Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 102

Day 43: Personal Development By Way of Slowing Down

After I wrote my article for SFWA.org about my hunt for the value of social media, I realized that I've reached a new "phase" in my experiment.

Whether it's a side effect of not being plugged in twenty-four seven or not, my habits have slowed down considerably. It's not just caffeine consumption; I'm processing information more slowly and thoroughly than I have in the past six months. After a fashion, this makes complete sense to me. Several studies have pointed out how the web changes not only the way we think, but rewires our brains. For example, you can read this article dubbed Author Nicholas Carr: The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires our Brains. Or check out Does the Internet Change the Way We Think? on Newsweek, where a neuroscientist makes the claim that it doesn't.

Dealing with what I have been, I would argue that it absolutely has an impact on the way that I think and process information. Typical habits and personality quirks aside, what I suppose is this: because I'm not being bombarded with data point after data point, my mental response time has been adjusting to the lack of information I come across in a day. For the past two weeks, especially after being taken down with a nasty cold, my inertia has slowed.

If you're keeping up with the analogies I've been giving, I've mentioned how it feels like I've been a student in a school of fish swimming this way and that, in perpetual motion. When I left the school, I headed toward the bottom of the ocean. At first, all I could see is a reef of coral because that was my destination. Then, I literally touched the sea floor and slowed to a halt.

Mind you, I'm not the type of person that can handle just "sitting still" for too long. At the bottom, though, I experienced something I haven't in a long, long time — silence. Sheer, unadulterated, quiet. Then what? I can't just sit there and wait until this experiment is over with. Right? Right. My thinking, is that in order for me to function more quickly, I either have to consume or process information more quickly, too. For me, the way to do that, is to become a student once again. To learn. To deliberately choose what I want to know, enhance or revisit.

For the past couple of years, there's been a number of "personal development" type projects and initiatives I've always wanted to do but never got around to doing. Volunteer work. Revisiting my graphic design and layout skills. Running a 5K. (I have a long list.) In the past, the challenge I had, was that I was looking at these experiences from the perspective (or the visualization) that they were already done. So the progress from Point A to Point B (a.k.a. "the journey") was lost in my expectations for constant progress. While the internet isn't responsible for my demands (or expectations) of immediacy, I certainly believe it contributed to it. This is part of our culture — get it now. And in my mind, that's not necessarily a good thing. We admire the artist who can paint an incredible portrait, but we don't see the hours of practice. The same is true with just about any other creative talent out there — including writing. In a way, I feel talent and ingenuity have turned into thirty-second novelties. To be an expert at anything, takes time and experience. You can read the information and obtain substitute programs that'll replicate certain tasks, but that's not the same thing as doing it yourself.

What getting offline has done to my thought processes, is slow them down to the point where my mind cleared. Tabula rasa. Blank slate. By slowing down, I was able to get back to the basics in a valuable, meaningful way. Instead of submitting every short story I write, I'm playing around with techniques in a story I don't intend to sell. Same goes for just about everything else I'm doing, too. Walk for fitness before run. Learn new jewelry-making techniques by focusing on basic designs before creating the ones I want. Etc. Etc.

Getting back to the "bottom of the ocean" analogy, I floated down onto the sea floor and stopped. Then, I realized I could go in any direction I wanted to, as opposed to following and connecting with the crowd. (In this case, quite literally. For to engage socially, you have to use the tools everyone else is using, too.) Once I clearly identified the areas I wanted to develop, then I started over from the beginning and am building momentum to create and do some really fun things. I'll be showing you some of those projects over the next couple of weeks, too.

Now that I've got forward momentum on the personal development aspects, my next step is to speed up my productivity and get back to where it used to be. For that? I'm going to turn back to the clock and start building in some routines.

In the end, what's happened here is a complete ideological shift by way of a slower thought process. Because I no longer feel compelled to share my knowledge or participate in a social network, I'm not proving or professing my expertise (either consciously or subconsciously). The end result of not doing that anymore, is that my focus is on development to increase my skills and my talents. The silence and sheer lack of social pressure (whether perceived or not) allows me to do that without fear, without time constraints. If I screw up, who cares? If I fall down, I get back up. If I do something amazing? I don't have to show the "one awesome thing" right away. Instead, I'm going to work towards several awesome things. With the way my creative energy has exploded, I'm already well on my way to doing just that.

