Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 100

The Games I've Been Playing

An avid gamer, I play a range of games usually for two reasons 1) have fun and 2) pick apart their design. While most of my design skills are focused on the hobby games industry at the moment, I still try to play a variety of games.

Because I wanted to branch out of the games I normally play, I picked up Sumoku by Blue Orange Games. Dubbed "pure adding fun," it's more like maddening math hells — but in a good way. Sumoku has a high production value, and by that I mean the pieces are molded well and the plastic isn't painted, so it won't flake off at some point. The mechanics are really simple and takes about ten seconds to learn. Basically, you roll a die to get your target number. Then you pull out a number of tiles according to how many players you have. (Yes, you can play solo, which is a nice feature.) After you have that done, you set up the tiles in a crossword puzzle-like arrangement, where each row is a multiple of your target number. The only thing is, you can't repeat colors in the same row, which is where it can get pretty challenging.

I really like Sumoku because I don't normally play with numbers that often and it gives me a chance to use different brain cells. Plus, it's portable and all the pieces fit back into the bag. W00t!

For my Nintendo DS, I've been playing Super Hero Squad, but have gotten stuck on a boss battle which is maddening, maddening I tell you. The mechanics are pretty slick because you have to balance your teammate's powers with playing the characters you enjoy. I laugh every time I play it – the one-liners are great! For traditional video games, I'm playing through Final Fantasy XIII once again as time allows. This game is really good if you don't have the time to play through a continuous storyline. I royally screwed up the mini-game last time and for me to go back and play through all the difficult battles would have required hundreds of hours. Takes less time to start over and since I've already beaten the game, I know what happens. Just in time for the sequel. Heh, heh.

For hobby games, on the other hand, we've been playing short adventures and running them in three-or-four session rotations. Over the past couple of months, we played an adventure for Esoterrorists, which was written and designed by Robin Laws. One of the big selling points for me, is the character creation process. (EASY!) We were investigating grisly murders and a bizarre summoning. After that, our team voted to switch over to Savage Worlds. (I ALMOST misstyped that as Savage Words.) Each week we've been focusing on a different style of play and I've found the initiative system turns combat into a much, more epic event — regardless of whether or not we're playing pulp or not. Next week we're going to break out the Savage Worlds Adventure Deck and I'm curious to see how those gaming enhancements will work out.

Once Origins Game Fair is over and done with, we'll start playtesting an adventure I'm working on for Trail of Cthulhu, which was designed by Ken Hite. I've also got a list of games to play and help review for FlamesRising.com, some of which are higher on the priority list than others. Not to mention, it's looking like I'll be playing Magic: the Gathering here shortly, too.

The nice thing about gaming, is that there's always something new to play and it's a great way to do something with other people that doesn't require eating or drinking. Less filling and good for my head. Win, win!

Sign Up for My Newsletter for Free Fiction

Based on the feedback I've received over the past couple of months, my monthly newsletter is going to take on a more personal tone. Each month, newsletter subscribers will receive free fiction in their In Box.

To read free fiction, all you have to do is sign up for my monthly newsletter. I use a third party provider called "MailChimp." They have a great privacy policy and whitelisting service built into their interface.

I hope you'll consider being a part of my growing community of readers, colleagues and friends. Thanks so much for supporting my work!

- Monica

Caturday Contest from Simon's Cat

A quick post today, to share with you that Simon's Cat is sponsoring a monthly contest for readers. All you have to do is download a printout and take a picture of Simon's Cat with your own furball.

To find out more about Simon's Cat contest details, click here.

Here's the latest video! It's about a rabbit and well, a cat.

Diving into Tron: Legacy

I went to see Tron: Legacy in the theatre and recently rented it, too. I mentioned earlier I picked up the soundtrack and, if I haven't already said so, admire the depth and breadth of Jeff Bridges' acting abilities. (Incidentally, he's also done quite a bit of charity work and founded the End Hunger Initiative.)

For me, a soundtrack can really make or break a film. I had issues with The Transporter because the music didn't jive well. Sound is always what I focus on, and it's something that really stands out to me. The sound and choreography is what made the film for me, because Tron: Legacy isn't a movie so much as it is a performance piece.

Having played Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: II, Tron was pretty fresh in my mind. (Each game has a story embedded within it, that allows you to play in that world.) A lot of critics mentioned that the movie focused on the special effects and the action moreso than the human part of the story. I agree to some extent, but I also feel that the attention to philosophy overshadowed the character relationships. In some ways, I would classify this as an "epic" science fiction film, much in the same way that The Matrix wound up being.

