Words, Words, Too Many Words?

I’m editing [redacted] and am amazed by how honest and personal this work is. It also made me realize how much I don’t disclose online. Years ago, I made a conscious decision to not go down that path, and I strayed from that when I talked about Madison politics. Sure, I could talk about those sorts of things (religion, my childhood, politics, etc.) but for me, this is what I’m comfortable with so I can focus on the Work itself.

But there’s another reason and (thankfully) Gene Wolfe (Yes, that Gene Wolfe.) pointed it out. And that is “too many words.” We were talking about dealing with revisions and working through drafts at WorldCon on a panel, and he mentioned the benefit of turning off songs with sounds in them once you were done.

And something clicked. It sounds incredibly simple, doesn’t it? That putting in music without words will help refill the well. But it works!

    Mood: Bewildered, just a bit.
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: One cup. Seriously. JUST one!
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Does intent count?
    In My Ears: Being Human (UK)
    Game Last Played: Tetris
    Movie Last Viewed: Dredd
    Latest Artistic Project: … Been too long … Far too long…
    Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press



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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