Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 108

Happy Gaming! New Book Says It's Good For You

I came across this book and website when I was reading the news the other day, and I have to admit I'm really intrigued. In it, the author who is a video game designer, talks about how gaming is good for you. In moderation, of course!

McGonigal persuasively argues that those who continue to dismiss games will be at a major disadvantage in the coming years. Gamers, on the other hand, will be able to leverage the collaborative and motivational power of games in their own lives, communities, and businesses. Written for gamers and nongamers alike, Reality Is Broken shows us that the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games. — SOURCE: realityisbroken.org

Already Jane McGonigal's book has been covered by BoingBoing, The Onion and several other places — including TV shows like The Colbert Report. I'm excited to see a book about the benefits of gaming not only getting this much press, but also from a female game designer! Go Jane GO!

I love to play and design games. Believe me, I wish I had the mad programming skills to be a video game designer; I'm more old school. I do, however, enjoy playing them. Just finished Dragon Age and am making my way through Final Fantasy XIII for another round before the sequels come out. I also have a Nintendo DS and many board, card and role-playing games with a social feel to them. This is one of the reasons why I love the hobby games industry. It's not just about designing games or writing for publishers, it's also about making quality connections with people and having fun. I have many good friends here and several people I've written for are also people I've rolled dice with.

I'm thrilled to see this book come out and will be picking it up when it's available for my e-reader. Here's a couple of links to reviews already out there:

Reality Is Broken: An expert makes the case for videogames
Reality Is Broken at the AV Club
McGonigal's Reality is Broken: using games to improve the world

If you come across other books like this, please let me know in the comments below or via Twitter or Facebook. Thanks!

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Three Non-Fiction Releases about Gaming
Guest Post: Science Fiction and Happy Endings at Apex Book Company

[Fiction] Lady Yellowbird and the Flight of the Sad Panda

I wrote this short story a few weeks ago for a submissions call. Dubbed "Lady Yellowbird and the Flight of the Sad Panda," it's a patriotic story about a grandmother who has one last song to sing for her freedom. Normally I'd find another home for this, but based on recent events here in Madison, Wisconsin, a few friends and readers asked me to post it. This is for you.

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Lady Yellowbird and the Flight of the Sad Panda

By Monica Valentinelli

"Devon, what do you think?" Rose was excited. For the first time since they had been forced into the Gray Sector, she was filled with hope.

Her husband took one, long look at his wife of eighty years and declared: "Woman? You're nuts. You can't wander about on a crusade. If you're depressed, just ask the doctor for some nanos."

Rose slowly climbed out of her steel chair and grabbed her walker. Even though her body had been outfitted with Grade A cybernetics, the fleshy bits still hurt. "You can't just patch everything up with junk metal. You're just too chicken to admit I'm right. This place is killing us."

Devon was about ten years younger than she was but, unlike Rose, he was confined to their bed. It had been so long since they slept together, she couldn't remember what it felt like to wake up next to his warm skin. She missed that but then again: she missed a lot of things. Like doughnuts and coffee and dancing.

"You have an answer for everything. Don't you, Rose? Before the nanos, there were drugs. Before drugs, there was electroshock therapy. And before that? People took herbs or they suffered through it. No need to cause trouble just 'cause you're feeling bad."

"So what are you saying then?" Rose asked. "We're supposed to spend the rest of our lives in a tomb? Some politician's going to decide how we're going to live?" Truth be told, she was itching for an argument.

"You'll get caught."

"I've still got my voice."

Devon wheezed. "Woman, you frustrate the hell out of me sometimes. You know that?"

"I can't believe you of all people have just given up. All I want to do is to bring a little light back to the world. That's it. Why is that so hard to understand?"

"The sentries'll shoot you down." The Gray Sector was New Chicago's description for a cluster of old buildings. All city residents who reached the age of seventy were required by law to move in and stay behind the massive electric gates which were supposedly guarded by robotic sentries. Devon just called it hell. "We're forgotten. We're like zombies here. No one cares about us. "

"All the more reason why I have to do this, Devon. I have to try." She leaned over and planted a kiss on his forehead. "I don't want any regrets, especially if–"

"–if you end up like me." Devon closed his eyes. She knew he was frustrated, and not because he couldn't win this argument. He often asked her how she could still love him. Then he'd list the number one reason why she shouldn't: most of his flesh was wired up to some machine they had to rent, for chrissakes.

Her voice dropped to a mournful whisper. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Just go."

Rose would not let herself be defeated. Not now, not before she even made it out the door. "Remember when we first got together? When you took me to see that holo about that man who lost his wife on a lunar station?"

Devon turned his head toward her. "I remember."

"Remember how you told me you couldn't live on the moon because you couldn't properly hear me sing to you?"

He nodded.

"Devon Freedman, I am sorry to tell you, but we're on the moon. We may be stuck in dirty old buildings here on Earth, but we're all in our little space suits and we're running out of air. Now, normally I'd leave the rescuing up to you, but since you are lying there feeling sorry for yourself, it's up to me now."

"Rose, don't… What do you mean by that? You can't possibly…You promised to keep that a secret. They'll catch you."

"I mean to, my sad little panda, and I will. It's time for me to sing one last time."

Rose pressed a tiny button underneath her ear and temporarily disabled her hearing. Devon could yell and scream all he wanted; she knew he wouldn't call the cops. And the sentries? Well, if some sinister robot was going to shoot her, then so be it. Maybe if someone died, the people will rise up and get that nitwit out of the mayor's office. Gripping her walker, Rose pulled herself forward and looked at her watch. Three o'clock. In order for her plan to work, she needed to move quickly.

By the time she got to the front door, she had already lost ten minutes. Her mind encouraged her to speed up, but her body betrayed her. It was as if her bones were turning to ice and she'd have to melt her feet to keep moving. "Guess it's time to try them boots out after all."

