Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 89

Keeping the Wolves at Bay

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I think I mentioned this last week, but I usually spend a portion of the winter holidays thinking about what happened the past year. There are many things I'm grateful for like Speak Out with your Geek Out, the fact that everyone at Steve Jackson Games not only understands my jokes but riffs off of them, that John Kovalic is made out of win, that I've been able to tap into a community of beaders who are the nicest, sweetest, ladies you'll ever meet, and that I'm deeply and truly loved. The list goes on and on and on. (On the writing front, there's so much to talk about that I'll sum up what I've done there in a separate post.)

But the one thing I'm not grateful for is the bullsh*t I've had to deal with that didn't have anything to do with writing. (I'll explain why in a minute.) Here's a few examples of what I'm talking about. The author who publicly attacked me because I couldn't possibly know what I'm talking about because I'm not popular. The author I helped with writing advice who feels compelled to boast about their accomplishments every time I see them and leaves before I've had a chance to share my own success story. The pervasive attitude that: "Hey, you should promote my stuff and my stuff only because that's what you do, right?" Never mind the fact that I might need help, too. Sheesh!

Why did any of this bother me? If I'm secure in myself and my writing, it shouldn't. Right? Right, yes. Absolutely, but to a point. It's not the one comment that bothers me. It's the fact that I can't tell these people to "Piss off!" I have to smile and nod and move on because that's the professional thing to do. And? Some people know that and not only take advantage of it, but also put my work down in the process.

In some ways, I feel like this is a rite of passage for almost any author. I've heard others say the same exact thing. Oh, smile and nod. Don't complain. Be the better woman. Many of my friends take comfort in their readers as a way to validate what they're doing. I have a vocal minority of readers who do touch base with me from time to time, but I haven't really put a lot of thought (or effort) into focusing on getting a huge fan base. I'm just not ready for that and, quite frankly, I've always been the smartass who's more comfortable at the back of the class. If my career warrants that? Then no doubt I'll go in boobs first, whether I'm willing to or not. Right now, I'm putting all my focus on my work, because that's where it needs to be right now.

Still, nothing I just said resolves the issue of keeping the wolves at bay. So how do I do it? Well, if you're an jerk to me I may be smiling, but that doesn't mean I'm not telling you to piss off with my mind right before I politely put you on mute. You may force me to deal with you, but that doesn't mean I have to play by your rules. Go find someone else to bully. Asshole. 'Cause I'm the type of woman who will make her own cool.

Also? Beer helps.

Mood: Hungry. Does anything else matter?

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Two with the definite potential for more.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Scheduled off day.

Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): ~3,500

In My Ears: "Time Slips Away" from Winter's Eve by Nox Arcana

Game Last Played: Picross 3-D for Nintendo DS

Movie Last Viewed: Red

Book Last Read: Organizing Your Life for Dummies

Latest Artistic Project: Byzantium chainmail bracelet with soft pink and black rings

Upcoming Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

Begin Course Correction in 3… 2… 1…

If you read about my post-project burnout, you might have seen a list of things I was going to do to circumvent the issue. I started this weekend by organizing the mess of my bead components, going to the gym, and getting/spoiling self rotten. As it turns out, I'll probably have to do monthly bead organization as opposed to whenever it gets out of control. Will post pictures soon (I promise) but I think I may be heading over to the dark side of falling for "the sparklies."

On the writing front, I knocked out 1,500 words yesterday. Not great, but it's more than zero and they were fun words to write. To be honest with you, I feel like emphasizing word count isn't as important as focusing on what I'm working on. What posting word count does for me, is account for the discipline of writing as opposed to the quality of it. Two, very different things. I could write 4,000 crap words in a couple of hours (Which I have done) and be miserable revising them OR I could pen 2,000 words in the same amount of time that I'm somewhat happy with. Oh, if only there was some way to capture my words by filtering them through a direct-to-screen cybernetic connection.

In other news, apparently I have a disorder. This is the sad, sad conversation I had with my SO.

ME: I have a disorder!

SO: Oh? *eyebrow raise*

ME: Yep, it's Schizotypal Personality.

