Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 118

Guest Post: Science Fiction and Happy Endings at Apex Book Company

This month, I talk about happy endings in science fiction stories over at Apex Book Company. Take a peek:

Even though there are stories out there with happy endings, for those of us who enjoy dark science fiction it can be pretty tough to identify which ones those are. Yes, while just about everyone might point out the ending from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, I see each film in the series as the end of a story arc, in part because there are dozens of books in that universe that do explore...

Is Blogging and Social Media Affecting Your Ability to Write What You Want?

If you've been following my blog, you may have seen my earlier post about Write First, Sell Later where I express how I feel it's important to separate your promotional time from your writing time.

One of the things that I've found is that a timer isn't "enough" to discipline me to get off of social media or blogging channels to write, write, write. Why? Well, blogging requires one mindset for me; social media requires another. In many ways, blogging requires a "voice" which may vary...

Family Games 100: Essay List Announced

Hey folks, FAMILY GAMES: THE 100 BEST just left the printer and I'm pleased to share with you the full list of authors, games and essays. The game that I talked about was GLOOM, which is one of my favorite card games. How many of these games have you played or can recognize?

Foreword by Mike Gray

Introduction by James Lowder

Afterword by Wil Wheaton

Appendix A: Games and Education by David Millians

Appendix B: Family Games in Hobby Games: The 100 Best by James LowderList of Family Games and...

Writer's Block? Maybe it's "Writer's Avoidance" Behavior

I was fortunate to attend a presentation given by author Kathy Steffen, who talked about ways to overcome writer's block. One of the things she talked about was how writer's block isn't always a "block" of creativity, but you're actually engaging in something she called "writer's avoidance behavior."

I feel that this is especially true for writers in today's challenging market, because there are a lot of discussions that distract an author (or a potential author) from staying on the keyboard ...

What Other Writers Can Learn from Romance Authors

I joined a local romance writer's group last year and, admittedly, I was a bit nervous at first because I knew nothing about that arm of the publishing industry.

Well, here we are months later and I'm very happy with my involvement with this group for several reasons, the biggest one being that they are definitely a very supportive group of people regardless of where you are in your career or what genre you write. While it does have a focus on romance, since that's what many of the members...

Guest SFWA Blog Post on Website Usability and Design

Hop on over to the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America website to read my latest guest post entitled, Authors! 8 Tips For Your Website's Usability and Design.

Here's a quote from the article:

In today's article, I'd like to share with you some tips to consider when you're reviewing your current website or when you're thinking about creating one. Let's take a look at these tips for your website's design and usability.

1. Structure Your Theme Around Your Update Frequency – First and...

Announcing the Release of THE QUEEN OF CROWS

Centered around a short story entitled "The Queen Of Crows," I designed a unique, digital product that I think you'll really enjoy. At a retail price of $4.99, you will receive a magazine-style layout of THE QUEEN OF CROWS, a professional illustration of a character named Mahochepi and more!

This product is the first digital release set in the world of the Violet War and is also the first fiction product published through Flames Rising Press. The short story, which is entitled "The Queen of...

Guest Post: Gender Portrayals and Genres at Apex Book Company

This month, I talk about Gender Portrayals and Genres over at Apex Book Company.

In early science fiction and even horror, gender roles were often idealized according to the culture and the author's views and experiences at the time the work was written. A good example of that are the few female characters in H.P. Lovecraft's fiction and his attitudes toward other races and classes. While it may be extremely difficult to read some of his stories now, because they are rife with depictions...

Writing and Conventions

For the past, few months I've been taking a serious look at my short-term and long-term goals, and I've come to some pretty interesting conclusions.

When I look back at the projects that I have published, I realized that I have just as many that fell through the cracks due to bad business partnerships, horrible contracts, etc. I am very fortunate to have had the experiences that I've had, but at the same time it's very frustrating. Even though there's enough success out there to be had by...

On Writing a Historically-Accurate Paranormal Short Story

Currently, I'm working on revisions for a short story entitled THE QUEEN OF CROWS that will be released as part of a digital product through Flames Rising Press. Set in the late 1800s, the plot revolves around a Navajo medicine man who is trying to summon a vengeance goddess called Mahochepi, the Queen of Crows.

This story has evolved several times from its original incarnation, but the process of editing it has taken longer than some of my other stories. Why? Well, part of the reason is...