In defense of the film, I feel there was no other way this movie could have been produced because there are several challenges that had to have been addressed. First, you have the problem of revisiting cutting edge technology that was portrayed at a time when special effects weren't as advanced as they are now. You need a reason — within the story — for the world to have evolved. I felt this was handled well, so no problem there. Second, you have the challenge of treating Kevin Flynn's character. What did he do inside the grid for that amount of time? Did he go insane? No, he focused on meditation so he wouldn't. In some ways, his philosophical nature is completely justified. Again, problem solved.

Where it gets more complex, is when you start adding those relationships between father and son, son and love interest, student and teacher, teacher and creation, creation and world, etc. The way those relationships are portrayed doesn't always come down to the actor. (I should note that I felt the casting was extremely well done.) For me, the script would have been stronger if Olivia didn't exist, but at the same time, I enjoyed having a female character in the movie and expanding the world a bit, so I can understand why that was necessary. It leaves more room for sequels and the continuation of the story.

To sum up, I agree with the critics that there was a lot of focus on the shiny. But I also think that with the advances in technology and the volume of expansive films out there, we (e.g. the audience) is getting a lot more critical. My only hope is that Disney continues to venture into the science fiction and fantasy film making territories. There's a lot of room for exploration and growth in the genres and I enjoy some of the more recent films they made. So, despite its flaws, I liked Tron: Legacy and would definitely see it again.

Related posts: My Nomination for a Stand-Alone Female Superhero Movie
What's the Trouble with Female Superhero Movies?
Love My Nintendo DS and Square Enix

Great Article about Trunk Novels

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the hard question for new writers, where I suggested that maybe, just maybe, it's not a good idea to focus on what the rest of the publishing industry is doing if you haven't honed your craft. Then, I followed up with a post about ditching the ego in favor of the basics, where I mentioned that it's okay to write trunk novels and stories to pay attention to those skills.

I was doing some research for an upcoming article when I came across this article from S.V. Jones about trunk novels and the value of patience. In it, she writes that:

You have to know your temperament, and you have to block out the voices of your friends and family who constantly yell at you in passing, "This ebook thing is really taking off! Why haven't you published your work yet? Hurry up and put something out there!"

Yeeeeaaaaah…no. I'm going to publish when I'm damn good and ready. I know that most of my work up until recently just ISN'T READY, and even the project I'm working on now will need lots of outside critiquing and revisions before it's ready for prime time. — SOURCE: Author S.V. Rowle on Trunk Novels and the Value of Patience

I really enjoyed this take on the subject because Rowle and I share similar experiences. I have an undergrad degree in Creative Writing as well, and the program focused on a particular style of writing as opposed to ripping apart genre. (e.g. More geared toward literary storytelling as opposed to popular fiction.) Since I was able to create my own courseload, I really got a lot out of my program, but I still wish I had the time to take small business-related courses that are so sorely needed in today's environment.

If you have doubts about how you're doing, give the article a read.

Related posts: My Guest Article at BookLife.com: Rolling the Dice in Freelancing
My Guest Article at Innsmouth Free Press
Do You Need Your Own Website? Read My New SFWA Article

Um, So Who Died and Called the 80s?

Every. Where. I. Look. The. 80s. Have. Returned. I hear people arguing about who sung which song. Most of the songs I stayed up late to watch music videos of are being remade. Smooth Criminal? SHEESH. I'm seeing feathers and cargo shirts and fluorescent yellows and men with perms.

If they bring back jelly shoes I might have to buy a Cabbage Patch kid. I mean, they're already showing episodes of Jem and Rainbow Brite is on Netflix. What's next? Friendship bracelets? Admittedly, I am making one simply because it's absolutely, positively stupid that some sites are charging sixty bucks for them because they're "in vogue." 'Course, this is coming from the girl who picked up a print of He-Man from Tim Seeley. Yeah, well. It's He-Man. Didn't you want to know what secrets Grayskull held?

Oy. To share my nostalgic pain, check out this video from Funny or Die. Not work safe. Just sayin'.

The 80s Were Awesome with Tim Meadows from Tim Meadows

No related posts.

Podcast Heaven and the iTunes Model Revisted

I finally started adding my music library to iTunes yesterday and noticed that there were a few beloved albums I had to have. Pandora has been fantastic; there are several artists and albums I discovered through there. So, I went over to the dark side and bought the Tron: Legacy soundtrack, The Seldom Seen Kid album by Elbow and, of course, the remastered radio edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

BOOOOOOOOOM! Thirty dollars later…

I also added several podcasts that I'll be listening to. iTunes has two ways to subscribe, so if you have any recommendations let me know. I'm brushing up on my French and Italian as well, so if you've fallen in love with any podcasts from France or Italy, feel free to suggest those, too. I'm not quite ready to mention what I liked and didn't, but there are a few I'm looking for related to yoga (an audio podcast as opposed to video), jewelry-making and pretty much anything comics, game or fiction-related. I've already subscribed to a couple of podcasts in geekdom, but there's sooooooo many it's hard to know where to begin.

