know the novel part two / within the wip

i'm joining Christine's linkup again, with part two of Know The Novel. it's a three part linkup, and you don't have to be doing NaNo to participate. ;)

i'm using my current WIP, "Versus", for the linkup.

how's the writing going?

it's been...going. xD this is a hard time for me to write, as i'm in the thick of exams, projects, and studying for finals. not to mention balancing normal schoolwork with my part time job. also doesn't help that i woke up last week extremely sore (reallly hope i'm not getting the flu), and even my fingers are sore. -_-

but i hope to get a good amount written over the holidays. 

what's been the most fun aspect

about writing this novel so far?

superheroes! seriously, i'm so excited to be writing about superheroes. i absolutely love comic books (and grew up reading classics from the Silver Age), so it's a dream come true to be writing about them. 

has your novel surprised you 
in any way?

i have this sketchy idea of how it'll end, which it totally different than i had originally thought. so yea. xD

also, probably the fact that i'm totally pantsing this one. normally, i have a general idea of how i want my story to end, plus a one page "outline" of snippets i want to include, stuff to happen, etc. for this one, i'm totally just discovery writing, and it feels great. we'll see how it turns out, though. xD

what do you think about your 

characters at this point?

who's your favorite to write 

about?

so far, i love them. ;) my favorite so far is Charisse, who's dark and angsty yet believes firmly in the concept of justice for all. but i also love writing the morally grey character, Evan, who's gullible and naive yet sweet and charming. he also loves tea <3.

if you were transported into your novel

and became any of your characters, 

which one do you think you'd be?

would you take any different actions

than they have?

hmm, i would probably be Charisse. i tend to be overly snarky at times *cough*, and can definitely see myself in the dark, goth-like girl. although i would 100% use my superpower all the time. not to be a villain, but just to be swooping around the city in a swath of smoke would be so much fun. 

give us the first sentence or paragraph

and then 2 (or 3!) more favorite 

snippets!

urghh, okay. please remember, this is not edited. ;)

first paragraph: 

Rainy nights in Emitton City were the worst. 

No, they were dangerous. Lethal, even. For at night, all those with hidden powers, or gifts as they laughably called them, roamed the streets. Uninhibited and thirsty for their kind of fun. 

snippet #1: 

Charisse didn't wait to hear his threats. Heedless of the consequences to follow, she flung her hands before her, channeling all her strength. Grey smoke poured from her black painted nails, surrounding Jakob and physically pushing him through the locked door. Charisse ran to the door, keeping one gray-tinted hand firmly on the splintered wood. 

snippet #2:

Rainy nights for the cursed were even worse.

Evan Madsen pressed his cheek against the cold foggy window, his eyes reflecting gold back at him. His hands, sheathed in the familiar leather gloves, curled into fists as he continued to gaze out the window at the empty, silent street. 

snippet #3: 

They sat on the edge of the building, their legs dangling in the cool winter air.

Charisse squinted at the setting sun, smiling slightly as golden rays of light danced over the buildings of Emitton City. Shadows flitted and ducked as a crisp wind sent twigs and dead leaves flying through the air. 

have you come across any 
problem areas?

urghh, maybe the plot? xD. i have a general idea of how my story starts and ends, but i'm not exactly sure what's going on in the middle. so, we'll see. *shrug*

what's been your biggest victory with

writing this novel at this point?

connecting really well with my characters. ;) it's hard for me to write as i can't devote all the time i want to, but every time i pull up my google doc, it's so easy to dive back into my characters. ;) also, i just really love them. xD

be honest, have you killed any 
characters off yet?

NOPE. not yet, at least. ;)

take us on a tour of what a normal writing

day for this particular novel has looked like.

where do you write? what time of day?

alone or with others? is a lot of coffee consumed?

do you light candles? play music? get

distracted by social media? tell all! 

i try to squeeze an hour of writing per day. butttttt......that usually does not happen. i'm lucky if i can even type a paragraph per day, that's how crazy it's been lately. so, i'm really looking forward to the holidays for some nice writing time. ;)

but, i write alone. (if you can call living in a household of seven as alone, xD). yesss, coffee and tea are consumed. currently, i'm loving my well-rested herbal tea + my cafe mocha creamer for coffee ;). no to music, as i get easily distracted. although sometimes i play the sherlock soundtrack. 

well, hope y'all enjoyed this. ;) and i hope that y'all had a lovely thanksgiving!  

how's NaNo going?

and did any of y'all go
black friday shopping? 

