Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 19

More on Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling

Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling features several authors and essayists, including Maurice Broaddus, Nisi Shawl, and Victor Raymond who are all in town for WisCon 41 this weekend. I thought this would be a perfect time to bring up this collection of short stories and essays again, and post the full Table of Contents for the X-page book. You may recall that I wrote about the anthology for Scalzi’s The Big Idea, and that the concept for the collection came from some serious discussions about tropes and cliches.

Challenging what we think about tropes and cliches can be both fun and uncomfortable, and that has shown in the reviews, like the starred review of Upside Down we received from Publisher’s Weekly. I quote: “When the stories are shocking, they demonstrate how thoroughly these narrative conventions have become embedded in our psyches.” This, by itself, was one of the reasons why I wanted to put together this collection.

I know I’m a smart-ass, but I try to operate from the mindset that I don’t know everything, that I am always learning, to prevent cynicism and bitterness from taking over. Editing Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling taught me that my lessons in life will never be over, and that isn’t something to fear–but to celebrate. Everyone has a story to tell, and sometimes the best thing we can do as writers and readers is to truly listen to that tale to understand our differences and what we have in common with one another. I’m very proud of the collection, and am so pleased to have worked with such fine and excellent individuals.

If you’re interested in this collection, the anthology is available in digital and print wherever books are sold. You can find Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling on Amazon.com, DriveThruFiction.com, and many other bookstores, too!

Table of Contents

Introduction. JERRY GORDON

SECTION I: INVERTING THE TROPE

On Loving Bad Boys: A Villanelle. VALYA DUDYCZ LUPESCU

Single, Singularity. JOHN HORNOR JACOBS

Lazzrus. NISI SHAWL

Seeking Truth. ELSA SJUNNESON-HENRY

Thwock. MICHELLE MUENZLER

Can You Tell Me How to Get to Paprika Place? MICHAEL R. UNDERWOOD

Chosen. ANTON STROUT

The White Dragon. ALYSSA WONG

Her Curse, How Gently It Comes Undone. HARALAMBI MARKOV

Burning Bright. SHANNA GERMAIN

Santa CIS (Episode 1: No Saint). ALETHEA KONTIS

Requiem for a Manic Pixie Dream. KATY HARRAD & GREG STOLZE

The Refrigerator in the Girlfriend. ADAM-TROY CASTRO

The First Blood of Poppy Dupree. DELILAH S. DAWSON

Red Light. SARA M. HARVEY

Until There Is Only Hunger. MICHAEL MATHESON

Super Duper Fly. MAURICE BROADDUS

Drafty as a Chain Mail Bikini. KAT RICHARDSON

Swan Song. MICHELLE LYONS-MCFARLAND

Those Who Leave. MICHAEL CHOI

Nouns of Nouns: A Mini Epic. ALEX SHVARTSMAN

Excess Light. RAHUL KANAKIA

The Origin of Terror. SUNIL PATEL

The Tangled Web. FERRETT STEINMETZ

Hamsa, Hamsa, Hamsa, Tfu, Tfu, Tfu. ALISA SCHREIBMAN

Real Women Are Dangerous. RATI MEHROTRA

SECTION II: DISCUSSING THE TROPES

I’m Pretty Sure I’ve Read This Before… PATRICK HESTER

Fractured Souls. LUCY A. SNYDER

Into the Labyrinth: The Heroine’s Journey. A.C. WISE

Escaping the Hall of Mirrors. VICTOR RAYMOND

Tropes as Erasers: A Transgender Perspective. KEFFY R.M. KEHRLI

SECTION III: DEFINING THE TROPES

Afterword. MONICA VALENTINELLI & JAYM GATES

Trope Definitions/Index of Tropes.

SECTION IV: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND

ADDITIONAL BIOS

Friendly Friday: Prisma Visions Tarot and James R Eads

One of the things that I love about tarot cards, is that there are so many different ways to represent the images in a deck. I collect them and, of all the decks I have, one of the most unusual and beautiful is the Prisma Visions tarot designed by James R Eads.

The Major Arcana image of The Magician doesn’t do this deck justice. James is known for playing with light, and his style really shines through in a tarot deck. What’s really cool about the Prisma Visions tarot, besides the silver edging and the lovely box, is that each suit has also been illustrated as a panoramic piece. To see all four suits illustrated in their entirety, James offers full-size panoramic prints. I have a smaller print of the Ace of Swords, and I love the quality and theme he uses to breathe magical life into the suits.

In addition to the Prisma Visions tarot, which is the second deck he’s designed, James also offers prints and stickers of his illustrations as well. If you dig his art, you’re not alone! James also creates beautiful posters for bands and other gigs, too. He has a lovely portfolio, and I’m glad I have a little piece of his talented works.

