Introduction (01)
Joanna's Head (02-104)
Joanna's Stories
Acknowledgments
Articles
Biography

Introduction

^[01] I could be wrong and someone will have to prove it, but I think Wordee is 'the' first superstar bard that was out there. Very good writer and is among the favorites of every reader out there.

Whoa, this Wordwarior is pretty good!

Joanna's Head

AMY MURPHY:
^[02] Why did you start writing?

JOANNA:
^[03] I learned the alphabet. I'm pretty sure I was born to be a storyteller.

MURPHY:
^[04] If you had to do it all over, would you be a bard? Would you write?

JOANNA:
^[05] Yes, I enjoyed writing the stories. And yes, I'll always write.

MURPHY:
^[06] Give us a brief day in the life of Joanna.

JOANNA:
^[07] Wake up, slowly become human as I watch the news, check email, run errands, work on whatever project I currently have going on or avoid working on whatever project I currently have going on, watch some TV, go to bed.

MURPHY:
^[08] How do you handle stress?

JOANNA:
^[09] I don't handle it. I just get through it.

MURPHY:
^[10] Years from now, how would you want to be remembered?

JOANNA:
^[11] With affection by those who know me, and for my work for those who don't.

MURPHY:
^[12] What is your pet peeve?

JOANNA:
^[13] Ah, but there are so many. Right now it's a toss-up between the need to denigrate one person in order to elevate another, and unfounded personal attacks.

MURPHY:
^[14] Who is Joanna?

JOANNA:
^[15] The person doing the typing right now.

MURPHY:
^[16] Do fans expect too much from actors?

JOANNA:
^[17] Yes. Actors are obligated to do the best job they can with a role within the limitations of the production. That's it. Everything else is their gift to us, and should be treated as such.

MURPHY:
^[18] What are your feelings on censorship?

JOANNA:
^[19] I think it has its uses in some cases. For example, I don't like people who incite hate.

MURPHY:
^[20] If you can cure one disease, what would it be and why?

JOANNA:
^[21] Cancer. It's a cruel disease.

MURPHY:
^[22] Do you believe in capital punishment? Why?

JOANNA:
^[23] Yes. It can help the families and friends of the victim(s) in their healing.

MURPHY:
^[24] What is the most sensitive part on your body?

JOANNA:
^[25] My heart.

MURPHY:
^[26] What do you see yourself doing in the future? Future projects?

JOANNA:
^[27] I'm currently working on a novel. I'm also working on a distance education course on comedy. And I'll probably return to screenwriting some day.

MURPHY:
^[28] How do you handle depression?

JOANNA:
^[29] Not very well. It's a dark place with slippery walls. As an optimist, it's an uncomfortable place to be.

MURPHY:
^[30] What was the hardest thing you ever did?

JOANNA:
^[31] Seeing my father in a coffin.

MURPHY:
^[32] What was the easiest?

JOANNA:
^[33] Well, I just ate dinner. That was pretty easy.

MURPHY:
^[34] What advice can you give to future writers?

JOANNA:
^[35] Learn how to write. I mean the basics. Learn grammar, construction, pacing, plotting, character development, dialogue, word usage -- all that good stuff. And learn to edit, edit again, then edit several more times.

MURPHY:
^[36] How did it feel to be published?

JOANNA:
^[37] Fantastic. There is nothing like turning on the TV, seeing your name in the credits as the writer, and hearing your words come out of the actors' mouths. With comic books, the biggest thrill is to see what the artist creates from your script. It's exciting.

MURPHY:
^[38] What has the show Xena meant to you?

JOANNA:
^[39] It was fun to have something on TV to look forward to each week, and get passionate about on-line. But it was the people I met through fandom that is the lasting benefit.

MURPHY:
^[40] How do you feel about its end?

JOANNA:
^[41] Sorry it's over, but it was great while it lasted.

MURPHY:
^[42] What are your dreams? Hopes? Wishes?

JOANNA:
^[43] To be healthy, to be successful in my work, to find love.