Needless to say, I'm in podcast heaven. I'm very happy I can take classes, listen to audio fiction, and get different perspectives on the things I'm interested in. W00t!

Spending money with iTunes is even easier than shopping at Amazon, which got me to thinking about the iTunes model and the sheer tenacity some publishers use to think about pricing their books at ninety-nine cents. The funny thing is: I didn't spend ninety-nine cents. Yes, I was buying albums, but even when I looked at songs, I was thinking about how many songs I could get instead of buying just one to build a playlist. Songs are something I can immediately consume. Download and play right there. I can't "consume" an entire novel in the same time I can play a song. Even then, one novel differs so wildly from another one that I don't buy books in volume.

Volume, in my mind, is the key to ensuring the iTunes model is successful. That is also what I feel is missing from the "Hey, let's copy iTunes because they were successful" conversations. Every graph I've seen, every story I've heard is the same. In order to have profitability increase on a low-priced item, you'd have to move a lot of that items or similarly-priced items over a longer period of time.

Recently, I talked about the difference between marketing and selling your books. When you start mucking around with pricing, that falls under the retailer umbrella, even if you don't own the shopping cart. The thing is, pricing an item appropriately is difficult to learn on your own because the issue of why people buy anything is very complex. Sometimes demand has absolutely nothing to do with your book; other times it does.

Just as one example, I've been looking at audiobooks more often lately. I have two primary concerns. Price and adaptability. If I can't listen to an audiobook (or fiction podcast) on my iPod or my computer, then I probably won't buy it. I've had several issues trying to listen to audiobooks on CD and I'm pretty much done with that. Most of the CDs won't allow me to copy the audiobook for that purpose, because it's considered just that. Copying. I don't want to distribute it or share it with anyone else; I just want to listen to it in a format I choose. Add pricing concerns on top of that and for books that don't warrant the higher price tag (e.g. audio performance sucks), then I'll look for books within a particular range.

It's a lot easier to make decisions about what music I want to buy, because I can quickly listen to a sample and make a snap decision. With a novel, even if there's a sample, I'd have to read a preview before I bought it. Music I impulse buy. Books I don't. Usually, when I buy a book, I already know I want to pick up a copy. I rarely take a chance on an author I don't know unless it's a personal recommendation. While I have made snap decisions to purchase a book in the past, it's nowhere near as fast as how I buy music.

Now, those are some of my buying habits, and I'm assuming they're probably different from yours. I wanted to share them with you to show how demand is often different for books than it is for music. Yeah, there are exceptions. There's a reason why Water for Elephants is selling really well right now — the movie. Same phenomenon happens with comics, too. A movie debuts and the comics get a boost in sales. For a few examples: Wanted from Top Cow, Thor and the upcoming Immortals graphic novel from Archaia based on the movie of the same name.

If you want to read some of my past thoughts on the subject, check out weighing in on e-books and your business model is not your neighbor's, which was reprinted at SFWA.org. I don't feel my core message has changed at all, but I do feel that it's becoming a lot clearer to me that there are distinct differences between looking at price from a retailer's perspective versus a consumer's or a marketer's. No matter how much you may read about pricing, it's often a challenge to understand how it works until you play around with it yourself. Even then, I'm finding out more and more that it can depend on your inventory (e.g. how much you have to offer people for sale) as well.

I'm confident that the publishing industry will sort itself out, and I think it's pretty exciting that some authors are learning what works and what doesn't for them. Still, I wish certain people would stop bashing retailers and publishers. I don't feel that they're evil. They simply have their own set of expertise that may be different from an artist, musician, etc. These are fascinating times and I can't wait to see how the dust settles from digital delivery, internet retail and ever-changing buying habits. The stars only know what the right business model is. For me, that is.

Related posts: Listen to My Interview with Darker Days Podcast
Your Business Model is not Your Neighbor's
Weighing in on E-Books

[My Guest Post] Writing Prompt for Perspective

This month at Apex Book Company, I talk a little bit about something I feel is crucial to ensuring your story is your own — perspectives. When I'm worldbuilding and mapping out my plots, I also include something that happens a lot in romance — what the character believes and fears.