If you’re interested in this artist, visit the official website of James R Eads or follow James R Eads on Tumblr.

Mood: Convention Fevah!

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: There’s really no point counting while at a convention.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Hunting Pokemon

In My Ears: Hustle and Bustle

Game Last Played: Pokemon Go

Book Last Read: Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora

Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: X-Men Days of Future Past.

Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge and Rules

Latest Releases: In Volo’s Wake for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Unknown Armies Books 1-3, and Kobold Guide to Gamemastering.

Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update. New project update coming when I get time.

MANW Check-In Week 21: Using Silence to Reboot

Running at a million miles an hour this week, but I wanted to drop in with a quick tip about a way to reboot if you’re stuck. In a word: silence. I know that it may seem mundane or stupid or even boring, but silence for five minutes can make a world of difference. For me, it wasn’t the silence that was the issue, it was discovering what “noise” meant. Noise. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, the news, text messages, Skype, etc. That, when combined with everything going on during the day, that adds up.

Though it’s typed information, words you read can still translate into noise that gets into your brain space. Sometimes, in order for ideas to percolate, you need the freedom to think. That, unfortunately, is a luxury artists don’t always have. Between day jobs and families and pets and… Well, you know how busy your life can get and how that can interfere with your ability to think!

To reboot, I recommend intentionally recreating a space where your mind has the chance to rest. I go for walks, and don’t bring my phone with me. Other times, I use noise-cancelling headphones and sit in total silence for five minutes. You’d be surprised how short periods of silence can help calm you down, give your brain a break, and allow your creativity to blossom. Next time you’re feeling stressed out and can’t find the inspiration to make art, give it a try!

Mood: In the swamp

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Oh, if I only only counted…

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Hunting Pokemon

In My Ears: Whiny cats

Game Last Played: Pokemon Go

Book Last Read: Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora

Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: X-Men Days of Future Past.

Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge and Rules

Latest Releases: In Volo’s Wake for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Unknown Armies Books 1-3, and Kobold Guide to Gamemastering.

Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update. New project update coming when I get time.

Finland, Finland, Finland!

I am happy to announce that I am a guest of honor at Ropecon in gorgeous Helsinki, Finland in July.

From the Ropecon website: “Ropecon is the largest non-commercial role-playing convention in Europe. Each year it brings together both enthusiasts as well as professionals in the field of role-playing games. The theme for year 2017 is classics.”

I am thrilled to be heading over to Finland for the first time. The convention website is awesome! Check out the pictures from Ropecon, which includes a lovely set of cosplayers. The work they put into dressing up never ceases to amaze me–there are some fantastic photos!

Can’t wait to share more details with you as the planning comes together. See you in Finland! Don’t forget your dice!

There’s a Storm Coming…

There’s a storm coming, and I’ll be a part of it! The Torg RPG, which is a cult classic roleplaying game, will launch on Kickstarter on May 31st. I’ve been asked to write a short adventure for it, along with several other amazing game designers. Watch for the launch at the end of this month!

Script Excerpt from Last Man Zombie Standing Comic

Today’s excerpt is something fun! I wanted to share with you the first few pages of my script for Last Man Zombie Standing.

Did you know that I’m a fan of Vincent Price? I feel the iconic actor really brought a lot to horror, and there’s a lot to be said for the beauty of black-and-white television. I wrote the script with a few easter eggs built in; writing it was a little challenging, in the sense that I had to communicate my vision not knowing the artist. I’ve never met Josie Pi Grant, but I think she did a brilliant job breathing life into the undead imagery I had in mind.

If you’re interested in this comic, you can pick up a copy of Last Man Zombie Standing on DriveThruComics.com. Or, you can pick up a copy of Unfashioned Creatures, A Frankenstein Anthology from Red Stylo Media’s website.

Here’s the first page straight from my script!

Last Man Zombie Standing

PAGE 1

PANEL 1: The first image is a close-up of piles of newspapers lying on the edge of a lab table. The date is March 8, 1964. The headlines read: “U.S. Scientists Blamed For Outbreak.” “Millions Undead.” “Human Cloning A Disaster.” “Apocalypse Now!” Here, the title of the comic may be superimposed on the left hand side of the image in a gory, stylized font.

Silent Panel



PANEL 2: In this image, we see we’re inside a science lab; the room is in total disarray. Piles of books and newspapers are stacked haphazardly on the floor. Tubes hang down from the ceiling. There are lab benches piled high with bottles of different shapes and colors. The light source is directed toward the right corner. The windows have been boarded up. There are mousetraps scattered across the floor, ashtrays filled with cigarette butts, and empty bags of airport peanuts. Mary Tyler Moore and other models adorn the walls; their pictures have been ripped out of magazines and taped up for decoration.

