Monica Valentinelli is a writer and game designer who lurks in the dark. She creates original worlds and writers for media tie-in settings which include Dungeons & Dragons, Shadowrun, Firefly, and Vampire: The Masquerade.
Published stories and games include “Tomorrow’s Precious Lambs” for EXTREME ZOMBIES, IN VOLO'S WAKE for Dungeons & Dragons, and DREAD NAMES, RED LIST for Vampire: the Requiem by White Wolf Publishing.
Her non-fiction repertoire includes online articles, essays, and reference materials like the THE GORRAMN SHINIEST LANGUAGE GUIDE AND DICTIONARY IN THE 'VERSE for the Firefly TV show. She has written for sites like HowtoWrite Shop.com, Crackle.com, SFWA.org, GeeksDreamGirl.com, and BookLifeNow.com in addition to contributions for books such as FAMILY GAMES: THE 100 BEST and THE BONES: US AND OUR DICE.
For more about Monica, visit booksofm.com.
Posted on July 20, 2021 by Monica Valentinelli
The future of award-winning Valiant Entertainment‘s slate of comics will fully embrace the potential that its shared universe of compelling characters has to offer, and Rob Levin has joined the team as Executive Editor to help move this vision forward. While 2021’s hit titles SHADOWMAN, NINJAK, and the upcoming series THE HARBINGER (on sale 10/27) […]
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Posted on April 22, 2021 by Monica Valentinelli
Apotheosis Studios launched and funded SIRENS: Battle of the Bards on Kickstarter, a Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition campaign setting set in the city of Salvata where a rebellion is brewing. In addition to the story and setting, the campaign includes new magic items, Bard subclasses, and themed adventures. “The bohemian City of Salvata encroaches […]
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Posted on January 21, 2021 by Monica Valentinelli
Earlier this month, author Monica Valentinelli announced she’s drawing on her anxiety and personal fears to write poetry every day in February. In her #28DaysofPoetry challenge, she’ll post a poem each day for her patrons on Patreon. Patrons can back this project, dubbed Into Shadow: An Exploration of Personal Fears, for $2. They’ll get exclusive […]
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Posted on December 1, 2020 by Monica Valentinelli
Did you know the elements of campaign planning are rooted in narrative design? In this workshop, gaming veteran Monica Valentinelli introduces her “Spiderweb Method” for campaign planning and walks you through how to use it for longer story arcs. Also included is a list of tips and tricks to help manage your players to avoid […]
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Posted on November 11, 2020 by Monica Valentinelli
Paizo Inc. has launched the Pathfinder Beginner Box for Pathfinder Second Edition! This hefty box contains everything a new player needs to begin a lifetime of fantasy adventures, serving as an entry point for players new to roleplaying games, experienced gamers new to Pathfinder Second Edition, and Pathfinder veterans looking to teach friends and family […]
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Posted on May 13, 2020 by Monica Valentinelli
Death is not the end. You learned that firsthand when you died. In that darkness, you made a deal that brought you back — with something else. Now, bound inextricably to a geist — a shade, a monster, a tragic, broken soul — you stand between the world of the living and the world of […]
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Posted on February 20, 2020 by Monica Valentinelli
Hunter: The Vigil Second Edition was developed by industry veteran Monica Valentinelli for Onyx Path Publishing. To celebrate the release of the Hunter: The Vigil Second Edition Kickstarter, Monica reached out to members of her team for a series of in-depth interviews. Today, Monica chats with Cassandra Khaw, who wrote the fiction and designed monsters […]
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Posted on January 28, 2020 by Monica Valentinelli
Hiya, do you love playing games? Ever want to write your own or for someone else? In this class, join industry veteran Monica Valentinelli for insight on how to write your own game or for your favorite type of game. Monica has worked on mobile games, IF games, card games, tabletop games, and more! Questions […]
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Posted on January 22, 2020 by Monica Valentinelli
Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher debuted in December 2019 and has been met with both criticism and accolades. In this second installment of my two-part deep dive into magic, worldbuilding, and motherhood I want to talk about motherhood and reproduction specifically. As I mentioned last time, I had a lot of fun with Geralt of […]
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Posted on January 6, 2020 by Monica Valentinelli
DriveThruRPG.com is kicking off the new year with a massive sale. There are hundreds of new games to choose from including Scion 2nd Edition from Onyx Path Publishing, Infinity from Modiphius, and Mortal Coil from Galileo Games Hoping for a super 2020? If superheroes are your jam, I recommend the Valiant Universe RPG from Catalyst […]
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Posted on December 31, 2019 by Monica Valentinelli
Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher debuted in December 2019 and has been met with both criticism and accolades. If you’re not already aware, the events in The Witcher Season One are presented as a time-hopping origin story, or braided narrative, for three characters: Yennefer of Vengerberg, Geralt of Rivia, and Ciri of Cintra. The character […]
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Posted on July 29, 2019 by Monica Valentinelli
The Christmas in July at DriveThruFiction sale continues! Last time, I offered ten recommendations of non-fiction books that are great for writers and narrative designers. Now, I’ve got ten new books for you to check out–some fabulous stories! Listing these reads in no specific order, I’ve picked out some cool novels and anthologies for you […]
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Posted on July 20, 2019 by Monica Valentinelli
Heya, are you participating in CampNaNoWriMo? Got a novel in the works? Your own game? I put together a list of ten books to help! Every book in this list is on sale through July 31st as part of the massive Christmas in July sale at DriveThruFiction.com.
