Monica Valentinelli

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Into the Bitter Cold

Hello friends! RadCon in Pasco, Washington was...rad! We had a fantastic time and managed to relax in the midst of programming and trying to keep tabs on the the Hunter: The Vigil Second Edition Kickstarter at the same time! Gah! I am planning a writing-centric month after the Kickstarter is over and will NOT be on social media.
I did manage to finish another round of pitches and came back to some AMAZING news that I'm super excited about. I'm also looking forward to SXSW, too, and can't wait to share the full announcement for that. Woo! In the meantime, trying to have a life here and there--we saw BIRDS OF PREY and I LOVED THIS MOVIE SO MUCH!
I am hoping to take a day off to make art this weekend, but with C2E2 next weekend I want to plow through my current slate so I can start hustling on long form prose.
This week's newsletter is a short one, but added some writing affirmations and another musical preview.
Hope you’re embracing this slow time of year. Spring is not that far away! - Monica
Website: www.booksofm.com Patreon: https://patreon.com/booksofm
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In the 02/20/2020 edition:
*|MC:TOC|*

Enjoy a Two-Part Deep Dive about Magic and Motherhood in The Witcher

By Monica Valentinelli on Feb 20, 2020 10:53 am

Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher debuted in December 2019 and has been met with both criticism and accolades. If you’re not already aware, the events in The Witcher Season One are presented as a time-hopping origin story, or braided narrative, for three characters: Yennefer of Vengerberg, Geralt of Rivia, and Ciri of Cintra. The character arcs and setting material were drawn from short stories published in two collections written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski “Sword of Destiny” (1992) and “The Last Wish” (1993), which predate the video games.

I had a lot of fun with Geralt of Rivia and monster hunting as a fan, but wanted to dive deeply into an aspect of the worldbuilding and narrative from a creator’s and setting adaptor’s POV. In Magic and Motherhood in The Witcher: Part One now available on FlamesRising.com, I examined the magic and magical systems present in The Witcher. In Magic and Motherhood in The Witcher: Part Two, I dove into motherhood and fertility which serve as examples of how magic is implemented and commented upon in this setting.

Enjoy this deep dive into a pop culture phenomenon!

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FFS, Writers. Encouraging Shame and Guilt Hurts More than Helps.

By Monica Valentinelli on Feb 19, 2020 12:22 pm

We all write for different reasons, but behind that reasoning is a complex web of emotions that motivates us. No matter how much fiction might depict iconic heroes who think more clearly because they’re stoic or focused on logic, the truth is that we’re rationalizing (rather than rational) creatures. The idea that we must and should write every day or write a certain word count every month generates negative emotions like shame and guilt when those targets aren’t met. Negative emotions impact our ability to rationalize, because they can easily lead to distorted judgments of our self-worth which introduces a host of other issues that interferes with the work.

Some people are motivated to create because shame and guilt forces them to show up and prove someone (or the Universe) wrong. I would argue this type of motivation is temporary and not sustainable, because you’re tying a lot of negativity to your creative process which can lead to procrastination. A lot of writers (including myself) aren’t motivated to produce because we feel ashamed. Shame and guilt often lead to a barrage of self-flagellating, punitive thoughts for things outside of our control that do everything from muck up our routine to negatively impact how many copies we sell. The judgments and vast amount of “You should…” leads to gatekeeping and a host of assumptions that everyone has the same body, mind, and circumstances to share a similar process–which is a lie. They also exist for understandable reasons; we naturally want to share advice and position ourselves as experts so people take us seriously. The trouble with that, however, is that there isn’t “one way” to write or tell a story. So much of writing advice should be treated as a tool rather than an absolute, because there isn’t a magical solution to get words down on the page or finish a manuscript. Writing is something you have to make room for and do by yourself.

Instead of spending time focusing on more valuable traits like resilience or persistence, shame morphs the reasons why goals weren’t met into judgments of self-worth. We’re not “real writers” unless we do X, Y, Z. I still get accusations of this. Mind you, sometimes finding the reason “why” we didn’t write or couldn’t finish a thing is valuable–but that can also be incredibly punitive. Sometimes, a bad day is just a bad day and there’s nothing more that needs to be discovered, analyzed, or said. What’s more: it’s okay to have a bad day. If you’re reading this and thinking: “Oh, no… That can’t be right…” Consider where your motivation to write comes from. Consider that you are tying your self-worth to your productivity. That leads to a litany of issues–especially when you can’t produce or when the reception of your work doesn’t match your expectations. We are not typing monkeys. We are human beings who have lives and sometimes? Shit happens.

You are more valuable than your word count. Being a storyteller does not mean you “must” do anything–other than tell stories in your time, in your way, for your process (or business model). How you do that? When you do that? None of that should matter to anyone but you, and thought it is hard you can build and be part of communities if your experiences are different. Your process is yours to manage, develop, and take ownership of and no one else has the right to judge you for your life’s choices. Writing every day is a breakable rule as Tempest Bradford pointed out. In fact, every “rule” is breakable. You simply write until you internalize your craft–even then, your process could change from project to project. That doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong because you have a different process or you’re a bad writer because you need help.

As a friend once told me, trust yourself. Your story can only be told by one person: you. Enjoy the journey. Each of ours is different, and sometimes our destinations are, too! Good luck!

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[Now Available!] Underwater Memories Free to Play

By Monica Valentinelli on Feb 18, 2020 03:24 pm

Hello everyone!

I am pleased to announce that sub-Q magazine‘s February 2020 environmental-themed issue is now free to play and read. I encourage you to play all the games in the issue and read the interviews. Huzzah!

If you recall, my contribution to February 2020’s issue is called “Underwater Memories”. This interactive fiction game is best played with headphones in a quiet space. Visit sub-Q magazine and explore its wonderful Table of Contents!

Please enjoy this next song as a sample of what you’ll hear during your experience. The issue is publicly accessible. If you love your experience, please consider supporting sub-Q or leaving a tip for the creators. Thanks!

Be at peace.

http://www.booksofm.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Underwater-Memories_Trust-Your-Instincts.mp3

Calming waters of the ocean you’ll swim in when you play “Underwater Memories”.

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Recent Articles:

What Writers Can Learn from Netflix’s Unbelievable
Thank You Fans of Hunter The Vigil Second Edition!
[Announcement] Hunter The Vigil Second Edition Now on Kickstarter
On Writing for Comfort (And Why It Matters)
[Guest Schedule] My RadCon Panels