1 Dr. Powell (off screen from right): Dare I?

PANEL 3: We see DOCTOR POWELL leaning toward a coffin-shaped glass tube filled with an electric blue fluid. The tube sits at a 45 degree angle. Inside the propped tube, lies the body of Doctor Powell’s clone, 000138, but we can’t tell who the man is yet, just that he’s male. Doctor Powell is a tall, spindly man with high cheekbones, heavy brows, and a thin moustache. He is wearing a traditional white lab coat, shiny black shoes, and tweed pants. His clothes are worn and threadbare. A ballpoint pen hangs over his ear. His hair is graying at the temples and he looks malnourished. He still wears his beat up name tag and there is an old metal flashlight sticking out of his pocket. He also wears a broken watch. On his right hand, between the thumb and forefinger, is a series of digits: 000137.

2 Dr. Powell: Why, there’s no telling what the two of us could do. Build armies! Clone Eve! Find the cure!

PANEL 4: Here, see a close up of “Dr. Powell” in the tank and our suspicions are confirmed: this clone is Dr. Powell. He is not as malnourished as the scientist is, and he is clean-shaven, but the resemblance is clear.

3 Dr. Powell: Or should I say: “Just the one of us?” Yes… That’s right…

Captain Whinypants Will Eat Everything

It’s been a rough past couple of weeks in the House of Teeny, Tiny Valen, so here’s one of my favorite pictures of Captain Whinypants. His new thing is to go after organic fertilizer? Yeah, I got nothing on that one. But, apparently Jobe’s Organic Fertilizer sticks are so tasty he ripped the box open. Managed to get it away from him, but still. UGH!

Right now, all I want to do is binge watch a bunch of Miyazaki movies and call it a day, but I’m so sick of being high on Ny-Quil the idea of sitting for hours at a time does not sound appealing. Sounds like an idea straight out of Heart and Brain comic by The Awkward Yeti, eh? Fortunately, I think I’m finally over this double whammy of a virus.

Onwards!

Mood: Zen. So Zen. Like, zen-like.

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Three so far.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Hunting Pokemon

In My Ears: the washing machine. Great, eh?

Game Last Played: Final Fantasy X-2

Book Last Read: Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora

Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End. Um… Why was this movie THREE HOURS LONG again?

Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge and Rules

Latest Releases: In Volo’s Wake for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Unknown Armies Books 1-3, and Kobold Guide to Gamemastering .

Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update. New project update coming when I get time.

Friendly Friday: Cats, Dogs, and the Imagination of Eddy Webb

Eddy and I go way back to the days when he was working at White Wolf Publishing. I’ve worked with him on several projects over the years, and have been on panels with him as well. Last year was a milestone for Eddy, because he launched a new company called Pugsteady and kicked off a new post-apocalyptic fantasy game called Pugmire. In this futuristic Planet Of The Apes-meets-Dungeons and Dragons world, you play a dog trying to paw your way to a better tomorrow. Pretty cool, eh?

This week, Eddy launched a new game on Kickstarter in the same world starring cats! It’s called Monarchies of Mau and, if all goes well, I’ll be writing a story set in that world. If playing games is your jam, both Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau use a customized set of rules based on 5th edition. Both games are set in an ever-expanding world, and are family-friendly, too.

While I do have a vested interest in seeing Monarchies of Mau succeed, I decided to feature Eddy Webb today because I wanted to mark how significant this is for him. Unless you write comics or screenplays, many game designers and writers who work on media/tie-in settings aren’t always associated with the property. Here, Eddy utilized his past experiences, connections, and interactions with fans to successfully launch projects set in his own worlds, drawing upon his imagination. The Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter funded in 20 minutes! That, for writers such as myself, is a momentous occasion because it shows our potential beyond the normal, day-to-day work that we do. To me, that’s worthy of a big HUZZAH!

So, if you want an example of a writer who’s literally pawed his way to to dig up…er…build a healthy and growing business for himself, look to Eddy Webb for inspiration. He’s put the time in, and it shows. So happy for him!

For more about Eddy, visit his website at Pugsteady, or follow @eddyfate on Twitter and Pugsteady on Facebook.

Mood: Punny with a side of eggs

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: More than I’ve had in two weeks but less than I normally do. Yes, I’m a Hobbit when it comes to caffeine.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Mouse to keyboard

In My Ears: “Friend of Ours” by Elbow

Game Last Played: Final Fantasy X-2

Book Last Read: Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora

Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: Lucifer

Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge and Rules

Latest Releases: In Volo’s Wake for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Unknown Armies Books 1-3, and Kobold Guide to Gamemastering .

Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update. New project update coming when I get time.

Extending My Social Media Sabbatical

Wanted to drop a quick note that I’m extending my social media sabbatical through August 31, 2017. I may be online and checking in during conventions, and will post announcements and updates here as well.

I realize this sabbatical is far longer than I anticipated, and I miss touching base with many of you. Due to a number of unforeseen circumstances, I feel like I’ve fallen behind on my personal and professional goals. Experience has taught me that a tight focus is the best way to both enjoy my summer and accomplish what I need to.

I’ve taken long sabbaticals in the past, and they’ve often generated a ton of questions. I’ll do my best to answer them here:

Q: Are you available for interviews?

A: I am, and the best way to get a hold of me is via my contact page. My average response time will vary depending upon travel.

Q: Where can I find your books? Games?

A: You can visit Amazon Author Central, DriveThruRPG.com, Barnes and Noble, or DriveThruFiction.com to find some of the books and games I’ve contributed to. Or, you can visit your nearest bookstore or friendly local game store to find and request titles as well.

Q: Can I hire you?

A: Right now I am open to new opportunities; please don’t assume that I’m not interested because I’m not online. My availability tends to vary due to the nature of my work. The best thing to do is contact me, and I can see how new projects might fit into my schedule.

Q: Does this mean you’re not okay?

A: No, not at all! I realize that for some people being online is a way of life. Right now, I want to focus on my work and attend to some languishing personal projects. To do that, it’s best if I go underground and limit distractions. If you’re interested in the positive effect this can have on your psyche, check out the posts I wrote when I took 100 days off of social media. This sabbatical won’t be as strict as what I did back in 2011, but it definitely means I won’t be around much until the fall.

Q: What’s the best way to stay up-to-date?

A: My newsletter, which will be e-mailed to you every Thursday morning, will compile all the posts from the week for you. Plus, I’ve been adding special messages to subscribers every week as well. I’ve also started to focus on what I can do for my readers, which is on my massive to-do list! So, if you’re the least bit interested in me or my work, you’ll want to sign up for Monica Valentinelli’s newsletter. As I start crossing off items and launching projects, you’ll be the first to know!

Hope you have an amazing, sunny, and stress-free summer! On to mine for words, words, woooooorrrrrrddddddssssss!

MANW Check-In Week 20: When Making Art Doesn’t Happen

Apologies for today’s late check-in. I had a nasty relapse of the cold I had last week, and spent a lot of time in bed. Figured now would be a GREAT time to cover what happens when you just cannot make art — despite all your best efforts.

Here’s an interesting thing about making art: sometimes, you have to rest your brain and let ideas percolate. Focusing on one project can be detrimental to your revisions process, because you’re “too close” to what you’re working on. Sometimes, the way to keep making art is to have multiple projects on hand in many different styles. Knitting, crocheting, beadweaving are repetitive and have a mathematical component; putting that time in doesn’t require as much mental energy as writing or drawing does, for example, unless you’re following intricate patterns and creating your own. Going for walks or getting fresh air also helps, because you’re doing something else in the forefront of your mind so your creative brain has a chance to catch up.

When you make art full-time, it’s challenging when you have blocked days because the ideas don’t stop. Ideas, however, don’t pay the bills or get the words down. Usually, then, I record new ideas or free write to keep something percolating. Sometimes, though, it is impossible when you’re sick. It certainly was for me, and now that I’m (hopefully) back up to full speed I feel as if I’ve been on a mental vacation for months!

This brings up two points I want to remind you of: first, your mileage will vary if you’re participating in this program. It’s possible you cannot make art every day, because that’s not how you’re wired. If that’s the case, learning that will help you in the future because knowing how and when you produce art is valuable information to work with. Second, keep in mind that Make Art Not War 2017 is also a means of prioritizing what you want to do (making art) over all the peripheral b.s. that you may be experiencing. Then, when you’re not making art, you’ll feel it and (hopefully) ramp back up as fast as possible because deep down, you know you’ve made art your priority.

Regardless, remember to be kind to yourself. There’s a big difference between having a legitimate reason to slow down or not make art versus procrastinating, being lazy, and giving up entirely. Even I have to remember that, sometimes.

Mood: Determined and plodding along

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Quite possibly, the worst thing about being sick is the caffeine withdrawal.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Light walking

In My Ears: Stupid fans

Game Last Played: Final Fantasy X-2. Finally got the Mascot dress sphere. Boo-yah.

Book Last Read: Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora

Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: Lucifer

Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge and Rules

Latest Releases: In Volo’s Wake for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Unknown Armies Books 1-3, and Kobold Guide to Gamemastering .

Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update. New project update coming when I get time.