Back on the Short Story Wagon

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Last year I made a conscious decision to pull back on writing short stories so I could focus on larger scale projects. Just the rough draft for the Firefly RPG was almost 300,000 words and that, combined with a slew of words for the Exclusive, Friends in Low Places, and some upcoming releases… Well, I just didn’t have any room in my brainpan beyond the online workshop I took.

Now that my big projects have shrunk and shifted around a bit, I’m chug-a-chug-chugging along again. Finding a moleskine is a posh lifesaver for recording ideas. Well, and doodles. Because really… Life isn’t complete without the space to doodle and record quotes. (Apologies on the lack of attribution on the one below. I can’t seem to ferret out the proper source. Multiple say-ers on that one.)

Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.

Anyhoo, I find a lot of value in putting pen down to paper. To that end, I took some recommendations for non-bleed pens (I’ll be trying them out before doling out suggestions. I can say with certainty that the Pentel Wow! series does not bleed.) Placed an order via JetPens.com. If you’re mildly creative (or just like free swag), they post contests regularly on their blog.

Now that I’ve got room to think and time to work out again, I’ll be duct-taping noise canceling headphones to my head this week. I’m excited, yes, but also happy I’ve had the chance to tighten my neck screws.

Yeah… So maybe I should have vetted THOSE analogies prior to blogging this… Ah well!

    Mood: Should I feel guilty about liking Queen of the Damned?
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Less than I have fingers.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: 30. That’s right!
    In My Ears: Redeemer by Marilyn Manson
    Game Last Played: Sonic All Star Racing Transformed
    Book Last Read: Lovecraft’s Monsters anthology
    Movie Last Viewed: Transylvania 6-5000!
    Latest Artistic Project: *Still* *still* *still* need to take pictures… It’s on the list!
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing
    Latest Game Release: Freedom Flyer
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work and novels.


February 17, 2014
, , , Blog



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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