My Schedule for GameHoleCon IX!

Hello, hello! Next week I am a guest at Gamehole Con IX. Here’s my schedule of panels and events. All times are listed in Central Standard Time. You can find descriptions, a list of my fellow panelists, and register for the convention at www.gameholecon.com.

Thursday, October 20

11:00 am – Get Published: Marketing Panel Waubesa: 245

1:00 pm – Design Workshop: Narrative Design Waubesa: 245

Friday, October 21

11:00 am – Get Published: Crowdfunding Panel Waubesa: 245

5:00 pm – World Building with Psychology in Mind Waubesa: 245

7:00 pm – Legacy of Mana D&D 5e Monona: 247

8:00 pm – Drinks with Authors Balcony

Saturday, October 22

1:00 pm World Building Panel Monona: 247

2:00 pm Conversations by Design: Monica Valentinelli Waubesa: 245

6:00 pm Novel Writing: Going Pro Waubesa: 245

7:00 pm Demiplane Vampire the Masquerade Monona: 247

Spinning a RED Tale–Cyberpunk RED, That Is

Yesterday, R Talsorian Games’ October 2021 Update included a new Cyberpunk RED supplement called Tales of the RED.

And I’m lucky to be one of the writers.

I’m writing two adventures that can be run as stand-alone scenarios, but also as connected stories. My pitch has already been approved and now I’m working on the outline and first drafts shortly after.

I know this Cyberpunk RED story and the worldbuilding elements I designed. It is the kind of adventure that will force you to make hard choices, give you the opportunity to experience a couple of different “Night City” slices, and–with any luck–be emotionally compelling for you as a Cyberpunk RED fan.



Join me for SIRENS: Battle of the Bards on Kickstarter — FUNDED!

SIRENS: Battle of the Bards

Friends, I am so pleased to announce I’m writing for SIRENS: Battle of the Bards, a Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition campaign setting, featuring a stellar team of authors. I’ve been having so much fun I handed in my drafts a month ahead of schedule!

Do you love art? Satine Phoenix? Music? INTRIGUE? REBELLION? Then, the city of Salvata has something for you! I warmly invite you to check out SIRENS: Battle of the Bards on Kickstarter (which has already funded) and join Apotheosis Studios to celebrate this gorgeous game setting with fantastic art, music, prose — and so much more. Huzzah!

Back Million Dollar Podmate on Kickstarter!

Million Dollar Soulmate RPG

Million Dollar Soulmate is a tabletop RPG of romantic uncertainty designed by Greg Stolze. Two players create a pair of courting lovers. One of them just spent a million dollars to have an algorithm find their perfect match, the person who completes them and expands their personality. The other… is that match.

What could go wrong? Well, plenty.

Greg launched Million Dollar Podmate on Kickstarter with a funding level of $200 to do a podcast with me! We did hit the funding goal, so we’ll record the game session. Want in on the fun? Greg has additional guests planned for this hilariously unpredictable romantic-themed game!

For more about the Million Dollar Soulmate RPG and podcast recordings created by Greg Stolze, head on over to Kickstarter today!



My First Quarter 2020 Update

Captain WhinypantsA few months ago, I had planned on sharing a quarterly update with you to highlight news on the proverbial home front. I had no idea I’d be writing this update from quarantine in my office next to a snoring cat. (Not Captain Whinypants. The other one. The orange ball of floofy one.) I don’t want to dwell on COVID-19 related issues other than to say “Yes, I’m affected.” Luckily, no one is sick in my household. Cross all appendages hoping that holds true! At the same time, I know several people who either do have it or lost someone recently. It’s a little surreal summing up the past three months, because I don’t know how the next three will fare. All I can focus on is one day at a time.

With that in mind, here’s a rundown of my year so far. Late December, I started by taking inventory of my 2019 list of publications. I used that exercise to revisit my goals, take stock of what I had, and put together a wish list. I wound up trunking everything I had so I could start fresh. (Zsa Zsa Gabor: “I just hated everything.”) In January, I was also prepping for the Hunter: Vigil Second Edition Kickstarter and had attended Midwinter Gaming Convention for a business meeting. I knew February was going to be busy, because I’d managed and promoted Kickstarters in the past, but I had no idea how swamped I’d be. Most of that month was swallowed up with a lot of news, Kickstarter cheerleading, and new releases. I was thrilled to release Underwater Memories accompanied by a themed soundtrack through Sub-Q Magazine, attend RadCon in Pasco, Washington as a guest of honor, and prepare for the SXSW release of my contributions for Wonder Stories, an app to help kids read.

Following this, I flew to Florida for a Make Art Not War writer’s retreat hosted by Alethea Kontis at the beginning of March. The first week and a half was lovely; we used the time to reset and reconnect. In that first week, I had so much news showing signs of growth and some wonderful experiences–including a SpaceX launch and a writer’s meet-up. Then, COVID-19 hit just a few days later. The launch at SXSW for Wonder Stories was cancelled along with several conferences I’d planned to attend. A spooky anthology I contributed to, called Haunting Shadows, also debuted. On top of this, I fell seriously ill. (Yes, we did check into testing but none was available.) We’re not sure if I had COVID-19 or adenovirus, but we took precautions in any case. During my recovery, I taught an Intro to Game Writing class through the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. I also mentioned I’m running for SFWA Director-At-Large as a write-in candidate. My class was lovely and everyone was enthusiastic and talented! (I still feel awful about my voice going in and out, but we made it work!) I didn’t write much, other than morning pages that last stretch of time. I wanted to be well enough to fly home at the beginning of April; there was a solid week or so I don’t remember.

I am now kicking off the second quarter in quarantine at home. Our state’s quarantine is through Friday, April 26th; the national recommendation is April 30th. However, my office quarantine is scheduled until Saturday, April 18th to ensure I’m not presenting any symptoms, especially after flying out of Orlando. I’m also dealing with a few other behind-the-scenes related issues, too, that have popped up because of this crisis. Additionally, I decided to pen a 30-day journal in quarantine for our local historical society. I feel this kind of documentation really matters–especially right now. I’m writing these entries in lieu of morning pages, but also to pay attention to how I’m feeling. I have a few deadlines this month and a lot of spec opportunities to follow up on, both of which should keep me busy.

I wish I could end this quarterly update with a comment about where my career will be by the end of June–but it’s impossible to predict anything. Change and uncertainty are the new “normal”. I jokingly called this era “The Chaos Timeline” before COVID-19 hit. Unfortunately, that description is very apropos of 2020 thus far. I’m still writing, but I’m also proceeding with extra caution–especially since many people I know and love are immunocompromised. To what end? Only time will tell.

Wishing you and yours health, stability, and a lot of luck in this tumultuous time.



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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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