Related posts: Lessons in Personal Branding: Day Four
Lessons in Personal Branding: Day Three
Lessons in Personal Branding: Day Two

[My Guest Post] Hunting Down the Value of Social Media at SFWA.org

It's been almost forty-five days since I turned off social media, and this experiment has taken on a life of its own. One thing that's happened, which was not what I had expected, is that my hiatus has turned into a period of self-discovery and growth.

Today, I talk about the impact this experiment has had on me and my work. Here's a quote from the article:

So far, my hiatus has had a profound impact on me in ways I'm still discovering. I feel like I've left the schools of fishes swimming in and around one another and have sunk to the bottom of the internet ocean. When I was using the tools, I was more in tune with the world around me and knew what trends were popular and what jokes were not. I knew what books were being released, connected with long-distance authors and friends more easily, and had a lot of fun. Now that I'm not, my focus is on me and my work, which has pushed me into several new directions. — SOURCE: Hunting Down the Value of Social Media at SFWA.org

If you're curious about my 100 days experiment and want to read an in-depth take on this hiatus, I encourage you to read Hunting Down the Value of Social Media at SFWA.org and share your comments.

Related posts: Day 5 of 100: Social Media is More Than Noise
New Guest Post at SFWA: Social Media and Your (Lack of) Privacy
My Guest Post at SFWA: An Overview of Writing for Print vs. the Web

On Facebook Contests

Yesterday, GalleyCat released an informative article about how Facebook is restricting contests on author pages. The reason why I wanted to point this out to you is to let you know that while this is not a new initiative, they are cracking down on this. Facebook first introduced contest rules restrictions back in November 2009 and they evolved a year afterward. Not following their guidelines will get your page canceled without notice. Why?

BlogHer has a really good article from 2010 called Keep Your Company and Your Blog Out of Trouble: The Scoop on Facebook Contests that examines what this means from a liability perspective.

So what is new? Two things: a release form and the further clarification has to be hosted on a tab or an app. What's happening now, is that the popularity of Facebook (and the fact that it's free) has caused many authors to flock to the tool. This time around, the changes in this policy are an amalgamation of what already existed.

What's the bottom line? I would keep the new guidelines in mind. As I've mentioned numerous times before, you always take a risk whenever you use a tool you don't own. While many free tools are highly-trafficked, in part because they're free, you might want to consider looking at what you do have control over — your own website — first.

If you are looking for places to run contests besides your own website, there's several excellent sites out there devoted to readers that would love an author's support. I know Facebook is important to a lot of people, but there are other ways to reach your fans, too.

if you operate a contest, create content, or use functionality on a site you own,

Related posts: [My Guest Post] An Author's Marketing Mistake
Breaking News: Using Facebook Pages? Log in ASAP
Who Owns Your Content When You Blog? Facebook? Twitter?

[My Guest Post] Alien Character vs Characterization

Hi everyone,

I resumed my guest post for Apex Book Company this month with a post about the difference between characters and characterization. I end with a writing prompt that fleshes out this concept. The prompt was to write a classified ad from one alien to another.

Here's a quote from the article:

To me, developing a character is part of my world-building process. From descriptions to occupation to personality quirks, the characters I design are part of a "world" I use to tell a story. The setting and the characters are tools that can function independently of any plot.

Characterization, on the other hand, is the glue that ties a character back to the plot. Maybe a birth defect isn't just a character flaw, the hero finds out the villain maimed him as a child. Maybe an aura of confidence isn't just an attribute, but the result of great upbringing by the character's mother. — SOURCE: Writing Prompt: Write a Personal Ad from One Area to Another at Apexbookcompany.com

If you're curious, pop on over and give Writing Prompt: Write a Personal Ad from One Area to Another a read. Then, why not challenge yourself and see if you can't characterize an alien?

Related posts: My Guest Post: Grammar in Your Alien Language
Guest Post: What's in an Alien Alphabet? (Or Why Some Languages Are Really Fonts…)
New Guest Post at Apex: Creating a Language Based on Symbols

A Fun Contest for Zombie Stories

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to drop by and mention there's a really fun contest going on right now at The Zombie Feed. To win one of two rare proof copies of The Zombie Feed, Volume 1 delivered straight to your door, all you have to do is comment on The Zombie Feed Bad-Ass Contest.

To enter, just tell Jason about which one of us (e.g. the contributors) you'd want to be in a zombie apocalypse with and why.

Contest just went up today, so be sure to get your entry in as soon as you can.

Happy Zombipocalypse!

Related posts: The Zombie Feed e-Book Now Available!
Like Zombies? Short Stories? Contest for New Anthology!
Got a Brain? Pre-Order The Zombie Feed Vol 1

Pollen-Filled News from the Writer's Front

Like the tissues surrounding my wastebasket (for I can never quite toss them in), today's post is going to be a bit random. An amalgamation of allergies and the flu has hit my sinuses with aplomb. Ergo, drugs. No, the good kind. Sinus drugs. My head may feel clearer but the words aren't necessarily conjoining in their proper order (or definition) by any stretch of the imagination. Not to mention — I've had very little caffeine the past few days and this has put me into withdrawal mode as well.

All whining aside, the reason why I'm telling you this is because the sniffles have caused me to forget about the thirty-day mark of not being on Facebook, Twitter or IM. Which, you know, is funny because it was on my mind but I'd almost forgotten about it.

I'm writing a focused article about my experience for another website, so you'll be able to read a more coherent angle on that there. At the moment, it reads like "And then this happened… AND THEN…" so I'm going to wait until my head clears before I revise. Probably laugh my arse off in the process. Eesh. The short of it is, the responses from other authors have been far more interesting than what I've been going through on my own. The reactions squarely fall into two camps.

Here's a couple of cool things that happened last week:

New Story Accepted! – Not sure if you remember when I talked about a story I submitted called "Tailfeather." Set in a dystopian future based on our own reality, this story is about a woman who went through months of surgeries to become a bird. More to come on that.
It's Time for Estrogen Time – My best friend moved to Atlanta a month or two ago and I've been dying for some sushi therapy ever since. Well, it seems I've reached a new nirvana — once again I return to making jewelry. I've been meeting a ton of people and have been working on a few designs.
Figured out a Better Revision Technique – Taking a page from some of the different software designs that are out there like Liquid StoryBinder and StoryBook, I started summarizing scenes during the revision process in a different color. I'm hoping to apply this technique again in the near future to a longer work, but so far so good.
I did not write a fan letter to Jeff VanderMeer – I'm currently reading The Third Bear, published by Tachyon Publications. The difference between the stories is pretty profound because the voices are all different. To read a talented author write multiple genres (or various shades thereof) in the same collection is extraordinarily humbling. Why is not writing a fan letter a good thing? Apparently, you've never read my fan letters…
Got a Wicked Omi Idea – To help get me in an alchemist's mindset, I'm creating a grimoire. For the cover, I picked up an Omi.

[Recommended] Dystopian Sci Fi Movie "Sleep Dealer"

One of the best things about Netflix, is its collection of foreign films. Last night we watched Sleep Dealer, a film set in a dystopian future – in Mexico. Produced in 2008, this film has garnered several awards, and I can see why. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, the use of color to show mood and the technology gives the story a noir feel. The story isn't action-based, but has a satirical bent, a commentary without necessarily acting as an in-your-face commentary.

Part of the reason why I enjoyed this film for two reasons: one, I have an interest in futurism and two, I have a deep appreciation for other cultures and how they view genre. I talked a little bit about my love for futurism in an earlier post entitled Writing the Future, the Slow Creep of Ages, so if you're interested in can read up on that. In terms of other cultures and genres? Well, I wrote a short story back in December for an anthology I'm waiting to hear back on. When I watched Sleep Dealer, I was reminded of my story's tone and its military theme.

If you get the chance, check out the Sleep Dealer Trailer (English). I couldn't find any legal copies to share with you here, so don't be afraid to visit their site.

Related posts: [Recommended Link] On Failure
My Nomination for a Stand-Alone Female Superhero Movie
My New Series of Horror Movie Articles on Crackle.com

[My Guest Post] An Author's Marketing Mistake

First week of May? Must be time to tell you about this month's guest post at the How To Write Shop. Today I take a look at a common mantra I hear time and time again from authors and artists. Many people I've talked to never want to promote or even mention their previously published work. In this post, entitled "Authors, Don't Make this Marketing Mistake," I dive into their objections with my responses.

Here's a quote from the article:

By promoting your existing titles, you add depth to your marketing efforts because you're adding new products to the mix. Don't be afraid to talk about your previously published work in a way that's new to those readers, either. After all, if you complain or talk down about what you've already done, then that will reflect in your sales and the way your readers/fellow authors treat you. If you're that unhappy with your backlist, then what will that say about how you'll treat your current releases a year from now? — SOURCE: Authors, Don't Make this Marketing Mistake at the How To Write Shop

If you're an author or an artist, I hope you drop by my article and add your thoughts. In a comment, Lori Devoti already pointed out another reason why authors don't promote their backlist, and why that may need to change.

Related posts: [My Guest Post] Aspiring Authors Should Think Twice Before Marketing
Why Writers Suck at Marketing
Why "Hits" Don't Matter. More on my Guest Post at Howtowriteshop.com

FlamesRising.com's First Publisher Theme Week and Contest

Hi everyone,

Wanted to let you know that we launched a new theme week for our readers at FlamesRising.com yesterday. The idea behind it, was to highlight a specific publisher by offering new design essays, previews and reviews. For our first-ever theme week, we decided to focus on Pelgrane Press.

You may recall I mentioned Pelgrane Press when I shared with you the Table of Contents for the New Heroes anthology. Stone Skin Press is the company's fiction imprint; Pelgrane Press has produced popular games like the Esoterrorists and the Trail of Cthulhu lines based on the Gumshoe System designed by Robin Laws. We just started an Esoterrorists campaign, which was designed by Jason Blair of Little Fears fame, and our group is having a lot of fun.

At FlamesRising.com this week, we're featuring several design essays, reviews and other material for new and existing fans of this quality publisher. What's more, Pelgrane Press is sponsoring a contest on FlamesRising.com. Three lucky winners will receive gift certificates to the Pelgrane Press online store. If you're interested, visit the aforementioned contest link and read the rules. Contest ends on Friday, May 6th at midnight so don't push off your entry.

Happy gaming!

Related posts: Zombie Week at FlamesRising.com and Contest
Win a Copy of Cthulhu 101 at FlamesRising.com
Announcing the "Help me Design a Contest" Contest

[New Release] My Essay in Apex Magazine Issue 24

[image error]Calling all science fiction and fantasy fans! Wanted to pop in today and mention I have a new, non-fiction essay published in Apex Magazine Issue 24. My essay is an up-close-and-personal one; I dive into my experiences and share them to ask: Are you having fun at conventions? Why or why not?

Here is what you'll find in this edition of Apex Magazine, championed by award-winning author and editor Cat Valente:

Our May issue is sure to delight as the stories happen to swing back toward dark SF. Jeremy R. Butler channels the adventure and dangers of deep space mining with his "Recipe Collecting in the Asteroid Belt." Annalee Newitz explores love and particle physics in "Twilight of the Eco-Terrorist."

Our classic reprint is Will Ludwigsen's chilling "In Search Of" where the answers to all your questions are better left unknown.

Apex presents two poetry selections this month. The first is "Black, Red, White" by Rachel Swirsky. The second is Elizabeth McClellan's "The Walking Man Goes Looking for the Sons of John: Six Cantos."

Finally, Monica Valentinelli gives fans and writers some important tips on how to enjoy the world of literary fan conventions with "Grab Your Badge. Ready, Set, Meet!" — SOURCE: Apex Magazine Issue 24

If you're interested in my work or these excellent stories and poems, you can either subscribe to Apex Magazine for a full year's worth of imaginative goodness or buy Apex Magazine Issue 24 as a stand-alone product. Visit the Apex Magazine stand for a variety of options.

Related posts: Apex Book Company Revisited
[New Release] Read "The Message" at Bewildering Stories
My Role with Apex Book Company