In no particular order, here’s ten great non-fiction books to help your craft. I picked books that’d be great for genre authors and narrative designers. Check ’em out!
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Posted on May 16, 2019 by Monica Valentinelli
Despite the prominence of witches in pop culture, black women tend to be cast in supporting roles. From Rochelle’s prominent role in The Craft (1996) to films where the supernatural is merely hinted at like Eve’s Bayou (1997), the genre of magic-related films and television shows have yet to embrace black women in the role […]
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Posted on October 5, 2018 by Monica Valentinelli
Hi everyone! I am pleased to announce two exciting things today! I will be at Special Guest at GameHole Con from Thursday, November 8th to Sunday, November 11th. During the show, I’ll be running a playtest of a Ravenloft campaign I’m working on for DMsGuild.com, putting in some booth time for Onyx Path Publishing, attending panels, and playing games.
To help sick kids, I will be playing a Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition game that’ll be live-streamed during the show. The fundraiser is called Extra Life, and it allows me to customize rewards for your pledges.
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Posted on July 11, 2018 by Monica Valentinelli
I’m not sure where to start this post, because it was inspired by an interview question. On the surface, the interviewer’s question sounds simple: What would I change in gaming? Well, after several minutes I realized the volume of what I’d want to change would not fit in a paragraph. Instead, I’m writing this post […]
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Posted on April 13, 2018 by Monica Valentinelli
On the heels of a fresh push for platform-specific content, Netflix released Requiem. It’s a six episode British miniseries set primarily in the small town of Penllynith. Billed as a supernatural thriller, the story revolves around Matilda Grey, an award-winning cellist played by Lydia Wilson, and her ever increasing obsession with a decades old mystery. […]
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Posted on April 6, 2018 by Monica Valentinelli
Annihilation (2018) is a dark science fantasy thriller written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina). Unlike Ex Machina (2014), Garland adapted the work from the first novel of acclaimed author Jeff VanderMeer‘s Southern Reach trilogy. The night before we went to see Annihilation, I had watched The Ritual (2017). Like The Witch (2015) and […]
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Posted on October 7, 2017 by Monica Valentinelli
Back in December of 2016, I started an initiative to help artists focus on making art anticipating an awful four years of politics and distractions. Making art is part of who we are, what we do, and how many of us earn a living (or part thereof).
I am pleased to announce the release of Make Art Not War Challenge: Rules, Essays, and 31 Creative Prompts. This eBook is available in multiple file formats through DriveThruFiction.com in Nook (ePub), Kindle (Mobi), and PDF formats.
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Posted on September 12, 2017 by Monica Valentinelli
For as long as Vampire: The Masquerade has existed, members of the Camarilla have influenced politicians the world over to exact their schemes. Now, you can play a vampire or ghoul caught between making decisions for yourself, your coterie, and your clan in the Parliament of Shadows. This unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience employs the setting of White Wolf Entertainment’s upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade Fifth Edition in a LARP set in the European Parliament. The rules employed will be a bespoke system heavily focused on social interaction and intrigue.
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