MURPHY:
^[44] Who do you trust?

JOANNA:
^[45] My family.

MURPHY:
^[46] What would you say every writer needs?

JOANNA:
^[47] An intimate knowledge of language, and a driving need to tell stories.

MURPHY:
^[48] Do you believe in prayer? Explain.

JOANNA:
^[49] Yes. Faith is not about explanations.

MURPHY:
^[50] How do you feel about subtext?

JOANNA:
^[51] I think it became 'text' awhile ago. This show gave us a wonderful love story.

MURPHY:
^[52] What makes your best friend your best friend?

JOANNA:
^[53] She cares about me deeply. As I do her.

MURPHY:
^[54] Have you experienced someone else reading one of your stories aloud in the public? What did you feel?

JOANNA:
^[55] I've had my work performed and it's a lot of fun.

MURPHY:
^[56] What's the most romantic thing anyone has done for you?

JOANNA:
^[57] I once had a man tell me he could not come to the US, but that we'd always have Paris. A line straight out of Casablanca, yet absolutely true, as Paris was indeed where we'd known each other.

MURPHY:
^[58] What theme would you like to tackle in your next work?

JOANNA:
^[59] I'm currently working on a story that explores the concept of freedom.

MURPHY:
^[60] What was the last thing that made you smile recently?

JOANNA:
^[61] The Simpsons.

MURPHY:
^[62] What made you angry?

JOANNA:
^[63] The rude and vitriolic attacks on the people behind Xena: Warrior Princess.

MURPHY:
^[64] You now have absolute authority over the world. Omnipotent in all areas. What's your first move?

JOANNA:
^[65] Protection of the environment. Keeping wild places wild, preserving endangered species, saving the rain forests, and generally allowing the earth to have places where humans aren't allowed to go.

MURPHY:
^[66] Do you have stalkers? If so, how have you handled them?

JOANNA:
^[67] Yes. I have tried to cut off all access to me. I don't wish him ill, I just don't want him in my life.

MURPHY:
^[68] How would you categorize your best writing?

JOANNA:
^[69] Right now, the best thing I've ever written is the novel I've been working on. It's not posted.

MURPHY:
^[70] What stupid thing did you do as a teen?

JOANNA:
^[71] I took the dog in the car while running an errand and she jumped on me, causing me to hit a tree. The dog was fine, I wasn't.

MURPHY:
^[72] What, if anything, can stop you writing, if only for a while?

JOANNA:
^[73] Depression.

MURPHY:
^[74] In your opinion, do you fit your astrological sign?

JOANNA:
^[75] I have no idea. What size is it?

MURPHY:
^[76] What to you is the worst feeling in the world?

JOANNA:
^[77] Hurting someone.

MURPHY:
^[78] The best feeling in the world?

JOANNA:
^[79] Doing something really well.

MURPHY:
^[80] Favorite song of the moment?

JOANNA:
^[81] Don't have one.

MURPHY:
^[82] What is the first thing you think of in the morning?

JOANNA:
^[83] What time is it?

MURPHY:
^[84] Is there one part of the writing process where you usually get stuck?

JOANNA:
^[85] No, not any one particular part.

MURPHY:
^[86] Does the best writing flow for you, or does it come from rewrites?

JOANNA:
^[87] The best flows. But I always edit my work. The stuff that flows simply needs less editing.

MURPHY:
^[88] Which part of writing do you enjoy most?

JOANNA:
^[89] Writing the first draft.

MURPHY:
^[90] How often do you think about a piece when you're working on it and when do you think about it?

JOANNA:
^[91] Occasionally, and for some reason I tend to think a lot in the shower/bath.

MURPHY:
^[92] When someone walks into your bedroom, what are the first 5 things that they're likely to notice?

JOANNA:
^[93] Me screaming "Get out of here!" if it's a burglar. Otherwise, it would be the clutter, the pictures on the wall, more clutter, the bed, and probably the mess.

MURPHY:
^[94] Do you feel in control of your writing, or do you get carried away by your inspiration or characters?