SO: What's it mean?

ME: I'm eccentric!

SO: Lame.

Yes, apparently there was a study reported on Scientific American to once and for all prove that eccentric people are, indeed, eccentric. I find great humor in this.

Before I leave you to attack another pile on my desk, I'd like to share two important pieces of news. The first, is that you can win a copy of Strange, Dead Love by reading my article. Lori Devoti is running a 30 Days of Vampires series and there's some great stuff on her site. Check it out! The second, is that FR Press announced Slices of Fate: the collected works of Eddy Webb. This is the first collection for FR Press which was edited by yours truly.

Mood: Focused with elements of sarcasm

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: More than I'd care to admit

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Twenty-Five on a Monster of a Machine

Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): 1,500

In My Ears: Nothing

Game Last Played: Picross 3-D for Nintendo DS

Movie Last Viewed: Red

Book Last Read: Organizing Your Life for Dummies

Latest Artistic Project: Byzantium chainmail bracelet with soft pink and black rings

Upcoming Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

FR Press Announces Slices of Fate, the Collected Works of Author Eddy Webb

Matt M McElroy, Publisher of FR Press, announced today that Slices of Fate, the collected works of author Eddy Webb, will debut early December 2011.

"Slices of Fate is a collection that spans the depth and breadth of Webb's work," said editor Monica Valentinelli. "Arranged chronologically, this is a beautiful representation of the stories and voices Webb has to offer his readers."

Stories range from the author's nod to literary tales like "A Sheepish Trip to Yorkshire" to more speculative works like "The Battlefield." Essays include a series on two of Webb's loves: wrestling and Sherlock Holmes. Combined with several pieces of microfiction, the collection is an in-depth representation of the author's work thus far.

Both digital and print editions of the collection will be available through online retailers like DriveThruFiction.com in Winter 2011.

About Eddy Webb: Eddy Webb (with a "y," thank you) is a writer, podcaster, game designer, and transmedia developer. Hired on with CCP/White Wolf in late 2007, he currently designs content for the World of Darkness MMO. He lives a sitcom life with his wife, his roommate, a supervillain cat, and two pug dogs.

On the web: EddyFate.com

Twitter: @eddyfate

About Monica Valentinelli: Monica Valentinelli is an author and game designer who lurks in the dark. Her work has been published by several companies ranging from Crackle.com to Eden Studios. Her editing credits include Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror and Ninja Burger 2nd Edition.

On the web: MLVWrites.com

Twitter: @mlvalentine

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monica-Valentinelli

Win a Copy of Strange, Dead Love!

Today I participated in Lori Devoti's 30 Days of Vampire series by talking about whether or not vampires can love. This article was written for paranormal romance readers who may not be familiar with Vampire: the Requiem. I also included some insight into my thought process for my contribution, too.

Paranormal romance is filled with tales of vampires falling in love with humans. There's something about a creature of the night that makes our pulse quicken and our hearts pound. Steamy passion is guaranteed in the works of many authors ranging from Anne Rice to Charlaine Harris. But what about love? Can a monster who's not only dead — but feeds on the living to survive — love? — SOURCE: Can Vampires Love? on LoriDevoti.com

Visit Can Vampires Love? for your chance to win a FREE copy of Strange, Dead Love! This new release was developed by Russell Bailey and Eddy Webb. Jess Hartley, Filamena Young, and myself were the writers. Christopher Shy was the artist who created the cover.

Curious about Vampire: the Requiem but not sure where to begin? Here are some other things for you to check out!

Free demo of Vampire: the Requiem
A Hunger Like Fire – a Vampire: the Requiem novel written by Greg Stolze
Scenes of the Embrace for Vampire: the Requiem penned by yours truly!

Post-Project Burnout and Resetting the Course

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Yesterday I spent my afternoon planning for 2012 and listened to the SOPA hearings. Right now, it looks like SOPA will pass, regardless of the evidence to the contrary. It bothers me that the narrative "if you're against SOPA, you're against IP/copyright protection" has been twisted to make everyone who doesn't agree with SOPA a pirate who needs to be criminally prosecuted.

