Peanut Butter and Frosting, Starve Better and a Few Links

Okay. So one of the benefits of being an “adult,” is that you can have whatever you want for breakfast. Since there are only so many bowls of crispy chocolate flakes I can eat, peanut butter plus chocolate frosting is the equivalent of taking a cruise to a tropical island in the middle of winter. Yes, you may believe that this concoction may be a poor substitute for Nutella, but you would be mistaken. NOM NOM NOM.

But I digress. I got my copy of Starve Better: Surviving the Endless Horror of the Writing Life in the mail yesterday. It’s a book written by Nick Mamatas that’s full of tips (and non-tips) that, quite frankly, are really relevant for today’s writer. It’s pragmatic and blunt and the unpopular stance, because it isn’t a bunch of “this’ll make you really happy” floofie crap about how writing is all sunshines and rainbows. Quite frankly, this is exactly what aspiring writers need to hear because there’s a market for writing advice, and it’s not always coming from an experienced source. While Mamatas’s take on many topics is blunt, he can be. Like any other book or article out there, I’d say take what you want and leave the rest, but his logic is sound on a lot of the tips.

I also received my first issue of Bead and Button magazine. I’ve got a few projects I’ve been working on at the moment, but this’ll be good to try some new techniques. My style is more modern than frou frou, but the biggest battle is learning the stitches. For that, I can deal with a couple of flowers and crystals before I move on to skulls. Muwahahaha.

Anyhoo, gotta fly. We’re going to go see Thor yet again this evening, and I can’t wait. Who’s my favorite thunder god? THOR.



Monica Valentinelli is an author, artist, and narrative designer who writes about magic, mystery, and mayhem. Her portfolio includes stories, games, comics, essays, and pop culture books.

In addition to her own worlds, she has worked on a number of different properties including Vampire: the Masquerade, Shadowrun, Hunter: the Vigil, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, and Robert E. Howard’s Conan.

Looking for Monica’s books and games that are still in print? Visit Monica Valentinelli on Amazon’s Author Central or a bookstore near you.

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