Like its residents and the buildings they lived in, technology was stagnant in the Gray. Medical supplies primarily consisted of donations corporations used for a tax break. Rose didn't want to think about it, but she suspected some of the experimental equipment used to keep Devon's muscles from atrophying wasn't thoroughly tested. Getting new tech to watch a holo or listen to a romance was next to impossible, because none of them made any money. The rule was: you got to keep what you brought in. Thank the stars for her precious grandson, Alex. For Christmas he had sent her a yellow pair of low-gravboots. She told him she didn't need them; he said they might come in handy some day.

"Today," Rose thought to herself. "Today is that day."

It took her another fifteen solid minutes to pull the boots on. Once she did, she felt incredibly light and filled with air. In fact, she was feeling so good about herself, Rose quickly marched on over to the bathroom and did her hair and makeup for the first time in ages. The costume she had was a yellow thing filled with feathers: the gown her kids bought her for their wedding anniversary. Devon said it made her look like a canary.

Inspecting herself in the mirror, Rose liked what she saw: a woman with long, silver hair wrapped in sunshine and happiness. She looked exactly like the cheerful songbird she pretended to be. Only, she wasn't just a muse inspiring the people to rise up and fight. She was something else, wasn't she? She was a superhero, the kind her great-grandfather used to talk about. It wasn't Rose Freedman who was going to liberate the Gray. It was Lady Yellowbird, riding on a silver moonbeam, floating on thin air.

"I'm ready."

This time, it took her two minutes to make it to the door instead of ten. "Good," she thought to herself. "Just need my bag and then I'll be all set."

Earlier that day, Rose had prepared her pack with everything she'd need on her journey: cough drops, water patches, protein squares, tissues and identcard. She figured the best place to start riling up people was in her own backyard.

Rose turned her hearing back on and slammed the door shut behind her. "Well," she told herself. "It's now or never."

The first unit she stopped at was on the top floor. She knocked loudly, but no one answered. Moving on to the next one, Rose rapped on the door there, too, and had the same result. "Anybody home?" She asked cheerfully when she reached the next unit.

"I'm here." A man asked, stroking his red beard. "What can I do you for?"

Rose introduced herself as Lady Yellowbird and gave him her speech, just as she rehearsed it. She was about halfway through her plea when he started to laugh. "You're as crazy as my wife. Sentries'll come after ye, what with that weird get up and all. Don't wanna stir up no trouble."

"Can I talk to your wife or husband?" Rose was feeling a little stupid, now that she was actually out of her unit, but she wasn't ready to head back home. Not yet.

"Who's there, Elden? We haven't had company in ages?"

Elden's cheeks flushed. "Uh, Bennett, this here lady songbird says she needs singers. For a play, I guess…"

Rose checked her watch. Four thirty. She was starting to think she couldn't spread the word fast enough. Even with the boots, her legs were brittle and weak. Sooner or later, her age was going to catch up with her. "No play. Just trying to make a statement."

"Oh, I like the sound of that." Bennett was a tall, thin man wearing a plaid, shiny suit. If she had to guess, she'd say Bennett was a lot older than he looked. "'Course, what can we do. Some of those kids tried to protest a while back. No effect."

"If I sing for you? Will you believe me then?"

"Go for it."

Rose chose her song carefully, an ancient tune about a boy named Danny from Ireland. The soft notes blossomed in the air like spring flowers in a lush meadow. The mournful sound of bagpipes accompanied her, transporting them to a sunlit glen on the other side of the Atlantic, where they clasped hands to make their final farewells.

By the time she finished her tune, they were all crying. Bennett hugged her fiercely. "I may be a cynic, honey, but you have the voice of an angel. Have you talked to anyone else?"

Laughing, Rose pointed to the lift. "You're the first one."

Bennett frowned, "Well, Lady Yellowbird, that won't do at all. Not if you're going to get the whole building in on this."

"I was hoping for all of them. The whole Gray."

Elden's eyes opened so wide Rose thought he was going to pop out his implants. Bennett kicked him. "Yeah, we'll help."

Bennett also stepped in to reassure her. "We'll help spread the legend of Lady Yellowbird. Don't worry your pretty, little head about this building or the next one. We're fresh off the transport so we know lots of people."

Doubt broke into her mind. Who was she, anyway? A mother, a grandmother, a wife. Wasn't that enough? She always knew she had a power, but she used that already, to help rescue hundreds of students all those years ago. Why was she doing this now?

The smiles on the couple's faces answered all of her questions. Rose knew exactly who she was and what she had to do. Lady Yellowbird would sing with the people, reminding the mayor that he could not (and would not) bury the living. They may be old, but they were still alive, dammit.

Lady Yellowbird placed her hands on her hips. "Thank you, good citizens of the Gray. Where do you suggest I go next?"

"Well, you could start at the end of this block," Bennett instructed." You'll want to head up to the eighth floor and talk to a woman by the name of Amber Jones. We heard about her on the way over, she's been asking for extra rations for her kitten. Probably knows a few other animal lovers, too."

"Thank you, kind sirs. Tell the others to meet everyone outside at dawn. You have your orders."

Bennett saluted her. "Will do, Lady Yellowbird. Good luck!"

***

Lady Yellowbird never understood why the city didn't want them to have pets, until she showed up at the door of Miss Amber Jones. After a firm knock on her door, Amber opened it a tiny crack.

"Can I help you?" The woman scanned her as if she was some kind of criminal.

"Good citizen, I need your help with–"

"–I don't wanna talk to nobody." Amber's gentle face contorted with pain. "This is my choice and that's all there is to it."

Lady Yellowbird frowned. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Miss Jones, but I'm not here about that. I'd like to help you with something a little more…furry?"

"Well, why didn't you say so? Come in! Quickly…before someone hears…" Amber ushered Lady Yellowbird into her tiny unit. To her surprise, the place was spotless; it smelled like fresh lemons.

"You've done a good job with this place," Lady Yellowbird said. "Where's the little bit?"

For whatever reason, Amber still looked a little nervous. "Sleeping, right now."

"What's wrong, Amber?" She tried to wrap her arm around her, but there was hardly anything there. Underneath layers of patchwork blankets and sweaters, Amber was mostly skin-covered bone. "Do you need something hot? Maybe something to eat?"

