i will never be a teenage author

photo by me

i'm turning twenty this summer. and i'm scared.

i hate change. i hate the idea of getting older. of losing my childhood and entering the scary phase of adulthood. of growing up. the possibility of outgrowing or losing touch with old friends.

i'm sitting here, thinking of all the things that i will never accomplish as a teenager.

- i will never publish a book as a teenager. 

- i will never date as a teenager.

- i will never travel to another country as a teenager.

and the list could go on and on.

photo by me

and i know it's silly. there's so many exciting things ahead of me, and i shouldn't be upset that i won't be a teenager anymore. 

but it's ok.

it's ok to feel sad and regretful. 

i've thought about this a lot. 

it's ok that i won't ever be a teenage author. because, you know, i'm not ready. i could publish a story now, but it would be awful. 

and it's ok. 

i may not publish a book until i'm twenty five or thirty or even later. 

and that's ok.

i will eventually publish a story. it may be a story that i wrote as a teenager. a book that i spent the summer of '18 writing - and falling in love with storytelling. 

now, i'm not trying to say that people shouldn't publish books as teenagers. i've read many amazing books written + published by teenagers, and i have so much respect for them. 

but, i don't want to do something just to do something. i don't want to publish a crappy book just to say, hey look at me. i'm a teenage author. 

i may never be a teenage author, but i was once a teenage writer.

photo by me

instead of thinking of all the things i will never accomplish or do as a teenager, i started thinking about what i have done as a teenager. 

- i wrote two novels as a teenager. 

- i edited one as a teenager. 

- i wrote countless short stories and started dozens more as a teenager. the tattered pieces of notebook paper, covered in my childish scrawl, live in an overflowing file box under my desk. they're a testament to how much i've grown as a writer, even in the last year.

as a teenager, i became a voracious reader. i fell in love with harry potter and sherlock holmes and agatha christie, and found books that have changed my life in countless ways. as a teenager, i discovered the incredible power that words hold. 

as a teenager, i became serious about my faith and strove to make it my own. as a teenager, i pursued many interests and applied to colleges. as a teenager, i stepped out of my comfort zone when i moved away to college. as a teenager, i discovered that i didn't want to major in chemistry or science - and  decided to pursue a career that i never considered before. 

as a teenager, i learned how to drive and overcame my crippling fear of driving. now, i enjoy driving. something that i never thought possible. 

as a teenager, i realized how much i love writing and decided that no matter what i major in, i would always be a writer. 

and you know, i still have a lot to learn about writing. 

one of the books that i wrote as a teenager has no plot. it's a rambling, sun-filled book about two best friends who write a book together. that's it. there's a whole lot of work to be done.

the other book that i completed as a teenager has a lot of drafts ahead of it. the dialogue needs to be written. the characters need more development. themes have to be incorporated earlier. but ya know? i had so much fun writing that book. i'm really enjoying editing it right now. 

all in all, it's ok that i haven't published anything as a teenager. eventually, i will publish a story. whether traditional or indie, i don't know yet. 

it's ok that i will never do certain things as a teenager. 

all i know is that there are exciting adventures ahead, and i trust that God knows what He's doing in my life. 

- - - -

so this post is just me spewing thoughts

that have been on my mind lately.

i hope it all makes sense.

love, 

a l l i s o n 

30 things i'm thankful for / quarantine edition

it's been an okay few weeks. alternating between loving all the family time and getting stir-crazy. :) trying to thank God for the little things, so here's thirty things i'm thankful for during this strange time of quarantine + social distancing.

- - - -

1. zoom calls with extended family.

2. playing pictionary online while facetiming friends. skribblio is the best!

3. daily walks with my parents.

4. drinking coffee and reading my bible in the early mornings.

5. putting on a pair of jeans for the first time in weeks and actually not hating it. i may have done it bc all my leggings were in the wash, sshhh.

6. exercising in the morning - kickboxing is the best.

7. adventures in odyssey. we've been listening to so much & it's keeping us sane.

8. watching the narnia movies with my little siblings for the first time.

9. starting a harry potter marathon.

10. watching an andy griffith episode with my family every night.

11. driving my brother to work and sitting in the parking lot, doing homework.

12. cozy nights spent huddled in sweatshirts and watching accounting lectures. yes i know i'm a nerd.

13. getting a good grade on an econ test that i was convinced i had failed.

14. writing letters to college friends.

15. facetiming my roommate and spending an hour knitting and talking about sherlock and psych.

16. sitting on our screened-in porch and watching brooklyn 99. my new favorite show - tho psych is still my ultimate favorite ;)

17. making breakthroughs with my current wip & [ secret project ]. not trying to be dramatic - it's secret only bc it's embarrassing, lol

18. watching some good news episodes w/ john krasinski.

19. zoom-calling my friend and watching the office together.

20. painting with my little siblings.

21. watching my brother accept admission to his dream college.

22. making peanut butter bars with brother #2 even tho he's allergic to peanut butter.

23. making late-night runs to giant for seltzer water (it's a priority in our house).

24. finally learning how to dutch braid!

25. lots and lots of crocheting. mom and i have made seven baby blankets so far.

26. my dad bringing me flowers whenever he goes to the grocery store.

27. baking an apple pie.

28. bible study on tuesday nights with my college group.

29. tea time on sundays with hallmates from my dorm.

30. planting day lilies in the front yard and watching them slowly grow.

- - - -

how's quarantine / social distancing going? 

online classes? 

i'm so sick of zoom lectures, lol 

hope y'all are doing well! 

love, 

a.r.

30 things i'm thankful for

this post was inspired by this beautiful post by kara. here's thirty small things that i'm thankful for this year. 

1. late night drives listening to gene autry music

2. early mornings spent drinking coffee and reading my bible 

3. getting a package in the mail 

4. staying up till midnight reading a book

5. doing art with my little siblings

6. electric blankets on rainy cold nights

7. blanket scarfs and knit hats on windy walks

8. four hour long christmas playlist ready for november 23

9. family movie nights

10. long drives spent listening to adventures in odyssey

11. watching "the crimes of grindelwald" with my dad and brother

12. rereading harry potter

13. baking christmas cookies while listening to fK&C

14. spending all day making homemade applesauce with friends

15. movie nights with friends who are basically family

16. spending sick days drinking tea and watching "the office"

17. doing calligraphy and watercolors 

18. getting generous tips at work

19. bacon & butter bagel sandwich (honestly, it's really good)

20. the new christmas album by pentatonix

21. beautiful sunsets while driving home from school

22. my ravenclaw sweater

23. knitting while listening to the hamilton soundtrack

24. sleepovers with friends

25. spending hours at panera with my parents, talking about college and future plans

26. waking up to snow

27. a job that i love with an amazing boss

28. reading "the chamber of secrets" to my little siblings

29. getting letters in the mail

30. God's unconditional love

what are y'all thankful for this year?

and, 

important question. 

do you support listening to christmas music BEFORE

or 

AFTER thanksgiving? 

i wholeheartedly support after thanksgiving. ;)

<3 <3,

allison

in memory of stan lee

i got the text at two pm yesterday. my friend, in all caps, texted me that Stan Lee had died earlier that morning. and i almost started crying, at the cash register of the bagel shop i work at. my boss asked me what's wrong, and i told her. she gasped.

i texted my parents and my friends, and we all grieved over the sudden death of someone that has made such an impact on our lives, especially our childhood. my dad grew up reading the same comics that my siblings and i read now. comics were, and are, such a big part of his life, and now ours.

it's so sad to me, because it feels like the death of my childhood. now, that sounds overdramatic (and looks overdramatic as i'm writing this ;), but in a way, it's true. i talked about how much Marvel Comics means to me here (and yes, i'm using the same pics. i'm sorry, i have zero energy + time to take more pics as i've got a spanish exam tomorrow + physics homework -_-).

with geniuses Jack Kirby and Steve Dikto (among many other brilliant artists), Stan Lee created so many incredible characters, both heroes and villains. without him, we would have never known Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Black Panther, Thor, Dr. Strange, Dr. Doom, Doctor Octopus, Magneto, the X-Men, and many, many more.

part of the reason why Marvel's superheroes were so popular and remain so today is their humanity. Stan Lee said in an interview in 1992 that his goal was to make them feel like "real flesh-and-blood characters with personality", thus giving them fears, insecurities, and humor. he revolutionized the superhero mentality, giving people heroes that were very similar to them.

