know the novel / part one: introductory

today, i'm participating in a brand new linkup created by the amazing Christine Smith! it's a three part series, over three months, and i'm very excited to do it ;).

anyone is welcome to participate, and you don't have to be doing NaNo in order to participate ;).

i'm using my current WIP, "Versus". ;) there's going to be a post sometime next week fully introducing it, xD

what first sparked the idea for this story?

hmm, probably my childhood of reading Marvel comics. ;) i've always wanted to write a superhero story, and after i read "Renegades", that really sparked my interest in writing one. so, i developed characters + a rough idea of a plot, wrote a sketchy + loose outline (one page, xD), and here i am. ;)

share a blurb!

Charisse Kim just wants to fit in and forget her family's dark reputation as the villains with otherworldly powers. Unwilling to identify herself with them, Charisse refuses to reveal her own superpower, controlling and dissolving into smoke at will. 

Meanwhile, Evan Madsen conceals his own power out of a terror of injuring people. With a touch of his hands, he can turn anything into gold. A power easily corrupted and taken advantage of. A power that destroyed his childhood. 

The two meet at the coffee shop they work at and form an unlikely friendship. And for awhile, Charisse and Evan feel like they belong in a city of misfits and villains. 

Until everything changes. 

A superhero suddenly arrives in the city, determined to destroy the dark villains. Evan, angered by report after report of people with superpowers terrorizing and injuring innocents, decides it's time to rescue the city and thus becomes Alchemy. But at what cost? 

Charisse is disturbed by the merciless actions of the mysterious Alchemy, who claims he's saving the city. And when the beloved superhero becomes like the very villains he despises, it's up to Charisse to don the moniker Psycho and fight back. 

Friends by day, foes by night. 

Who becomes the hero? 

where does the story take place?

what are some of your favorite aspects 

of the setting? 

the story takes place in a dystopian, futuristic world, where select people are born with superpowers. the powers are referred to as otherworldly gifts, and no one knows where they come from. the world is divided into numerous cities, each governed by a Council. 

"versus" mainly occurs in Emitton City (name subject to change ;), a particularly desolate city. the city is comprised of factories and dark, shadowed alleys, thus giving the city a smoggy, dark atmosphere. 

i like how cliche the setting is....city with tall buildings, dark smoke and smog filling the air, narrow alleys, cobblestoned streets. very superhero-esque, xD. 

tell us about your protagonist. 

in the eyes of the city, Evan is the protagonist. the hero, the one who destroys the villains, no matter at what cost. 

according to her moral code, Charisse is the protagonist. she fights back against injustice and cruelty, believing firmly that no matter how evil a person is, they deserve a fair trial and justice. 

therefore, both characters are protagonists and antagonists. ;)

who (or what) is the antagonist?

ummm, probably just the concept of what defines a hero. if that makes sense, xD. is the hero the one who defeats the villains, even tho he's merciless? or is the hero the one who fights against such merciless killing, believing that every one deserves a fair trial? 

in their alter egos, Alchemy and Psycho are each other's antagonists. 

i can't say much more, because i don't know  because #spoilers. xD

what excites you most about this novel?

SUPERHEROES. 

seriously tho, i've dreamed of writing my own superhero story. i'm so excited to create my own superheroes + supervillains, giving them unique powers, + writing a story similar to a marvel comic book. 

SO EXCITED, xD. 

is this going to be a series? standalone? 

something else?

so far, it's a standalone. we'll see if anything changes, xD. i find that i'm better with writing standalones, as i like wrapping everything up in the end. *shrug*

are you plotting? pantsing? both?

besides a one page "outline", 100% pantsing. that's how i work, xD. i find that writing outlines stresses me out, as of now, i don't know how this story will end. :/ 

i'll write a post about my writing style, but a summary: i come up with characters + a really rough story plot. then i write a messy first draft, sort of "discovery writing". i have a list of things that i know that i want to include, like random snippets of dialogue or events. ;)

name a few things that make this story

unique.

hmm, i'm trying to spin the cliche of superheroes treating their powers as curses / gifts. ya'know, the x-men line where Storm, who can control the weather, says, "There's nothing wrong with us." and Rogue, who can kill with a touch of her hand, says, "yes, there is."

it's the opposite in my story. Alchemy views his power as a gift, while Psycho thinks it's a curse. 

share a fun "extra" of the story.

pinterest board! 

also, brief soundtrack: 

everybody knows / sigrid

the king arthur soundtrack / specifically the devil + the huntsman

bohemian rhapsody / queen

carry on wayward son / peter hollens

the winter soldier sountrack 

say something / pentatonix

are y'all planning to join

Christine's linkup? 

also, are you planning

to dress up for halloween? 

 my friend and i are going 

as the winter soldier. ;)

<3 <3, 

allison 

COVER REVEAL / go teen writers: edit your novel

today, the cover for the new Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel book is being released! if you are not familiar with Go Teen Writers, i highly recommend that you check them out. they have amazing advice + support for aspiring teenage authors. ;)

and now, the cover!

i apologize for this post being so short + choppy ;) i have three exams this week + rushing to finish college apps by this friday *scream*

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

isn't it gorgeous?

it's not available for pre-order yet, but visit goteenwriters.com/edityournovel for more details and sample chapters. 

back cover:

You know your first draft has problems, but what’s the best way to fix them? How do you know where to start editing? Or for many writers the bigger question becomes, “How do I know when I’m done?”