Anyway, before I turn that into a rant… (See Fizzgig above.)

Today's thoughtful post comes from author L.A. Gilman who talks about the crash after writing a novel. I really liked her article and found it was relevant even when you're working on big projects. Basically, Gilman addresses burnout and what to do about it.

Funny, but I didn't even realize I had hit burnout until I read this article. Yeah, that was pretty sobering. Well, acknowledging you have a problem is the first step to resolving it. It seems that's what I've been trying to do, but I need to kick it up a notch. So, here's what I'm doing to get back in my groove.

1 ) Hold self accountable to self by logging word count and exercise minutes from the previous day.

2 ) Get back to using a timer. When I used one, I was highly productive!

3 ) Get back to daily to-do lists

4 ) Recognize accomplishments!

5 ) Clean on a schedule, too, and realize it will never be as clean as I want it to be.

6 ) Balance work and play by scheduling free nights!

7 ) Outlines, outlines, outlines.

8 ) Holidays decrease productivity by a factor of egg nog and Christmas cookies. Oy.

9 ) Schedule PR time like I would anything else.

10 ) I'm human. Things are going to happen that will screw up my plans for world domination. The trick is to get back on the horse and not mope about what I haven't done.

Mood: Sneezy!

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Three

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Short walk

Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): FAH!

In My Ears: Don't Hold Your Breath Remix by Nicole Scherzinger

Game Last Played: Fauxcabulary

Movie Last Viewed: Conan

Book Last Read: Last Call by Tim Powers

Latest Artistic Project: Byzantium chainmail bracelet with pink/iris green/black rings

Upcoming Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

Ah, Poetry.

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Sometimes, I engage in creative writing exercises to force my thoughts into free forms of writing. I find writing poetry is useful when I need to capture a mood and I don't want the constraints of a story structure. There's something about playing around with words that no one else has to see that's oh so therapeutic and fun!

This first one I was attempting to capture the emotion of a doomed couple's first meeting.

Inside

Outside

Spin the girl

Watch her fly

Inside

Out Side

Push the boy

Together they'll Fall

To Wintry Love's

Arms.

I remember writing this one in particular as a commentary on a woman's identity when she's in love.

A thousand tomorrows

Brings the now

When kisses love

And bodies bow

Nectar sweet

Birds that tweet

Find grass green power

Where else will she be?

Where can you find her?

Pull the petals now

Grow the flower.

These lines I wrote because I often come up with my own words that mean something specific to me.

Timembers smolder in the grey-green land where life-ants should be. Instead, they travel to the Capitol City.

Probably going to work on more poetry shortly, but focus it more on a specific character's mind and heart.

Mood: Somber. Hey, haven't seen the sun for several days!

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: One, but hitting another shortly.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Short walk

Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): Nothing personal-related. Swamped, but still determined.

In My Ears: SOPA hearing

Game Last Played: Fauxcabulary

Movie Last Viewed: Horrible Bosses

Book Last Read: Last Call by Tim Powers

Latest Artistic Project: Byzantium chainmail bracelet with pink/iris green/black rings

Upcoming Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

Why I'm Against SOPA

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Need Your Help! Droid or iPhone?

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Yep, I need help figuring out what phone to get. Before I get to that? A link appetizer!

Surprise Gift from Warehouse 23 – If you like Munchkin or Zombie Dice from Steve Jackson Games, I strongly encourage you to consider placing an order from December 13th through the 17th. We're randomly giving away five pre-release copies of four different games months ahead of schedule. If you're one of the lucky ones, you'll get the games even before distributors and retailers will.
The Ten Happiest Jobs – Apparently writers are happy but broke. Same with artists. So we get job satisfaction but we struggle to make a living. See: the reasons why we're often miserable. Oy. (HT Greg Stolze)
Introductory E-Mail Doesn't Have To LOL – In my latest installment of Adventure to Dice Castle, I talk about e-mails to game publishers. I had fun with this one!
Holiday Gift Guide: a Very Cthulhu Christmas – Tor.com continues their annual Cthulhu Gift Guide series. I wonder how many people recognize octopi are short for "Cthulhu?"
Nerds and Male Privilege – Yes, it's 2011 but we're still dealing with issues of sexism. No, I'm not a whiner because this behavior is precisely why women are afraid to embrace their geek side. Yes, it's frustrating, even for a professional in the industry, but it has gotten better over the past ten years. The internet has helped highlight that men are not the only geeks out there. (HT Charles Tan)