Stan Lee truly is a superhero. through his imagination, he gave numerous generations heroes to look up to, heroes that exemplified traits that we aspire to have, heroes that served our country and protected the people.

in the words of Chris Evans (from a tweet he posted yesterday):

there will never be another Stan Lee. 

for decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship, and joy. 

he exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. 

excelsior! 

thank you, Stan Lee. 

thank you for giving me childhood heroes that i still love. thank you for illustrating the classic battle between good and evil. thank you for inspiring me to write my own superhero books. thank you for the MCU, none of which would be possible without your incredible imagination and original characters. thank you for your commitment to providing quality entertainment for children and adults throughout countless decades, by writing hundreds, if not thousands, of comic book issues. 

apologies for the rambling

post, but i really wanted 

to write one in memory of 

Stan Lee. :)

who's your favorite Marvel

superhero? 

mine's a tie between 

Marvel Girl, Bucky Barnes,
and Spider-Man.

<3 <3,

allison riera

h a l l o w e e n 2 0 1 8

halloween '18 was a night of craziness and laughing. it was crowding around the kitchen table, bumping elbows and eating tacos. clapping and grinning at dumb jokes, passing bowls of rice and beans.


it was carving a pumpkin with my little siblings, getting sticky goop and seeds all over the porch and my clothes. it was listening to hamilton and carefully sawing through layers of pumpkin.

it was taking too many pictures, of running to the door at the doorbell ringing. laughing at costumes and scaring my brother by hiding behind doors. shuffling cards and playing music way too loud, raiding the candy bowl and throwing starbursts everywhere.






it was my friend and i dressing up as the winter soldier, and laughing as everyone said we looked identical. (also the guy who asked if i was bionic woman <3)


it was walking around the darkened neighborhood with my friends and brother, them laughingly saying i was their chaperone (as i've passed the age of trick or treating). it was one of my friends and my brother dancing obnoxiously in the cul-de-sac, waving a lightsaber in the darkness.


it was jumping on the couch in the basement, knocking elbows and knees into each other as candy was poured from bags. it was fighting over chocolate bars and throwing jawbreakers at each other.


it was curling up on the couch with all my friends + brothers, the lights dimmed and us laughing and talking about everything. of pretending not to hear when our parents called for us to come up.


of taking pictures and pictures, wanting to keep this day a memory forever. it's my last halloween at home (#college next year 0_0), and i'll miss these days of sugar and laughter.

how did y'all spend

your halloween? 

also,

what's your favorite 

type of candy?

cookies + cream

hershey bars are

my absolute favorite

<3 <3,

allison 

why i will always love marvel [fandoms part 2]

i grew up on marvel comics. i don't remember the first time my dad gave me a marvel masterworks, but i know that it was a long time ago.

marvel masterworks are compilations of 

comic book issues, so each masterwork book

will have fifteen or so issues

they're amazing + beautiful + have amazing

introductions by stan lee, steve dikto, etc. 

i used to spend the afternoon lying on the rug in our family room, pouring over fantastic four issues. i grew up with the human torch, mr. fantastic, the thing, invisible girl. truly, the fantastic four are some of my favorite superheroes. the classic villain, dr. doom. the amazing art by jack "king" kirby + the fascinating stories by stan lee.

next came iron man.

i read all the marvel masterworks of iron man that my dad had in the basement, and moved on to captain america. i cried when bucky died (and since my dad only owned golden age / silver age comics, i didn't get to the part where he became the winter soldier).

next was the x-men. i read all four of the masterwork collections we had. and truly fell in love with marvel girl, cyclops, beast, iceman, and angel.

then sergeant fury. i read through the one compilation of sergeant fury + his howling commandos that we owned so fast, and turned to the next superhero.

spider-man. he was one of my favorites, as he was a kid just like me, but with superpowers. he was the friendly neighborhood spider-man, and i loved him so much. he is one of my all-time favorite superheroes, as he also has some of the best villains (green goblin, sandman, etc.)

next the avengers. the ones with ant-man / giant-man + wasp were my favorites, but then i grew to love the new avengers (quicksilver, hawkeye, scarlet witch, etc.), even tho i'm still in denial over scarlet witch's original costume *gags*.

next i read the ant-man + wasp comics, and loved them so much.

and then thor. i never liked the thor comics very much, as i found the later issues with asgard + other strange villains to be almost too weird, but i still enjoyed them. i liked the concept of dr. don blake as thor.

and then dr. strange. he is one of my dad's favorite heroes, and the dr. strange comic books are beautiful + have lots of strange, wonderful art. very confusing, but amazing.

and then one day, dad introduced me to the wonder + hilarity that is not brand echh comics. spoofs by marvel about marvel. they were absolutely hilarious, and i loved them so much i began to collect them. one of my proudest possessions is a 9.2 not brand echh issue #1, in a plastic case that my dad bought me at my first comic book convention.

saturday mornings were spent watching episodes of superfriends. even though the dialogue was cheesy ("holy exploding ships, batman!" "great hera!") and the plots even cheesier, my brothers and i loved them so much. the hall of justice. the legion of doom. wonder woman's invisible jet. the wonder twins. and their space monkey, gleek. xD

and yes, i know that superfriends isn't marvel, but 

i'm including them in this post, xD

and then came the movies. 

i was thirteen when i saw my first marvel movie, and i fell head over heels in love with them. "the avengers" was my first. then came "age of ultron", my first time i saw a marvel movie in the theater.

then i became truly obsessed with marvel movies, and spent the next few years watching nearly all of them.

still have to see thor: the dark world,

iron man 3, + guardians of the galaxy 2

haven't seen the deadpool movies,

but i don't plan on watching them 
for a little while ;)

my childhood heroes + villains came to life on the screen, and i was absolutely infatuated with them. the cameos with stan lee (especially the one in "age of ultron" >> "excelsior!"), the little nods to the comics ("earth's mightiest heroes" / "tales to astonish"), just the amazingness of seeing my heroes on the big screen, in the trademark costumes and fighting the old villains.

marvel movies are some of my favorite movies of all time, and now it is an unwritten rule in my house that whenever a marvel film comes out, we go see it in the theater (with certain exceptions *cough* deadpool). the winter soldier is my favorite marvel film of all time, and bucky barnes is probably my favorite character. ;)

marvel comics introduced me to superheroes and supervillains, illustrating the classic battle between good and evil. it inspired me to write my own superhero stories, and sparked the idea for my current w.i.p., "versus". 

marvel comics will always be one of my favorite fandoms, and i will never forget how it felt to grow up with such heroes.

how about you? did you grow up with marvel comics? 

if not, what's something that you
grew up with?

<3 <3, 

allison

p. s. thoroughly enjoyed writing this post, and 

also CANNOT wait for infinity war 2. 

although i will likely cry. 

especially if cap / bucky dies. 

then i know i will. 

;)


p.p.s. had a movie night w/my friends
last night, and we watched "civil war"
i forgot how sad + emotional 
that movie is *sobs*

tips for reducing stress

it's that time of year.

for seniors, it's college applications + polishing essays, struggling to decide what majors + minors, figuring out their interests and possible careers, balancing schoolwork with studying for midterms.

for other high-schoolers, it's keeping up with projects + papers, studying for tests, prepping for midterms + finals.

high school is stressful. it's an exciting time of life, where everything is changing and new things are beginning, but it is stressful.

i struggle with stress a lot, particularly since i can get stressed over literally anything. so, here are some proven tips for reducing stress, that have worked for me. ;)

. take a half hour or so, and just relax
i usually relax by putting on Owl City (or a Studio C sketch ;), sitting down at the kitchen table, and getting out my calligraphy pens + notebook. just do something that relaxes + calms you. then, after a half hour or so, go back to your work.


. color
i love to color in my adult coloring books while listening to an odyssey episode (yes i still listen to AIO, probably will for the rest of my life, xD. post coming soon why i love it so much) or other music. y'all, it's been proven that coloring reduces stress. i went thru a phase in my freshman + sophomore years of high school, where i spent a half hour every night coloring while listening to odyssey on the radio. and, it helped a lot. ;)

i even did a research project for my ap psychology class two years ago, to see if coloring actually does reduce stress. and it does!


. listen to calming music + drink tea
just something about tea + calming music is magical. and it definitely helps when you're stressed + anxious about something. just make sure it's decaffeinated. bc caffeine when you're stressed isn't a good mix ;) (although sometimes, you do just need coffee xD).

. drink water
yup. just get a tall glass of ice water and drink it all. it helps, trust me.

. sit down + write down what's stressing you out
this helps me so much when i'm stressing out over finishing a project. i'll sit down and write out a schedule of when and how i plan to finish it, allotting different things to each day. it helps so much to actually see it being finished.

. talk with your mom / dad
as cliche as it sounds, it helps a lot ;). whenever i'm stressed, i flop onto my mom's bed and we have a long chat about it, and she always reassures me that i will be okay. and i always feel better + encouraged after we talk. ;) <3 <3

. text a friend
again, it will help. maybe your friend is just as stressed as you are, and y'all can commiserate together ;).

. just breathe
and know, that this is only a small chapter of the story God has planned for you. and, God is Sovereign. He has planned everything in your life, and knows exactly what will happen. just breathe.

i'm reading this wonderful book, "Trusting God", by Jerry Bridges. and it is absolutely amazing. i highly recommend it. and it has helped so much. knowing that God is Sovereign and he has planned every detail in your life, and that we need to trust him with everything.


. pray for peace + serenity 
ask God for peace during this crazy, swirling time. i also ask God for me to be able to enjoy this season, to know that while it is stressful, it is also exciting.

. put some essential oils in a diffuser
if you don't know what essential oils are......:/

xD. there's a running joke my friends and i have that all homeschoolers use essential oils. at least, all the homeschoolers in our co-op + our area use them. ;) and while they might not help for all ailments, i love to diffuse lavender when i'm stressed.

. take a bath 
yup. it's calming + relaxing. also, read a book. for me, it's usually harry potter, because something about it is so calming and home.

hope y'all enjoyed this post + hopefully it's useful and helpful. ;) and yes, i'm posting this a day early, but i have babysitting early tomorrow, and so idk when i'll be home. ;)

do y'all get stressed during the school year?

what are some things you do to reduce stress?

<3 <3, 

allison riera

p.s. who's excited for 

"The Crimes of Grindelwald"

movie?

I AM!!!!

p.p.s. i'm also super excited about

"Archenemies" coming out on Nov.4,

going to preorder it this weekend! 

<3 <3

growing up

Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days

When our momma sang us to sleep but now we’re stressed out

...

We used to play pretend, give each other different names
We would build a rocket ship and then we’d fly it far away
Used to dream of outer space but now they’re laughing at our face
Saying, "Wake up, you need to make money"

twenty one pilots / stressed out

canva

fyi, this is a different kind of post. kinda rambling + disorganized, but it's been on my mind this last week, and i feel like i should write about it. 

So, i'm a senior in high school. 

and i've been thinking a lot about growing up, college (post coming soon), + adulting. what i want to do with my life. possible careers. college majors. jobs. moving out. dorms.

and i usually end up depressed + overly anxious bc everything's changing. and i hate change. growing up means driving by yourself, getting a job, getting your own credit card (y'all i'm so scared to use it x_x), writing college essays + preparing for college.

but, growing up doesn't have to be something that scary or depressing, or something that ruins your last year of high school.

growing up means new things

new things like later bedtimes (wow xD), shows you're allowed to watch (#theoffice), more quality time with your parents bc you're getting older. almost an adult. growing up means you value these times more. growing up means you're maturing. 

growing up means that you've got this huge, crazy adventure of life ahead of you. doesn't matter if you choose to go to college or not, your whole life is ahead of you. 

which means you shouldn't focus on the fact that stuff is changing. and it is. but it's okay. change is good, although it took awhile for me to realize that (and i still struggle with it). change means that you'll make new friends, and become greater friends with those from your childhood. change means that you'll start saving more money, to purchase a car or books you want. change means that you get to develop your own worldview, to make your faith your own. it means that you'll always be a part of your family, no matter where you live or where your job takes you. 

your whole life is ahead of you

don't panic because one small part of it is ending 

high school isn't the best part of your life << took me awhile to realize that, xD. it's a great part, yes. but now it's ending soon (for me), and soon for some of y'all. and it's okay. you've got college or, if you choose, more time with your family + a job. time for you to explore your God-given talents + abilities, to choose a career that fits your personality. 

so have fun. if this is your senior year, enjoy it. study hard and write those college essays EARLY <<it helps, trust me. finish your apps. but make time to hang out with your friends. get coffee with your mom. go on a neighborhood walk with your dad. color with your siblings. 

enjoy every moment, even the small ones

and know, that even if things are changing, 

it's okay 

there's a God above who knows exactly what's going to happen 

sorry about this disorganized + rambling post, but it's something that i've been thinking about a lot. hopefully y'all liked it <3 

<3 <3,

allison riera 

p.s. yesterday was buy a book day (i've been looking forward to this 

ALL YEAR << no joke. so i bought "scythe", "love and gelato", +

"the raven king" from barnes and noble. 

hbu?

did y'all celebrate?

p.p.s. also i watched captain america: the first avenger last night,
and i forgot how GOOD it is. also i cried bc #bucky. and the 
peggy/cap scene at the end. *sobbing*