Fat tears gathered in Amber's tear ducts; they dribbled down her worn, leathery face. "I have no money to buy food for Mittens, so I've been giving him mine. But he's so little and he needs his strength to grow…"

Lady Yellowbird never owned a pet, but she understood why someone would starve themselves for a playful, loving thing like a kitten.

"Mittens brings me so much joy. She's the only thing I have keeping me upright. Without her, you might as well shoot me."

"Then," Lady Yellowbird said, "I have a song for you."

After a few minutes of listening to her sing a jazzy tune about a playful cat, the light returned to Amber's face. She was glowing.

"Damn those sentries! I'll spread the word, but I'll do it for Mittens," Amber said, wagging a finger at her. "But there's someone else you'll need to talk to. He's an older fellow who's got the cutest little dog…"

***

By the time eight o'clock rolled around, Lady Yellowbird no longer needed to introduce herself to her neighbors. People were begging for a song and promised to do anything they could to help spread her message. Although Lady Yellowbird didn't want to give up the fight just yet, the energy in her body was starting to fade. Her body was tired: so, so, tired. It begged her to stop. Sunrise was only a dream away. "One dream too many," she scoffed.

Her eyes heavy with sleep, as soon as she walked in the door, she set her alarm clock and fell onto her couch. Five minutes later, Lady Yellowbird was flying in the blue skies of a world filled with fluffy clouds, smiling faces and pink roses.

***

The next morning, Lady Yellowbird practically bolted off the couch. She was electrified. Every pore in her body tingled with excitement. The feeling was strange, but not unpleasant. It was simply something she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

While she was fixing her makeup, she warmed up her voice: each note fell from her lips and cracked open like an egg. Soon, hundreds of baby songbirds flitted about the room, singing songs of freedom and bright, summer days.

"Devon, I'll be back in a little while," she said as she left their unit. "This'll all turn out, my love. You'll see."

Distracted with the possibility of a better life, Lady Yellowbird took the lift to the lobby and headed outside. She couldn't believe her eyes. Hundreds of people she'd never met were rooting–for her.

"Lady Yellowbird to save the day!"

"Let's show that mayor, Yellowbird."

"Screw those sentries, let's get out of here!"

A chorus of hoots and hollers went up from the crowd. At the same time, she realized she forgot to charge her boots. They'd be dead within the hour. "Oh well," she chuckled as she carefully climbed onto a sturdy bench. "Guess these old bones better get started."

It was a motley group, filled with every color and shape of human imaginable, but it was clear that they all had one thing in common: they all wanted out of the Gray.

At the center of the sea of faces, a small band of friendly, familiar faces waved at her. She laughed when she saw that Amber Jones had brought her kitten, too.

Smiling, Lady Yellowbird began: "Good citizens of the Gray, you have done well. In about five minutes, I am going to ask you to join me in song. This particular tune is one the city of New Chicago and our dear mayor will listen to. Many of you remember what life was like outside the Gray. We had families, we had friends, we had community. Alone and isolated, we will be ignored, forgotten and left to rot. Together, we are mighty. Together, we will crush the sentries with our voices and earn our freedom."

The applause she received almost overwhelmed her, but Lady Yellowbird stood tall and proud. Still, she couldn't help but wish that her husband, Devon, was there to hear her sing.

"Rose! ROSE!" She recognized her husband's voice, but she couldn't believe her ears. What was he doing outside? He couldn't walk. He should still be in bed.

"Devon? Where?"

A soft hush fell over the crowd; the people parted like storm clouds after a heavy rain. There, standing in front of her with the help of robotic legs, was her husband Devon.

"But I don't understand, Devon. How is this even possible? We couldn't afford them two years ago. How did you get them now?"

Devon laughed. "The sentries, they–"

Sinister rumors worked their way into the crowd, injecting a lethal combination of fear and paranoia into the mood.

Deep down inside, Rose wanted to be excited for Devon, to acknowledge this important and life-changing moment for him, but she was angry. In fact, Lady Yellowbird was furious. "How dare you work with my greatest enemy?" She hissed.

"But Rose, it's not what you think."

Lady Yellowbird folded her arms across her chest. "Then tell us, Devon. Why on earth would you accept help from the people that want us dead?"

"You got it all wrong, Rose. The automatic gunners are not real. The sentries were just a story the city made up, to make sure we wouldn't leave this place. No one's even seen a sentry, but everyone's scared to death of them."

"How do you know this?"

"There was a knock at the door after you left yesterday. I didn't answer, but that didn't stop your friend, Bennett. He used his holo and projected a message into my bedroom. When I figured out what you were doing, I called the cops. They drove me over to one of the Tanks and patched me up pretty good."

The crowd booed. A couple of women nearby threatened to throw him into the trash.

"In exchange for what?"

A look of confusion crossed Devon's face. "Nothing! I had to meet you here. That's all."

Lady Yellowbird knew that couldn't be the end of it. The Gray Sector wasn't something the city was going to let go of that easily. The truth was: they were prisoners in this miserable place. "That's all?"

"Look!" The crowd pointed and whispered at the sky. Dozens of black clad policemen descended from glossy transports; they were packed together like rats on a ship. Armed with blue vibroswords, the cops looked like a legion of dark knights from the days of old. Just when Lady Yellowbird didn't think it could get any worse, a sickly green holo hovered above the crowd. She recognized the image of the young man. It was the city's mayor. Her plan was working.

"Citizens of the Gray Sector, you are hereby ordered to turn over Lady Yellowbird to the police and head back to your homes."

Devon screamed. "No! You said she wasn't going to be harmed. She's my wife, you can't do this…"

Lady Yellowbird closed her eyes and searched for something to hold on to. Although she was scared, more frightened than the day she moved into the Gray, the crowd–people she might one day call her friends–were in danger. Not only that, her husband's life had been manipulated to find out what she was up to. Bennett, Amber, Elden and so many others were here because of her, because she convinced them to take a stand.

Now it was her turn.

"Mr. Mayor," she said with grim determination. "I have something for you." Lady Yellowbird threw her head back and started to sing.

