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MLV WritesBlog of Monica Valentinelli, Writer & Content Consultant

Archive for the ‘I Recommend...’ Category


Posted on July 10, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Special Thanks to Author Paul Genesse


One of the things I love about being a writer, is the ability to connect with other authors and professionals I admire. Usually I go to quite a few conventions every year, and in about a month I’ll be speaking at the Writer’s Symposium as part of GenCon: Indy 2009. I’m very grateful to Jean [...]

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Posted on April 16, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Review of www:wake by Robert Sawyer


www-wake-cover When I first started reading science fiction, I didn’t really like it at first. It wasn’t until I started reading Frank Herbert’s Dune that I enjoyed its possibilities. To me, science fiction is at its utmost best when it extrapolates and experiments, taking the “what could be’s” and turning them into “what if’s.”

www:wake by Robert Sawyer is that kind of a book. It takes a slice of our modern, everyday life and the topic on everyone’s mind — the internet. The first in a trilogy, this book is about a young, blind girl named Caitlin who wishes to see. Internet savvy, Caitlin travels from her Canadian homeland across an ocean to find her elusive sight.

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Posted on March 4, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Writers! Donate One Book for Literacy


Who says books aren’t needed? Shadow Forest Authors is a charity organization that wants to collect one book that you’ve written to help support literacy efforts worldwide.

Shadow Forest Authors is extraordinarily supportive of writers in every genre and format — even e-books! All it takes is one book.

If you have written a book, I hope you consider checking out this cool charity organization.

Shadow Forest Authors

Hat tip to Ralan.com. I found out about this site through his newsletter.

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Posted on January 11, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

The One Skill Every Writer Needs to Learn (and it’s not about writing!)


When was the last time you addressed a crowd of people? Or, for that matter, when was the last time you were in the middle of a crowd at a sporting event, concert or a rally?
If your answer is not that often then read on my fellow writer, because the one skill we need [...]

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Posted on October 28, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Have you Googled your Own Name Lately?


One of the things that I try to find for almost every review, blog post and article I write, is to find the elusive “source.” From artists to songwriters and musicians, I want to link to whomever it is I am referring to in the most authoritative way possible. By “authoritative,” I mean that I [...]

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Posted on October 23, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Kudos to These Fellow Writers


Today I have a few kudos to hand out to these fine writer folk. I hope you’ll join me lending a round of applause to these fine writers.
Bill Aicher — Congrats to Bill Aicher, for not only completing the philosophical thriller The Trouble With Being God, but for taking that next step. Now available on [...]

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Posted on October 8, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Be Excellent to One Another!


In this politically-charged environment filled with demands, vitriol and rumors, I just wanted to pause for a moment and say that the words of Bill and Ted still hold true– BE EXCELLENT TO ONE ANOTHER. Whether you’re in customer service or running your own business, now more than ever it’s really important to remember what [...]

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Posted on September 25, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Want to Change the World? Well, Maybe you Can!


Google is celebrating its 10th anniversary by sponsoring a contest, but not just any old contest. Dubbed “10th to the 100th,” Google will fund big ideas that will either help lots of people or change the world.
Change the World with Google
I have to say — I LOVE THIS IDEA on several, different levels. From [...]

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Posted on September 6, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

How CNN made me Laugh with Bad Headline Placement


Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, I had a little chuckle at this headline placement on CNN.com. Sure, CNN.com probably didn’t “plan” to have the headlines show up in that particular order, but it just goes to show you why bland, keyword-rich headlines are not only better for SEO — they’re better for readability [...]

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Posted on July 24, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Helping a Reporter Out has Never Been Easier through HARO


Do you ever find yourself in that situation where you’re working on an article and you need to get a hold of an authoritative resource? Have you searched endlessly in the search engines for what you need only to be sorely disappointed with the results? And what happens when you do find a resource? Now [...]

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Posted on July 18, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Dr. Horrible by Joss Whedon: One Supervillian – One Musical – One Week


If you follow any of the places I go like Wizard World 2008 or GenCon, you probably also know I’m a huge supporter of other people in the industry–artists, writers, fans, etc.–who do exactly as I do. Many of us have a full time job and career, but are passionate about the hobby for [...]

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Posted on July 7, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Two Free Fiction Submission Sites You Don’t Want to Miss


Now that we’ve talked about the cost of writing fiction versus nonfiction, let’s look at how we can make money. One way to make money, is to write fiction and get published. But how? There are two ways to get published. The first way is to have an editor come to you; the second is [...]

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Posted on May 17, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Gamers Do Good Things! (And You Can, Too!)


It’s really easy for me to rant about the stigmas attached to writing games because the negative press that gamers and game designers have received for various projects is mind-blowing. Well, here are just a few reasons why gamers and industry professionals aren’t all that bad.
Some Gamers Work to Fight the Stereotype
If you’ve ever had [...]

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