Rants, raves and general opinions presented by members of the Flames Rising staff on topics of interest in the Horror & Dark Fantasy genres.
Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Did you participate in Free RPG this year? I did! We went to a local game store to have fun with a friend. I’m so glad I did! I wanted to pick up some game accessories and solo journaling games I can play, because I’m seeking different styles to recommend to my patrons while I […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Events for this year’s Gen Con opened for registration and tickets for my events are almost sold out. You can click on Valentinelli at Gen Con Indy to find my workshops. I am running a two-hour workshop titled “Tarot for Storytellers,” and a four-hour workshop with Scott Lynch and Brandon O’Brien titled “Pitch Us Your […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Today, I’m pleased to announce a new months-long project unfolding on Patreon. Titled “Shards of Remorsica,” I’m designing a high-fantasy solo journaling game powered by tarot for artists and writers. In Shards of Remorsica, you play a solo journaling game answering prompts and shuffling cards. Your character is a mythical creature who once thrived aeons […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Recently, I released Tarot for Storytellers on DriveThruFiction.com. This book is sourced from my personal experiences studying the narrative aspects of tarot and the writing workshops I’ve been teaching. For the past couple of years, I’ve been running a writing workshop called “Tarot for Storytellers” at the Gen Con Writer’s Symposium and online. Often sold […]
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Posted on by Flames
Currently funding over at Kickstarter is Cringe Wizard, a TTRPG-themed isekai story by Paul Matijevic, set in a long-time Dungeon Master’s first, terrible campaign.
Today Paul stops by to tell a bit about the inspirations for the book and what helped fill in the tale…
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Heya, I will be presenting at World Con: Seattle this year. I’m pleased to share a draft schedule with you. I may have additional panels or other events, but so far these are confirmed.
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
In just a few days, at the Gen Con: Writer’s Symposium, I’ll be running my popular Tarot for Storytellers writing workshop. I’ve ran this workshop at Gen Con and online through Clarion West and the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. I’ve had a great response and wonderful feedback! So, I wrote an eBook inspired by […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
FlamesRising.com’s Monica Valentinelli is returning to the Gen Con Writer’s Symposium for 2025! She’ll be presenting two workshops, a coffee klatsch, and multiple panels. Events are selling out fast, so be sure to sign up! I’m really excited to come back to Gen Con. This year, Maurice Broaddus will be “the” featured Author! Exciting! Sign […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
2024 has been a wonderful year to rebuild, grow, and produce my own game. I’ve re-established a wonderful baseline for my writing practice, presented at the Gen Con Writer’s Symposium and Game Hole Con, taught an online workshop through Clarion West, and began blogging again here at FlamesRising.com. I also recently celebrated a new partnership […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Hello, hello! I am popping in to share that I’ve updated the rules for Pinching Tarts to clarify a few, key aspects of gameplay. I ran a few sessions of Pinching Tarts at Game Hole Con XI in Madison, Wisconsin, and based on the sizes of the groups and their feedback, I’ve made a few […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Hello and welcome to the last installment of #WitchyWednesday! Today, I wanted to dive into creatures of the night that are often associated with haunted locations, bad omens, and Halloween. At the end of this post, I’ll share a round-up of all my Witchy Wednesday posts to share and highlight the magical topics I wrote […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Today, my Witchy Wednesday post is about magic systems and rules. When I was thinking about what topics I wanted to cover, I broached the subject with K Tempest Bradford, from Writing the Other, who encouraged me to talk about magic systems and their intersection with theme and narrative. As such, this post may resonate […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Hey, hey, hey! I’m back from Game Hole Con XI, where I ran lots of games, led an indie game design jam, and spoke on panels. It was a very, very busy convention for me, so if we missed each other (or didn’t have more time) feel free to reach out. One of the things […]
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Posted on by Flames
Violet Core is a sapphic focused ttrpg about sad mecha piloting lesbians dueling each other and making out while stranded in space. Drawing inspiration from the absolutely wonderful visual novel Heaven Will Be Mine as well as GunBuster, Zone of the Enders and Knights of Sidonia. It focuses the dramatic tension between friends, rivals and comrades. It’s a game whose beating heart is deeply lesbian in a way that is a touch tricky to put into words…its indelibly infused. It’s a game preoccupied with a looming horizon of destruction and what we do in the face of calamity.
Currently funding on Kickstarter with less than a week to go as of this post! Today the Flames Rising crew is thrilled to offer a guest blog spot to Kiki Kwassa.
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
When you conjure a witch in your mind? What do they look like? Are you picturing an older woman with deep wrinkles and gnarled hands? What’s their demeanor? Cruel, mischievous, or kind? Depictions of witches around Halloween are influenced by folk tales, like the German “Snow White” fairy tale collected and published in 1812 by […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
True to the #WitchyWednesday theme, I wanted to share historical insight about witches and witch trials in Colonial America. There are several nuances to this conversation, because there’s so many cultural aspects that intersect with the topic; additionally, definitions of the “witch” shift depending upon the decade and century. This topic is so huge, I’m […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
To celebrate Halloween this year, I’m partipating in #WitchyWednesday to highlight different subjects in magic. Today, I’m diving into tarot. Tarot’s origins are often conflated with medieval card games, like Minchiate, Tarocchi, and early poker decks, because there’s some similarities in the card art and design. There are, however, three distinct pieces within tarot’s history: […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Hiya! I’m heading back to Game Hole Con to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons! This year, I’m speaking on panels, running adventures I designed for Pinching Tarts and Scarred Lands 5th Edition, and a fun DMsGuild.com adventure called Sweet Dreams are Made of Cheese by the amazing Jamie Chan. I can’t […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
This year, GenCon: Indianapolis takes place Thursday, August 1st through Sunday, August 4th. I’m presenting this year at the GenCon Writer’s Symposium and am offering a couple of workshops for ten dollars and am participating in several free-to-attend events. In addition to these events, I’ll have some wares on hand. I’m bringing print copies of […]
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Posted on by Monica Valentinelli
Pinching Tarts is a caucus game of tart-stealing nonsense inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865). You and your friends play Wonderland creatures who infiltrate the Red Queen’s castle to steal Her Majesty’s tarts while protecting what you hold most dear-your heart. I designed this PocketQuest game to be played without a GM. Suitable for […]
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