"O-oh say can you seeeeee…"

The notes echoed over the now-riotous crowd, amplified by an invisible force. The first refrain stopped a few sentries in their tracks, but it wasn't enough. She had to keep singing, louder and stronger than she ever had before.

"By the dawn's ear-leeee light. What do prooooud-leeee we haaaiiilll…"

This time, the crowd began to chime in. One after the other, their voices added together to create a singular force that echoed into the darkness, pleading the sun to rise, begging for their freedom.

"…the twiiiii-light's last gleaming…"

When their voices hit "and the rockets' red glare," golden rays of warm sunlight spilled through the decaying buildings, killing what little remained of the long night. Devon, her friend and husband and lover, stepped up to join her. Taking his hand in hers, he added his voice to the growing chorus of hope. "This," Rose thought to herself, "this is what made me strong." Their love. Their lifetime of memories.

"…the land of the freeeeeeeeeee-eeeeeeeeEEEEEEEE…"

The high note flew high above the crowd and descended over the holographic image of the mayor like a flock of angry valkyries, tearing it to shreds. After the holo winked out, the sound exploded all around them. The blast shorted out the vibroblades with a loud whooshing sound. The officers simply shook their heads: their faces were filled with questions they couldn't answer. Most of them started to withdraw back to the safety of their transports. A handful took off their glass helmets, sheathed their now-defunct vibroblades, and sang along with the crowd.

"…and the home of the braaaaavvvveeeeeeeeeeeee…"

The last note erupted from Lady Yellowbird's throat and shook the Sector's broad electric gates so hard sparks were flying from them. The crowd, now bathed in the colors of the morning light, faced her in unison. They looked to Lady Yellowbird to lead the way out, and that's precisely what she intended to do.

"Help me down," she said to Devon. Once she was on the ground, Rose walked slowly–but deliberately–toward the fences that separated them from the rest of the city. The crowd swerved to follow her; they locked arms, creating a block of living tissue that had more heart than muscle.

"It's a good thing none of those cops were singing, otherwise we'd all be in trouble," Devon whispered to her.

For whatever reason, Rose's songs had always shielded her from the bad things in the world. It was a relief to know she could finally use her power for something that truly mattered. Not one of the people in the crowd suffered any aches or pains or had any trouble with their cybernetics. Her music only targeted the people that refused to sing. Fortunately for her, the mayor and the police had no idea a true superhero resided in the Gray, one with a voice that could reach the stars.

"Let's go see that grandson of mine." Rose traced one of the wrinkles on Devon's face, but he turned away, embarrassed. She hoped one day Devon'd be proud of his lines, but she supposed it was just a matter of time. Soon, they'd be waltzing in the streets creating new memories.

"All right, Rose."

The power in her boots depleted, every step Rose took was a chore. After a while, she knew there'd be nothing left of Lady Yellowbird but the story of a patriotic song and their march to freedom. A living story, one that would go on forever, long after Rose Freedman was gone.

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My Nomination for a Stand-Alone Female Superhero Movie

Last time I talked about how superhero films seem to fall flat whenever a heroine is at the helm, and I listed a bunch of reasons why. Today, I'd like to talk about which superheroine I'd nominate for a standalone film, one who could be introduced in an ensemble film.

I nominate… SHE-HULK!

Here's all the reasons why I'd love to see her featured in her own movie.

1) We don't need to have a full movie focused on her origin story. I say, "Well, she's the Hulk's cousin and got her powers from a blood transfusion." If you know who The Hulk is, then you know who She-Hulk is.

2) Her alter-ego, Jennifer Walters, is a lawyer. Walters is an attorney who often works with other superheroes in matters of law. Having this kind of a job makes her character extremely flexible for a screenwriter to play around with. She can be on or off camera for a trial, which offers her the ability to be part of an ensemble cast or featured as the primary character in a story arc. The benefit to this job, is that her character can also fit our time period and be painted in a way we can better relate to.

3) She-Hulk has a reason for being strong. Due to her physiological nature, She-Hulk is expected to have superhuman strength, agility, speed, stamina and reflexes. We don't have to get some overblown justification as to why she's strong. Anyone who knows what the Hulk can do would hope to see She-Hulk lifting cars and throwing bad guys.

4) She-Hulk is an iconic character. Whether you paint her as a modern day Jekyll and Hyde or as a supercharged Bionic Woman, She-Hulk is an iconic character that resonates through and through.

5) Introduce She-Hulk in The Avengers! She-Hulk is a character that's been introduced in several ensemble cast movies. To build up her fan base, introduce her in the upcoming Avengers movie or one of the superhero stand-alone films. There's plenty of options available, so I think she'd make an excellent choice.

What do you think? Which female superhero would you like to see in her own movie? On Twitter and Facebook, some people mentioned Zatanna and others Power Girl. I can see why those might be good choices.

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What's the Trouble with Female Superhero Movies?

The superheroine is no stranger to the comics narrative, nor is she unique to a specific time period. Emma Frost. Batgirl. Firestar. Hawkgirl. Huntress. Witchblade. Wonder Woman. Ms. Marvel. Invisible Woman. The Magdalena. Liberty Belle. Mirage. Zatanna. Nightshade. Oracle. Phoenix. Liberty Girl. Velocity. And, of course, Supergirl.

But this isn't a post about superheroines, it's about the films and why they're often poorly received. Here's a great post that speculates Why Aren't There Any Good Girl Superhero Movies?. I really liked this list, because it highlights there's a problem with both standalone and ensemble movies. Neither one seems to get the job done, the question is why?

Hence, the reason for my post today.

Often, I feel the way superheroines are characterized is either toned down or hyperfeminized in the live action films. Sure, they are hypersexualized in the comics to the point where their bodies aren't realistic or anatomically correct, but so are the men! There is, however, distinct differences in the way they're portrayed in the films. They're not the same type of heroic character. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that female superheroes really aren't "super."