On With The Phone

So, if you've been following me on Twitter, you probably know I've been lamenting nay agonizing over which phone to get. I've since narrowed it down to a micro-tablet phone in the form of a Droid or an iPhone. I have an iPod Nano (LOVE!) but the rest of my equipment is all PC-based. I've tried out the Blackberry and I don't like it. Prefer the touch screen and will probably get a stylus for it, too.

I'd say I'd have moderate-to-heavy usage. Here's what I need a new phone for:

To work when I'm traveling
Texting
Internet and Google Docs
Photos
E-mail
App testing
Sync my iTunes account
eCommerce testing
GPS
Angry Birds
Twitter
Actual telephone calls

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

Mood: Calm yet twitchy.

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Well, it started out good. Then quickly devolved into three pots of coffee and the stars-know-what-else.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Short walk

Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): 500 and no home for [redacted]. Sucks. I feel a weekend writing marathon coming on…

In My Ears: Kingdom Hearts opening refrain

Game Last Played: Word on the Street

Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter on Blu-Ray

Book Last Read: Last Call by Tim Powers

Latest Artistic Project: Byzantium chainmail bracelet with pink/iris green/black rings

Upcoming Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

Frustrated Today? Listen Here…

Many of us joke about having first world problems. Hell, I've whined about not hitting my goals or getting hit by other people's angst or the Curse of Well, Actually! So today, my message to you can be summed up by the video below. This blew me away.

Mood: Yeah, I'm tearing up.

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Two. Damn proud!

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Half an hour walk

Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): Mostly outlines, but managed to knock out a 1,000.

In My Ears: This video. *sobs*

Game Last Played: Word on the Street

Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter on Blu-Ray

Book Last Read: Dark Faith anthology

Latest Artistic Project: Byzantium chainmail bracelet with pink/iris green/black rings

Upcoming Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

Massive Frustration. Cats and Robo-Dogs.

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "F" for frustration. As in: technological frustration. Updated the site and now my feeds aren't working so I spent over an hour going through a range of tests to see why. Still can't figure it out. This, however, does not change the fact that I need to write today for personal and for work-related efforts. While tuning everyone out is proving to be difficult, especially when there's political angst and publishing angst and personal angst and… Well? A whole lotta angst. Try as I might, I do make an attempt to be quite rational about these sorts of things, but occasionally I get bogged down in b.s. Hence my post yesterday.

Ah well, it's all watery words under the comma splice. Ordered a new office chair today and was appalled that these things now come with ratings depending upon how many hours you sit. If you're a "Professional," you sit 8+ hours a day. This frightens me, especially since I fall into this category. How does one balance working out with writing? Haven't figured that out yet, but I have an appointment tomorrow and did some research on a few classes. 'Course, between you and me, it's also a case where I need to figure out how to juggle writing and working out with this pesky thing called laundry and house cleaning.

Yes, my office is a disaster zone. I received more additions to my growing collection of Domo-kun and my desk is so full of end-of-the-year organization I have no place to put them. I keep telling myself: "Hey, you don't get paid to clean." Which is true, but getting my proverbial paper act together does pay off in the long run. Figuring out the logistics of writing is one thing; determining what makes a viable writing career is another. Administrivia is just one piece of that and, unfortunately, a necessary evil.

This, along with diving into [redacted] and [redacted] is how I'll spend my holiday break. But first? Hours to go before I sleep and more holiday parties to attend.

Mood: Pretty mellow

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Two-ish.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Some stairs.

Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): 500. (Boo!)

In My Ears: Tron Legacy Soundtrack

Game Last Played: Word on the Street

Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter on Blu-Ray

Book Last Read: Dark Faith anthology

Latest Artistic Project: Byzantium chainmail bracelet with pink/iris green/black rings

Upcoming Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem