Monica Valentinelli

Find Books and Games by Monica Valentinelli on Amazon.com

Introducing Wonder Stories for your Phone!

Hello friends! I have an exciting mobile app announcement to share for parents with middle grade kids! Two new stories I wrote about the shenanigans that take place at the magical Miss Adelaide's School of Circus Arts are now available via the Wonder Stories app available on iTunes and Google Play!
Your wee heroes and heroines will unlock what's happening to the school through the footsteps of Jesse Chipperfield and Tanner Newbury. The Wonder Stories app is brand new! You can learn more the goal to encourage kids to read and interact with these stories at SXSW from March 13-22nd.
In other news, I'm in the home stretch for the Hunter: The Vigil Second Edition Kickstarter. Afterward, I'm going to take a social media hiatus to focus on writing. Huzzah! I'm super excited and have more news coming. My next convention will be ICFA in sunny Florida, a welcome reprieve from all this snow! Yay! - Monica
Website: www.booksofm.com Patreon: https://patreon.com/booksofm
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In the 03/12/2020 edition:
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On Dragons in Spaaaaaaaaaace

By Monica Valentinelli on Mar 07, 2020 03:08 pm

Heya!

I’m on sabbatical from social media right now, because I’m at a writer’s retreat at Little High Hallack in sunny Florida with Alethea Kontis. One of the things I was hoping to do while I’m here is attend a rocket launch. Last night, I was thrilled to watch the SpaceX Dragon rocket lift off in all its glory and also see a return as well. It was chilly but the skies were clear. We saw a colorful nebula when the booster detached; up, up, up it went.

I don’t have the right equipment to take dead of night photos, so here’s a snapshot from NASA along with a description for you. If you click on the picture you’ll see the full-sized version.

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft launches on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 11:50 p.m. EST March 6, 2020. Dragon will deliver more than 4,300 pounds of NASA cargo and science investigations to the International Space Station, including a new science facility scheduled to be installed to the outside of the station during a spacewalk this spring. Credit: NASA

I couldn’t help but marvel at the scientific discoveries that led to that moment, and wonder what will happen in the next fifty years given Jeff Bezos is also working on rockets at Blue Origin. Who knows? I’m not sure Mars will be colonized in my lifetime, but at the rate we’re going it is possible there’ll be more groundbreaking discoveries and events that will light the way. Exciting!

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[SFWA.org] I am Running for Director At Large

By Monica Valentinelli on Mar 06, 2020 03:05 pm

Hi, my name is Monica Valentinelli and I am running for the position of SFWA Director At Large as a write-in candidate.

I am an award-winning narrative designer and games developer who started in the hobby games industry in the mid-2000s. Throughout my career, I’ve done a lot of advocacy work in gaming to make the communities we traffic better places. These efforts include my SFWA volunteer work to form the Nebula Game Writing Award rules and serve on that committee, my time on the board for the RPG Creator’s Relief Fund charity, and my multiple appearances and educational outreach through the Gama Trade Show, Gen Con Writer’s Symposium, and Origins University at Origins Game Fair. I’ve also consulted for several companies and their crowdfunding campaigns along with work for the stellar Writing the Other program. This year, I’m starting to hold online classes through the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers as well.

I strongly believe the power of a story is not limited by form or type of publishing. As publishing methods change we, as storytellers, often embrace opportunities to share our expertise through conventions, online classes, and mentorship. I believe that we can grow this approach by increasing literacy about what it means to be a professional author and how that world is very different from writing for games/other media—and vice versa.

I am running for the Director At Large position that currently lacks a candidate because I want to build bridges between our industries, starting with gaming. I feel this is necessary to better inform and empower creative professionals to plan our careers and navigate changes. Of course, in any industry, there are events and changes you cannot plan for. As a veteran, I have dealt with the unexpected many, many times over to glean shareable lessons and insight with others who are struggling. As I look to the future, I cannot let my dream of building bridges between writing communities die. We may not write for the same reasons or in the same mediums, but the lack of education and awareness can only hurt all of us long-term.

While this might sound idealistic, I know that building bridges is possible because I have built them before. And, as Director At Large, I would start by reviewing the tools SFWA already possesses. The organization has many resources at its disposal like the mentorship and grant programs. Often, the first question to ask isn’t: “Do we need to start from scratch?” It’s: “How do we build awareness of the resources we already possess?” And, of course, “How do we make people feel welcome?”

The industries within gaming and publishing might be different, but I am passionate and excited about the idea that we, as writers, can benefit from one another’s knowledge. I believe that this literacy will help us adapt and weather changes so we can keep doing what we do best: telling great stories regardless of form or method of publication.

Thank you for your time and consideration. If you want to know more about me, feel free to poke around at my fiction, non-fiction, and gaming publications.

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