In a movie, a woman isn't allowed to kick all kinds of ass unless she has an over-the-top emotional response that justifies her need to be violent. In other words, in order for her to "be strong," she has to be the spirit of vengeance (Ultraviolet, Aeon Flux), the token female (Fantastic Four, X-Men) or the girl power comic show (Charlie's Angels).

The evidence for this is in the ending. Do you remember what happens when the heroine's deed is done? In stand-alone films the problem I see, is that the story arc reduces the heroine to the life of an everyday character. Neither Ultraviolet or Aeon Flux are heroines after the film ends, because they save the day. Problem solved. We imagine that they can finally retire because there is no reason to kick ass anymore. Arguably, the same is true of Elektra and Catwoman (e.g. the Halle Berry version). Once the bad guy/girl is taken care of, many of these heroines drop what they are doing and either unmask or are "redeemed." This, I'm sorry to say, breaks their character and the role of what a superhero is all about. For me, superheroes are supposed to be iconic. They fight bad guys, but after one villain is done, there's another one around the corner. So they keep on fighting because the world needs them.

In the animated films, this isn't as much of a problem for me. Hulk vs. Thor was an excellent example of how the female characters make sense in an ensemble cast. Even though it had a love triangle between Sif, Thor and Amora, the writing was fantastic. Amora is a villainess who teamed up with Loki because she wanted revenge, but when she saw the damage she caused, she had a change of heart. However, her core personality didn't change. She was still a villain, even after the fact. There's this really tense scene where she shows up to defend Odin alongside Sif as penance for her crime. That one scene shows she hasn't irrevocably turned into a namby pamby good girl. She will be who she is regardless. Sif, on the other hand, is a really fierce heroine. We do see her tender side, but she dons the role of defender even through impossible odds. While there's not a lot of romantic tension between her and Thor, the movie isn't about the two of them, so this makes sense.

Yes, there are a few live action movies where the main character is a superheroine, but we either have to look outside the comics industry to find them or go to a smaller press. Kick Ass. I'm still laughing about that movie. It was tongue-in-cheek, but Hit Girl doesn't stop being who she is, even after the death of her father or her attendance at a school. Phil Elmore on Twitter mentioned Aliens. Ripley is a great character and an excellent example of how it is possible to have an ensemble cast with a female at the helm; even though she's not a superhero in the traditional sense, she's still iconic, in part because the real bad guy, the corporation, will never go away. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series NOT the movie…) and Liz from Hellboy are two other examples. They're the reluctant heroes, but they do the job because they have to, not necessarily because they want to.

All right, so all these complaints are fine, well and good. Let's come back to reality for a second. Would a mainstream audience respond well to a superheroine rather than a superhero? Sure, marketing is a big part of this, but so far none of the films have been that successful. Is it because the public doesn't want a mainstream superheroine film? Can we really say that with a straight face?

Here's what I would look at for a stand-alone film:

Her character needs to be iconic. None of this emo glitter crap. Seriously. Comics have proven time and time again that there is absolutely nothing wrong with an iconic female superhero. That can resonate in the films, too.

The character needs to resonate with the time period. One of the reasons why I feel Iron Man is such a great film, besides the fact that Robert Downey Jr. was made for that role, is because his backstory in the movie is contemporary. So, a stand-alone film would work best for female characters that fit within our time. So, while I think a The Magdalena movie would be pretty cool, I feel we need an exemplary modern film before we move into other eras.

Give us a character we can all relate to, regardless of the audience's gender. It is an absolute myth that women only relate to female characters and men only relate to male characters. If that were the case, then only female authors would write female characters and vice versa. Instead of amping up all her feminine qualities, amp up her heroic side.

Build a story that's crucial to her heroic deeds. Okay, here I'm talking about movies where the token female is kind of thrown in. She doesn't really have to be there for the story to continue. In a stand-alone film, if you remove the main character, the world should fundamentally change for the worse.

Introduce her character in other films so you don't have to have an origin story. One of the biggest challenges with female superheroes, is that they can't stand on their own. They're not popular, so they're not supported, so they're not popular. By picking a character with a stronger origin within the context of other superheroes, you'd have an easier time of it. Black Widow may be going that route, but it's hard to say. We'll see.

So who would I nominate for a stand-alone film? Find out next time! Don't forget to nominate yours below or add your thoughts.

Related posts: Free Horror Movies and My Articles at Crackle.com
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From Email: How do I get Published? How do I Figure out if my Writing is Worth the Trouble?

Will Hindmarch, an Author's Hidden Enemy and the Solution

If you're an author, you know that there's a lot of things we have to deal with that fall outside of our craft. One of those things is our hidden enemy: bitterness.

Yesterday, I was replying to Will Hindmarch on Twitter about the topic. If you don't know Will, he worked for White Wolf as the developer for Vampire: the Requiem. In fact, it was his design of Scenes of Frenzy that served as the template for my newly-released Scenes of the Embrace.

Besides being a talented developer, he's also an author, a graphic designer and one of the owners of GamePlayWright. Will and I worked together on The Bones which is pictured at left; his style of editing taught me an important lesson. Track your research thoroughly whenever possible, just in case a need for citation comes up, even if it's for a specific word. Otherwise, you'll be scratching your head. A lot.

Anyway, now you know who Will Hindmarch is. So back to the quote at hand. Here's what I said to him.

A writer's worst enemy is being consumed from bitterness not by what we haven't done, but what someone else has.

Can't tell you how many times I've run into this. The first experience I had with interacting with other authors online was on a message board. Can't remember the author's name, but I do remember his piss poor attitude. At the time, he published a series of books over twenty years ago. Hadn't published anything since. He was so negative and pervasive in his attitude toward other people, telling them they would never be successful. The guy had more experience than we did, yet he was focused on telling us what we didn't have and why we'd never make, because he never did.

Mind you, I've learned there will always be someone more experienced than you and more successful than you are. The reverse is also true. I've had people tell me I'm not a real author because I haven't been published by one of the big guys; I've also had authors say they wish they had my background.

So what do you do when you feel bitterness seeping into your bones? You write more, dammit. No seriously. You drop what you're doing and you work your ass off. You're never going to get anywhere unless you put your fingers on your keyboard and write another story. Then you submit it. Then you work on the next one. And so on.