Popular bloggers Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson have been where you are, and they want to help you understand, and even come to love—yes, love—the editing process.

In this revised and updated edition of Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel, you’ll learn:

·         Methods for efficiently editing your novel.

·         What problems to look for in your manuscript and how to solve them.

·         Where to start editing, and how to know when you’re done.

·         How to keep track of your story’s character, storyworld, and setting details.

·         How a critique group can help you.

·         The pros and cons of traditional and self-publishing.

·         An overview of pitching your novel and making writing your career.

·         And much more!

Teaching yourself how to edit a first draft can feel hard, discouraging, and isolating. But using this guide, you’ll feel as encouraged, empowered, and capable—as if you had a writing coach sitting alongside you.

are you planning to pick up a copy of 

"Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel"?

what aspect of the editing process

do you struggle with the most?

<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

#coverlove tag

i've been really wanting to do this tag (and even considered stealing it after seeing Sarah's post ;), but Lila Kims from The Red-Hooded Writer  kindly tagged me. ;)


disclaimer. 

school's been getting really busy lately (i had sat subject tests today x_x), and for some reason, blogger's been acting up + won't let me schedule posts. so, just fyi: some weeks, i won't be posting, and on the days i do, it'll probably be late. i'm sorry, but the next few months are going to be crazy with college apps and essays and midterms. so, i'd really appreciate your patience ;). i'm going to try my best and post every week, but it might not happen. sorry, guys :(.

RULES

Thank the blogger who tagged you and link back to their blog (thank you, Lila! <3)

Answer the seven questions your nominator gave you

Create seven new #CoverLove Tag questions

Nominate seven other bloggers and let them know they've been tagged

1. a book cover you hate that is your favorite color 

yellow has recently become one of my favorite colors, primarily because it reminds me of summer + just makes me smile. ;) 

but this book cover *gags*. sorry, i just don't like it, xD. i also really did not like the book, so that might be a reason why i don't like the cover, xD. 

2. a book cover that doesn't fit with the story 

uhhhh, maybe i'm just missing it, but i don't really know why this is the cover?? i kinda want it to be more mysterious + creepy (sorta simple yet creepy? ya'know?) , although i do like the blurriness of the words. but overall, i don't think it really fits with the story. 

3. a book cover you wish could be your WIP's cover

it's gorgeous. and i wish i could use it for my current WIP, "versus" post coming soon all about it ;)

4. a book cover with a design that's too simple 

i love the Naturals series so much (it's like bones + criminal minds, but with teenagers), but i'm not a giant fan of their covers. they seem too simple...sorta like stock photos. idk, i just wish they looked better ;).

5. a book cover that immediately made you want to read the book

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL *heart eyes*. it's my favorite maggie stiefvater cover (although The Scorpio Races is really pretty too ;)

6. a book cover that is a pretty accurate depiction of your life right now

yup. 

that's my life now. ;)

basically, everything's changing (it's senior year). college apps. essays. my job. new responsibilities. everything normal has flipped upside down and i feel like i'm drowning in a sea of assignments, exams, + stress. 

and that got way more depressing than i had originally meant, so apologies. ;) it's all good, and i know that this season of craziness + change will soon pass. and i'm starting to enjoy it more, as my mom keeps reminding me that this is a special time and i'll look back with fond memories. so i'm enjoying the times spent driving me and my friends to classes (i'm the only one with a driver's license, so i'm the designated uber, xD). spontaneous movie nights. walks with my parents up to get coffee. ;)

7. a book cover with a clever incorporation of the title and/or author's name

i like how the title is on the wall, sorta like the message is scrawled on the wall in the book ;). 

                            

MY QUESTIONS

1. most aesthetic-y book cover 

2. favorite autumn book cover

3. least favorite cover edition of a good book

4. cover with a face / person on it 

5. amazing cover on a book you hate 

6. book you bought / read primarily because of the gorgeous cover 

7. book cover with a place / location 

I TAG 

lisa @inkwell

danielle @snapper 

catherine @catherine's rebelling muse

mira @stepping in sunshine

ivie @iviewrites

and anyone else who wants to the tag ;)

sorry for this post coming late ;). 

what's been happening with y'all?

who's doing NaNo? #notme, xD. 

one day i'll do it, but this is not the year. 

and,

who saw Chris Evans' tweet the other day

and got really sad?
ME

<3 <3,

allison riera