JOANNA:
^[95] The characters control the story. I'm their typist.

MURPHY:
^[96] Do you have a muse?

JOANNA:
^[97] I'm often amused.

MURPHY:
^[98] Tell the truth -- are you your favorite writer, or in your own top five? Why or why not?

JOANNA:
^[99] I write stories that I like to read, so yes, I enjoy my work. But there are many novelists who I admire greatly.

MURPHY:
^[100] Would the world be a better place if women ran it or would it be basically the same?

JOANNA:
^[101] Women do run the world, they just don't know it. Every son has a mother. If she teaches him correctly, he'll run things the way she would want him to. The daughters already have the knowledge.

MURPHY:
^[102] What is your favorite spot where you live now?

JOANNA:
^[103] My living room.

MURPHY:
^[104] What books are you reading now? What about it/them is holding your attention?

JOANNA:
^[105] Right now I'm not reading a book. I just finished A Walk in the Wild and it was fascinating.

MURPHY:
^[106] What would your friends say is your worst trait?

JOANNA:
^[107] I'm lazy.

MURPHY:
^[108] Do you type with your fingers on the 'right' keys?

JOANNA:
^[109] Absolutely.

MURPHY:
^[110] What is the longest any plant in your home has been with you?

JOANNA:
^[111] Well, technically, it's not in my home. I keep it just outside my door. It's been with me around 8 years, but that has a lot more to do with its sturdy nature than my negligent care.

MURPHY:
^[112] Do you have any particular bedtime rituals (glass of warm milk, etc.) that you follow every night?

JOANNA:
^[113] Brush my teeth, clean the litter, wash my hands, and off to bed.

MURPHY:
^[114] If you find a spider in the bathtub, do you help it out or squish it?

JOANNA:
^[115] I let my cat decide its fate.

MURPHY:
^[116] What was the last thing you bought that you really didn't need?

JOANNA:
^[117] A George Foreman grill. I love it.

MURPHY:
^[118] Have you ever smoked cigarettes?

JOANNA:
^[119] Yes. Well, you light one end, put the other in your mouth and inhale. But don't do it. They're evil.

MURPHY:
^[120] Who is your favorite Greek God?

JOANNA:
^[121] On the show? Ares.

MURPHY:
^[122] Why do fools fall in love?

JOANNA:
^[123] Everyone should have the chance to fall in love, even fools.

MURPHY:
^[124] Do you keep a diary?

JOANNA:
^[125] No. I've had the occasional journal, but the only time I wrote in one regularly was when I backpacked through Europe for six months.

MURPHY:
^[125] How has on-line writing affected your life and how you see yourself, your goals?

JOANNA:
^[126] It helped me believe in myself again after a difficult experience.

MURPHY:
^[127] What skill would you like to have that you don't have now?

JOANNA:
^[128] I'd like to be able to play the piano.

MURPHY:
^[129] Who is your real life hero and why?

JOANNA:
^[130] My mom. She's my favorite person on the planet.

MURPHY:
^[131] What fan fiction story touched you so much that you still remember it vividly?

JOANNA:
^[132] My favorite story is Origins by M. Parnell, But one that really touched me emotionally was "Lost Soul Walking" by DJWP.

MURPHY:
^[133] If you could only choose a single climate with no variation would you prefer it to be sweltering hot or freezing cold?

JOANNA:
^[134] Eww, neither. I hate temperature extremes, though I do a bit better with cold than heat.

MURPHY:
^[135] What is the first thing you notice about someone when you meet them?

JOANNA:
^[136] His or her face.

MURPHY:
^[137] Have you ever done something that accidentally caused something really bad to happen to someone?

JOANNA:
^[138] I don't know. I hope not.

MURPHY:
^[139] How is $25 well spent?

JOANNA:
^[140] Buying blank tapes to dupe fan fiction for Sword and Staff.

MURPHY:
^[141] Would you rather live in a sociable suburb, or alone in the deep woods?