That's it, people. 'Cause there is no hand of publishing that will magically reach out of the sky and deem you worthy. If one story isn't successful, you gotta suck it up and work on another one. In this business, success is relative and it's not a guarantee. Am I saying that to sound negative? Nope. That's the reality of publishing.

If you're still stuck, read The Cult of Done Manifesto and then…

Get your butt back to work!!!

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Why Writers Suck at Marketing

Writers and marketing. In this digital age, the two words are becoming synonymous, but to what end? Having been on both sides of the fence, this is a difficult post for me to write. This isn't the sort of thing I care to admit or highlight to people, because writers are a unique breed. Immersed in words, we use them to the best of our advantage. We research. We're intelligent. We should be able to learn anything we set our minds to.

But not all of us can.

Our Personality Matters

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By nature, our work requires us to be introverts. We turn our focus to the voices inside our head to produce the words on the page. Marketing, on the other hand, forces us to be extroverts. The two fields don't always jive with our personalities. No matter how hard we try to hide it, we all have our quirks and sensitivities. Is that wrong? No, not at all. Our personalities aren't something to be picked apart and analyzed, but by their nature it's difficult to pull off both at once.

Many authors read popular marketing books from the likes of Seth Godin, etc. or learn more from their organization. (Truthfully, I've learned more about marketing books from my romance writer's group than I have in any other.) Can an author understand marketing from a pragmatic and theoretical level? Yes. Can an author turn around and apply that knowledge to reach new readers?

Well, that depends.

Books are Products, Unfortunately

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Once the book is done, our vocabulary changes. Instead of authors, we're small business owners. Instead of offering a book for our readers, we have a product to sell. That concept is uncomfortable for a lot of authors (and editors) because it cheapens our art, turning it into a money-making machine. While that concept doesn't resonate with every author the same way, the idea of "going corporate" with a book is a direct attack on the romanticized view of an author.

For many, the idea of writing commercial fiction is painful. It's no longer your story, it's someone else's. Indeed, there's a stigma for authors who have bestsellers or write tie-in novelizations. They're sell outs. They're not real authors. They're hacks. The question is: Why do those stigmas exist? Is it because the writing is any better or or worse than non-commercial fiction? No, most definitely not. Many authors have written both original works and tie-in novels including E.E. Knight, Tobias Buckell, Matt Forbeck, etc. So what gives?

Emotions Blind Us

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Perhaps these impressions exist because it goes back to the same reason why authors suck at marketing. We are so emotionally attached to what we do, it's challenging to deal with the reality of it. Once a book is published, we have to sell it. Not just when it first appears, but continually. Putting the discussion of sales aside, the reality is also that not everyone will like our book, including reviewers. Even if someone is interested in it, they may not want to recommend it or buy it, either. On the flip side, readers may love it and cherish it. But the negative side to that? Can we deal with scathing or uninformed reviews? Not so easy. We created the work. We've given birth to a story. In many ways, we view an attack on a book as a personal one on the author. Whether or not that's the case, this is the reason why authors investing in a career have to have a thick skin.

Marketers are our Shields

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Marketers act as a buffer between the creator of a product and potential customers, much like a public relations agent protects a celebrity or politician. A marketer deals with the good, the bad and the ugly from the PR side and determines how to leverage the positive points a book has in order to reach out to new readers. Marketers are cheerleaders, cops, therapists and investors. They may have a vested interest in selling your book, but they can see it from an outsider's viewpoint because they didn't write it. That perspective is invaluable to any author, because it often helps you express details about your book you can't see.

The reality of selling any item, whether it be a book or a stuffed animal, is that you can't make everyone happy. As authors, we really love what we do, so it's hard not to take it personally when a reader doesn't like the stories we've worked so hard to tell. Part of that, of course, is the fact that it takes a lot of time to do what we do. By the time the book is published, we're already exhausted. We've nurtured the story for months, from first draft to final. No one else knows that, though.

Marketing isn't Easy

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The gut reaction when a book debuts is to take the path of least resistance. Writers flock to Facebook and Twitter or blog because it's the easiest and most comfortable thing to do. We think by blogging once or twice or getting a couple of reviews that's what marketing is all about. We've done our job, right? But it's not. Marketing campaigns don't last a single day, often they stretch out for months at a time. Bookstores, for example, specialize in merchandising books. Take a look around the next time you're in one or visit their website; they don't just carry new releases.

Yet, that's what a lot of authors do. They focus on the "one" book and promote the living hell out of it. If that doesn't work, they repeat ourselves over and over again. BUY MY BOOK BUY MY BOOK BUY MY BOOK. Granted, it's infinitely harder to market one product as opposed to a line of them, which is why working with a publisher or like-minded authors whenever possible is so important. The nature of the web favors the biggest, not necessarily the best. The truth is: lone voices are just a drop in the bucket online, unless you put the work in to make your voice heard. That takes a long time to do if you don't have any help.

Sure, people point out several examples of authors who do all right, but typically an author had something prior to their success, an asset they either leveraged or forgot they had. Maybe they wrote for a popular game line and developed a fan following. Maybe they were a contributor to a well-known blog. Maybe they had been previously published through a book chain.

Whatever the reason, remember that there was an identifiable and quantifiable justification for their success. It may look easy to us, but any successful person knows there's something to be said for hard work.

What's an Author to do?

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The more websites pop up and the more books that are sold, the more challenging it will be for new authors to market their books online without professional help or the backing of a publisher. I have strong opinions about what that means and how much it's worth; I feel that now instead of vanity press, we have vanity marketing. Some of the prices for such services are simply absurd. If you're considering hiring someone to provide marketing for you, be sure to do your homework. Any professional marketer will have data and examples of what a typical campaign looks like. If a service cannot provide that to your satisfaction, do not hire them.

Whether it's short stories or tie-in work, marketing for an author is most successful when you have a built-in audience of people willing to pay for your work. Mind you, that is not the same thing as a platform. The reason why popularity online is so attractive for people, is because it's akin to brand awareness. The thinking is, the more people who know about you, the more likely they will convert into paying customers. Larger platform? Higher conversion. Though, even then that's not a guarantee.

Does all of this include me? Who has a background in online marketing? Let's just put it this way. For some of my new releases? Once the work is done, I hope to partner with my publishers, to figure out how I can best help bring awareness of my works in a way that's comfortable for both of us.

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Yep, I'm a Feminist

There are things going on right now that deeply disturb me. Strange and unusual things. Things like a movement to redefine what rape is to counteract Roe vs. Wade. I get that people don't like abortions, but what I don't understand is why any woman in her right mind would support legislature that decreases the rights we've fought so hard to get in the first place. Push the topic of abortion aside for a moment. Redefining an ugly act that has a deep stigma associated with it for its victims is really narrow-sighted and incredibly selfish. This isn't "for the people," this is for someone's vanity.

Just this morning, I came across an article talking about how Justice Scalia claims the 14th Amendment doesn't apply to women or gays, in part because he prefers an original interpretation of the law. The "original interpretation" makes me laugh. Our founding fathers were not gods, they were human. They applied the law to what they thought would be best for their society at the time. Although the law does affect future generations, there's only so far a human being can see into the future. Take a trip back in time for a second. The 14th Amendment was drafted because back in 1868, they were still dealing with the repercussions of something called "slavery," yet another topic we gloss over and pretend has no effect on racism today.

Keep in mind, too, women didn't receive the right to vote until 1920. That is less than a hundred years ago. Multi-racial marriages? Weren't legal until 1967. It's worse for people dealing with sexual orientation issues; it's now 2011 and two human beings still can't marry who they choose to? Were any of these changes in the constitution? Nope. Laws change as a result of our cultural progress. Sure, our culture ebbs and flows like the tide, but it flourishes when we have a well-fed, healthy and literate population.

What kills me about these attacks, is that if we let this happen, we do a great disservice to the generations that came before us. We forget the wars they fought to be treated like decent human beings. The U.S. is still very, very young compared to the rest of the world; our country is unusual because it has experienced rapid growth. Are we cultural leaders? Yeah, not a chance.

While this country has been through a lot, our short history is rooted in violence and strife because a bunch of immigrants forged a series of micro-cultures on top of the ones that already existed here. (e.g. Native Americans. Yeah, they were here first. For thousands of years, in fact.) Did America begin with an amalgamation of different religious and political movements? Yes. Has our society changed dramatically over the last century? Yes. Not only did we go through several wars and the Age of Industrialism, our population levels have increased, to the point where a movement called "zero population growth" was founded in the late 60s. And we're still growing. Still advancing. Still changing. Truly, miraculous.

Mind you, I love this country and all its possibilities, but what I don't love about it is our cultural attacks on "the other." When someone isn't like us, typically we don't try to identify with them, we isolate them and attack them. Worse, we make claims that someone is whining when they stand up for themselves. It takes a bunch of kids dying for us to go, "Oh shit, maybe bullying gay kids is bad." Terrible stuff, that.

In my opinion, the biggest challenge we face is apathy. The increased channels of communication we have are both a blessing and a curse. Change is happening all over the world and we're right there to see it, hear it and respond to it without ever leaving our desk. But change is damn scary to a lot of people, if not most of them. Very scary. Some believe that if they themselves change, it makes them less honorable or a hypocrite. Some people are so afraid, that they need to either revert progress to make it safer for them and those around them, or they hide and stick their heads in the sand. Let someone else deal with it, it'll sort itself out. Right? Or, change it back to the way it was, because that's how they can cope.

Maybe I'm missing something, but when did we lose our ability to be empathetic toward other human beings?

So what happens when the proposed changes by our elected leaders are not justifiable? What then? Do we allow a reversal of rights to happen, even when it doesn't apply to us directly, because it's too hard to deal with? We absolutely have to pick our battles, sure. But for crying out loud, if there's one thing I learned: the less you exercise the rights you have, the more chance you have of them being taken away.

So yeah, I'm a feminist. I abhor labels, especially ones I have to identify with simply because I support the idea that all human beings were created equal. For bonus points, you should know I also believe we are not islands. Just by living, we have a relationship with other people, our environment and the animals around us. So, I guess my stance also makes me a person of coloralist and a gayist and a senior citizenist and an animal loverist… Well, you get the idea.

A couple of links follow below. I am absolutely willing to hear alternate points of view. Do I listen to the "you suxx0rs" comments? Yeah, no. Fair warning: if you're going to be an asshole, I will screen your comments out. Unlike YouTube! or a newspaper, I do have a comment policy. Say what you gotta say, just don't be a jerk about it.

Oh? And the reason for the picture? Because I needed a little pick-me-up. I shouldn't have to remind myself why I'm awesome, but hey… Sometimes, I have to reassure myself that just because I was born a woman, of which I had no choice over, I don't have to allow myself to be treated like dirt.

The Originalist
Women Aren't People Under Scalia's Constitution
The House GOP Plans to Redefine Rape
Text of H.R.3 – No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act
Supporters of H.R. 3

Women's Suffrage Movement

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Why "Hits" Don't Matter. More on my Guest Post at Howtowriteshop.com

Web analytics is a lot of fun for me. I really enjoy digging in and helping people either set up the programs or digging in and finding answers to basic questions. Some systems are easier to understand than others; Omniture is by far the most complex I've ever worked on. Google Analytics, although it's changed quite a bit over the years, has some great customizable features. For example, you can set up a query parameter for your in-site search to see what people are looking for when they come to your site. If you own a business, that's a pretty powerful tool that will allow you to see what people want to buy or look for. For more information about that, read How do I set up Site Search in Google Analytics?.

Like all things, web analytics can be very frustrating, too. This is especially true if the web analytics package is not set up properly. With some packages, there's a lot that can go wrong before your data hits the dashboard. Sometimes, there could be nothing wrong with your traffic, even though the data shows something very different.

