you don't agree with, such as religion, beliefs, culture, etc. All I ask is that you respect my opinions, as I will respect yours. If you need to contact me, leave a message or comment on this blog, maybe with your email address or a link to a website so I can contact you. I will gladly answer any question you may have, to a certain point, but I'll do my best to answer those right away. ;)

My Name: I'm not going to give my full name, but you can call me asiemens or aly
My age: Younger than 30, older than 10. ;)
Gender: Female. A.k.a- I'm a girl!
Religion: Christian
Culture: Mennonite
Country: Canada
Job: Babysitter/author
Interests: Reading, writing, horse-back riding, hanging with friends, playing Sims 3, etc.
Fav. TV shows: Any crime shows (drama or real, doesn't matter), medical shows, history shows, The Simpsons and Corner Gas
Fav. Colour: Blue. I also like really bright and funky colours.
Fav. food: I love pretty much any type of food. I love trying new things! :D
Fav. Music: I'll pretty much listen to anything. From Classical, to Rock n' Roll, to Hip-hop, to country, to pop, etc.
Personal Quote: The best opinion is the controversial one that gets you to think.
Fav. Quote: "You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself to be" -Lou Holtz


Here's something I wrote a while ago, that I'd like to share with you. It's kinda like a reflection of my thoughts. It's not half bad...at least I don't think so.

Nothing Needed...but yourself.

Many people go through life without realize what life, in fact, is. They act like mindless zombies following their leader, or trying to be the leader. Everyone out there is a zombie. To get further in life many must 'suck up' to the leaders. We're all stuck in a vortex, some struggle to climb out and on top, some simply go with the flow. And there are the rare people that don't care what kind of vortex we're in and continue to do their own thing. Let's just say I'm a mixture of them all. I don't strongly follow one and forget of the others. Often i want to hide and other times i want the spot-light to myself. The only way to survive this vortex is to stay true to yourself. Be whom you are and create the fourth option. You may just surprise yourself.

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Who am I?

To be honest lately i've been asking myself that very question. I'm a writer, reader, studier of things and people. I think i have, at least, some sort of intellect. I'm a wall flower, a diva, a complete pain in my friends sides. I guess the easiest thing to say is I'm a mixed patchwork of a quilt, adding more as my life continues. Building on life experiances. My dreams and goals are continually changing as i gain a new understanding of this world i call my own. But who am I? There are the facts. My favorite colour is blue. i love sports and i love to read. I love learning and thinking. My book shelf is full and my dresser has gained several books as its companions. I love travelling, different types of cuisine, etc, etc, etc. I've recently discovered something about myself i've kept hidden, even from myself. I am an anti-social, socable person. I don't often care or feel a need for people, but everynow and then i do need them. I'm not trying to say i'm clingy or that i hate people, I just don't like building or creating friendships on other's terms, not my own. But when i do form friendships, we're very close. We get depressed if we don't talk to eachother for a long period of time. Which leaves a question about how lonesome i get. I often find myself sitting in a corner, content at just being alone with myself, but at the same time i long for the companionship of my friends. Weird, huh. However, i feel as if i am normal. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. What is, then i ask, normal? Everyone has their own twisted sense of normal, so how can you define it?