JOANNA:
^[142] The suburb.

MURPHY:
^[143] What literary character did you most identify with as a child?

JOANNA:
^[144] Supergirl.

MURPHY:
^[145] What is the source of your inspiration?

JOANNA:
^[146] My need to be creative.

MURPHY:
^[147] Where do your ideas come from?

JOANNA:
^[148] Everywhere, nowhere, and lots in between.

MURPHY:
^[149] What do you find most satisfying about your job?

JOANNA:
^[150] It's fun.

MURPHY:
^[151] What are the three things you enjoy most about writing?

JOANNA:
^[152] Creating a world that's all mine, having the words flow onto the page, finding out what happens when I have no clue.

MURPHY:
^[153] What were your favorite book, TV show, and movie when you were a teenager and what do you think of them now?

JOANNA:
^[154] The book was Diana, the TV Show was The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the movie was Funny Girl. Still love 'em all.

MURPHY:
^[155] What's your idea of a perfect world?

JOANNA:
^[156] There is no such thing as perfection.

MURPHY:
^[157] How real is your fiction to you?

JOANNA:
^[158] Well, I know it's made up. But it's very important to me.

MURPHY:
^[159] What Disney character do you most identify with and why?

JOANNA:
^[160] The genie from Aladdin.

MURPHY:
^[161] Who do you read for inspiration?

JOANNA:
^[162] I don't have any particular thing for that.

MURPHY:
^[163] What's your favorite website?

JOANNA:
^[164] Don't have one.

MURPHY:
^[165] When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?

JOANNA:
^[166] I wanted to be an actress.

MURPHY:
^[167] What are the limits in sacrifices for true love?

JOANNA:
^[168] My inner sense of self.

MURPHY:
^[169] If you could interview your favorite author, what questions would you ask? And, WHY?

JOANNA:
^[170] "Are you still alive?" Because I don't think he is.

MURPHY:
^[171] What makes a great kisser?

JOANNA:
^[172] Tenderness.

MURPHY:
^[173] What have you learned from your animals?

JOANNA:
^[174] Unconditional love.

MURPHY:
^[175] Does our society glorify violence to the point we have become desensitized to it and the consequences?

JOANNA:
^[176] Not for me. But for some, I think, yes.

MURPHY:
^[177] What is your motto?

JOANNA:
^[178] Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

MURPHY:
^[179] What do you think we take too seriously as writers?

JOANNA:
^[180] The opinions of others. Write for yourself.

MURPHY:
^[181] What questions should I have asked?

JOANNA:
^[182] 100 questions was enough.

Joanna's Stories

Joanna/Wordwarior's e-mail address: wordee@pacbell.net
Site where to find her works: http://cousinliz.com/fanfic/fanfic.html#wordwarior

Her Xena
Just Another Dead Warlord
Musings
The Babysitter
A Night At The Theatre
Games
The Child
The Empty Heart
The Testament
The Warrior's Journal
Truth Or Dare
When Xena Came To Town
Who Are You, Gabrielle?
Who Are You, Xena?
For The Love Of Clichés
The Dune
Eternal Bliss
Bad Sex
A Bedtime Story
A Woman With History
Jungle Reign

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Bardic Circle for a few of the questions. Thanks to Kamouraskan for the beta.

Articles

L. J. Maas and Murphy Wilson [Amy Murphy]. One Step Beyond ... Uber, That Is. WHOOSH #49 (October 2000)

The "Inside the Head of…" series in Whoosh issues #58, 61-

Biography

Amy Murphy
Twenty-nine-year-old Amy Murphy resides in Indiana, and is an avid reader of Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction. If it exists in the Xenaverse, chances are she's read it! Murphy has also tried her hand at writing FF, turning out two very nice pieces that reside on a couple of web sites throughout the Xenaverse.

Favorite episode: IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE
Favorite line: "I have many skills" (various episodes)
First episode seen: THE TITANS (07/107)
Least favorite episode: LYRE, LYRE HEARTS ON FIRE (100/510)