To avoid unnecessary confusion, I often encourage people not to look at "hits" as a standalone metric. For more on the topic, I wrote about "hits" for the How To Write Shop.

I cannot tell you how many people I've talked to who focus solely on "hits" to their website. The challenge with looking at "hits," is that a single hit can mean a lot of different things. Are they page views? If so, do they include non-human occurrences like search engine bots or spammers? If they're visits, how are they being measured?

Some packages allow the end user to customize what a visit means. So, a "hit" on your site may not mean the same thing as a "hit" on someone else's. –SOURCE: Web Analytics 101. Or Why "Hits" Don't Matter at HowToWriteShop.com

In this post, I talk about how important it is to figure out what questions you want to answer and why it's a good idea to look at trends rather than individual metrics. I also offer some sample questions, too.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy my article! Read Web Analytics 101. Or Why Hits Don't Matter at the How To Write Shop.

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Listen to My Interview with Darker Days Podcast

If you've been following my work, you probably recall White Wolf Publishing released Scenes of the Embrace earlier this month. Just recently, Mike Andryuk interviewed me for the sixteenth episode of his podcast called Darker Days.

One of the things we talked about, was how Scenes of the Embrace, which was geared toward Vampire: the Requiem, differed from the 2005 release of The Giovanni Chronicles I: The Last Supper for Vampire: the Masquerade. Admittedly, the question threw me for a loop because I wasn't sure how the two related. In my product, we developed a toolkit for Storytellers where an Embrace may or may not occur. It's not an adventure, but a collection of scenes. Last Supper was a very specific storyline which fit within Vampire: the Masquerade, a game more heavily focused on metaplot than Vampire: the Requiem.

Mind you, I thought his questions about Vampire: the Masquerade were interesting. From my perspective, the two game lines are very different. Not only do they have separate themes, but they're also developed and managed in unique ways. After talking to Mike I can see how a fan might be interested in exploring both lines. I'm just happy to help promote the product, because I enjoyed writing about so many different types of embraces; the transformation from human to vampire is a very powerful moment indeed.

Mike also brought up Devil's Night, which is a free download on FlamesRising.com. One of the things I like about the new World of Darkness, is the ability to play a mortal character who doesn't understand all the horrors around her. I thought it was really neat to hear Mike talk about the main character, Gabriella, the way I hoped players and fans would.

If you get the chance, you can listen to the episode via the embedded player below or by visiting this link. To discuss it, hop on over to the Darker Days Facebook page.

Enjoy!

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From Writing to Platform and Back Again

A long time ago, when the internet was just starting to take off, I was at university studying the craft of writing. From research papers to marketing copy and competitions, I was immersed in words. I read. I told stories. I lived the dream. And I had a lot of fun. What was this pesky thing called money or career or contracts? I didn't care.

Then I graduated.

Since those glory days, I have joined the ranks of millions of writers out there who desperately desire they'll make money doing what they love. While I've managed to do okay so far, I haven't achieved my goals yet. Like anything else I suppose, it's a love-hate relationship. I love to write, but there are times I hate dealing with the business aspects.

Enter Jim Frenkel, editor at Tor Books.

I met Jim a while ago at a convention called OddCon. Over the past couple of years, he and I have had the pleasure of sitting down to talk shop. I remember one of our conversations very clearly. I was saying all the things I "thought" was supposed to say and Jim scolded me. Gently, mind you. But it stuck.

Because I do not have a photographic memory, I can't quote exactly what he said. The gist of it, was that I expressed myself in a way that sounded like I didn't love to write. "Don't ever do that," he said. "Don't ever let an editor hear that." That bit, I remember very clearly.

At the time I was working full-time and, like everyone else, had one too many responsibilities. Worried about providing value for the clients I had, I was all about platform and visibility and experimentation, etc.

The thing is, Jim was exactly right. I know how much I love to write and tell stories, but do you? To generate readers and build a reputation as an author, the formula is a lot simpler than others would have you believe. Write, edit, submit, rinse, repeat. Over and over again, as many times as it takes, because I love to do it. Money aside, the repetition is necessary. Not because my hands are chained to my keyboard, or because I expect I'll be a best-selling author some day. Simply, it's to develop a following who will read and buy my work.

I am very fortunate that I have a professional background in online marketing, because I have knowledge I can apply to whatever I do. From analytics to SEO and social media, the skills I continue to hone are invaluable to me personally and professionally. I've garnered a lot of followers and friends on social media, and as important as they are to me, they're people who I interact with online. They're not a replacement for readers.

All this talk about the publishing business and whatnot is severely hurting non-established authors like myself. Instead of talking about writing and honing our craft, which should be eighty percent of what we do, these discussions give non-established authors the impression that the remaining twenty percent is more important. I cannot even begin to count how many discussions I've had with other authors about this, either. The focus is on getting ahead by increasing our marketing skills. The trouble is, online marketing doesn't do jack unless you have a legitimate reason to do it. I've heard something like this time and time again.

BIFF: "I need to be on Facebook and Twitter and blog and…"

ME: "Why?"

BIFF: "Because everyone else is doing it and agent so-and-so said I needed a platform."

ME: "Are you writing?"

BIFF: "Of course, I am!"

ME: "Are you published?"

BIFF: "Not really, but agent so-and-so said my chances of getting published increase if I have…"

ME: "So, let me get this straight. An agent said your chances of getting published increase if you have a platform. Where have you been submitting your manuscripts? Query letters?"

BIFF: "Well, I haven't gotten around to that yet. I've been too busy blogging and Tweeting and…"

ME: *head desk*

I'm sorry, Biff, but unless you plan on going the self-publishing route, you're missing the point. If you want to increase your chances of getting published, you still have to submit your work to a publisher. Online marketing is still important, but only if the core of your business is solid.

From tie-in fiction to my original work, I have a lot of fun doing what I do. I'm very happy with the work I've already published and the stories I have yet to tell. I am, however, extremely and expressly realistic about who I am, where I want to go, and what it'll take to get there. Without readers, without a good reputation with other writers, editors and publishers, I might as well recite stories to my cats all day.

They're not exactly the best listeners.

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