<3 <3,

allison

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

words that make me smile

last week, i wrote a post on the words that i hate, words that gross me out and make me gag. this week, here are some words that i love and make me smile. ;)

. baba ganoush

seriously, this is my favorite word (s) of all time. i wanted to write a college essay on it, but my mom wouldn't let me. xD

idk why i like it so much, maybe it's how it's said. ;)


. smirk

again, i just like how it sounds.


. baboon

;)

. aesthetic

although it's hard to spell, i love how pretty the word is. ;)


. grin 

idk, just love seeing this word. *shrug* i'm weird.

. button 

makes me smile. ;)

. gnarly

really fun and descriptive word. also very fun to say.

. muggy

it sounds so cool!

. frolic

:D

. smug

that part from "the office":

michael: "well, it says here that jim halpert is smudge and arrogant."
jim: "oh, i think you mean smug."
michael: "see? arrogance."

. broccolini 

just try to say this word without smiling. i dare you.


. spaghetti

and all other types of noodles + italian dishes (fettucini, etc.)


. nefarious 

it sounds cool and epic and evil. i love it. xD


. slushy

it's such a fun word to say! xD

well, there you are! after that disgusting post last week (apologies), here's one with all the words that i really like. 

apparently i'm posting on 

fridays now? 

xD sorry about my random

schedule, hopefully i'll figure it

out once school settles down.

anyway, which words are

your favorite?

how's NaNoWriMo

going for y'all? 

<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

words i strongly dislike / aka HATE

so, there is a running joke in my family that i'm super weird about words. it started this june, but i have no idea how. all i remember is sitting in the passenger seat of our van, heading to the beach with my family, and my dad throwing words at me like "what about this one?" me: "eww gross." dad: "okay, this one!"

summary: i am a very literary person. i love to read and, therefore, words have a special + vivid meaning. thus, certain words are absolutely disgusting and graphically descriptive, and make me gag. i apologize in advance for the disgustingness, xD.


. moist

DO I REALLY HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS ONE??? i think it's a universal truth that everyone hates this word. seriously, i looked it up. it's the grossest word according to a nationwide (?) poll. *gags*


. damp

it's just gross, okay? i don't know why it bothers me, but ewwww.


. snigger

ewwww. idk, maybe it's the way it's said, but it really grosses me out.


. puddle

blehh. when i told dad this one, he said, "so this sentence would bother you? a puddle of moist, damp mildew." and i gagged.


. backwash

'nuff said.


. snuffle

some things....just don't need to be explained. they're just gross.


. cocoon

this is actually my dad's idea...this word really grosses him out. it's okay when used as a verb, but the noun usage is *gags*.


. casing

every time we have sausage for dinner, my brothers love to gross me out by using this word as often as possible. x_x

. mildew

I'M SO SORRY FOR HAVING SUCH A GROSS BLOG POST!
me: ooh this is a great idea.  i'll write about all the really nasty and disgusting words.
me *after writing it* : oh no, what have i done. i'm going to make everyone sick.

I'M SO SORRY! unless i'm just the weird one and these words don't bother you?


. stump

yup.


. digit

in reference to fingers. *cringes*


. stubby

fun story: at a family lunch with my grandparents + aunt, uncle, + cousins, i was telling my aunt about our "game" (dad and i try to find words to gross each other out), and she thought it was hilarious.
update at next lunch: my aunt tells me that now, her family is doing the same thing, but to find the words that gross "cousin allison" out. xD


. pouch

for some reason, this word really bothers me.


. burrow 

just looking at this word makes me want to gag.


. congeal

again, some words are just nasty. like this one.


. molt

-_-

. tub

relatively new addition to my growing list of nasty words. i was in physics class last week, and this is how the conversation went:

friend #1, reading from textbook: place the tub on the board-
me: ew, tub is a gross word.
friend #2: huh yea, i can see that.
*five minutes later*
friend #3: OH MY GOSH, tub is a nasty word! i can't stop thinking about it! okay guys, no one say tub anymore. we'll say container.

and for the rest of class, we made everyone say container instead, xD.

y'all, i am so sorry for this disgusting blog post, xD. next week, i'll have a post with all my favorite words, really good descriptive + vivid ones that instead of gagging, make me laugh. ;) 

what words gross you out?

or am i just the weird one

that's super sensitive to

words? xD

who's excited for "the 

crimes of grindelwald"

ME!

<3 <3,

allison 

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