Just recently, I had the chance to apply this to a flash fiction piece-turned-short story called The Legend of Aeneis that I submitted into the atmosphere. The premise was about how a group of priests conducted a ritual they believed would save them from an impending attack. Thinking that uber-ancient technology or magic is the end all and be all is quite common in our culture, but it's not always true. In this case, it definitely wasn't.

Here's a quote from the article:

Perspectives are one way to achieve the characterization. I just got done watching Season Five of Doctor Who, and I was reminded of how the Doctor's view of humanity affects and shapes what he does and how he sees the world. Each alien race in the series has a different view of humanity, and for our own stories understanding that perspective — and why they believe and feel what they do — is crucial to ensuring an alien race is distinct yet something we can relate to. — SOURCE: Writing Prompt: How Would an Alien Describe a Human at Apex Book Company

I hope you get the chance to check this out. For more writing prompts, the Donald Maass Literary Agency has been offering some excellent ways to dig deep and find literary treasure. You can also follow the president of their agency on Twitter @DonMaass.

Related posts: [My Guest Post] Alien Character vs Characterization
[Guest Post] Print versus Web Writing
My Guest Post: Grammar in Your Alien Language

Art Therapy with Cthulhu

While the primary bulk of my time is spent writing these days, I often need a creative break. For that, I turn to something crafty and fun. (In this case…Cthulhu…)

I have in my possession a blank My Little Cthulhu with two victims, which was designed by John Kovalic. If you don't know who he is, you may recall some of his projects including popular games like Munchkin and Apples to Apples, as well as several comics/toys/stories/etc. including Dork Tower and Doctor Blink.

How could I resist the call of the blank Cthulhu? The only thing is, I've painted toys before and I was never happy with the way they turned out. I'm kind of a precision line girl so it really screws me up if I can't get the look I want. Since I'm an amateur when it comes to art, I'm still trying to figure out what materials work best while working on my drawing. (Let it be known that perspective is my biggest problem right now.) My friend Leanne Buckley was very supportive of my need for "art therapy." It's extremely relaxing to have play time and do projects like these for fun. Call it a guilty pleasure! I have a LOT of respect for professional artists and I'm often inspired by them to tinker in my spare time.

My solution here was to figure out what design I wanted to paint before I wrecked touched the figure. Matt (my fiance) thought it might be cool to paint a dreamscape on Cthulhu's big head. So, the idea with this picture was to merge the cute take on Cthulhu that John had designed and play around with a possible dream. (Yes, those are bunny slippers, the full-size image was too big to scan. DOH!)

If it "worked," then I'd use the theme to paint on my blank Cthulhu. If it didn't, then I'd try something else. After going through this process, I'm not sure how easy it would be to wrap around some of the straight lines, but drawing this was a blast. The base image was drawn using a set of Micron markers; I used Paint to color in the blocks. No fancy tools for this chica.

Ugh. I seem to have Cthulhu on the brain these days. Well, that and King Arthur, but that's best left for another post, for another day. Back to my words!

Related posts: Win a Copy of Cthulhu 101 at FlamesRising.com

It's Caturday! Here's Some Webcomics about Cats

It's Caturday! Behold the mathematical proof that my cats are eating away at my sanity!



As an animal lover and guardian of two, very naughty-yet-adorable cats, I really enjoy the occasional webcomic to brighten my day and laugh in the cat-ness that is… Well… cats. I hope you enjoy this list and check out some of them.

Lackadaisy – The artistic style of this comic is fantastic. I really like the sepia tones and the tight focus on the Prohibition era.
Clan of the Cats – A shapeshifting witch is at the heart of this comic, so if you like fantasy you might want to check it out.
Meow – In terms of artistic style, I really like the use of color and clean lines in this one. This is a more traditional comic in terms of content geared for cat owners.
Kat-Nap – If you need a silly, and you like satire, then this is a good one to try
Two Lumps: The Adventures of Eben and Snooch – I've been a long-time reader of this webcomic because I have two lumps of my own.
Laugh-Out-Loud Cats – Love the style of the artwork in this comic about cats being hobos. The characters are drawn in a throwback style to the comics of old, but the background in the strips are sometimes mixed with other styles and textures.
Doctor Cat – The terrible, horrible, non-existent attention span of a cat against the backdrop of a hospital? Hard to resist. Good use of color and bold lines.
Cat versus Human – A webcomic that's more about the cat-loving owner than anthropomorphisizing her cat. (Yeah, that's spelled wrong. I know. I know.)
Cat and Girl – Last but certainly not least, I had to mention this webcomic for its popularity and its well-known artist, Dorothy Gambrell.

Happy Caturday!

Related posts: Fighting the Seriousness of Writing with Silly Stupid
[Video] Cat + Dolphin = Win