Author Archives: ayvalentine
Perpetuating Cynicism Perpetuates Rape Culture
Recently my daughter and I both read a book called Keeping Corner, which is a novel about Leela, a 12 year old widow in India in 1918. (It’s a wonderful book—you should read it. You’ll find my full spoilerific review … Continue reading
Posted in Parenthood
4 Comments
The Quest for Characters Like Me
I’ve recently read a lot of articles, tweets, and so on about girls not finding female characters in games, movies, etc. I have a geeky daughter, and I’m painfully aware of how common this is. And while she’s not necessarily … Continue reading
Posted in Games, Kids and Gaming, Parenthood
6 Comments
Story Matters
Story matters, on a fundamental level. Fiction reveals reality and can, in turn, change it. I have a masters degree in children’s literature. Really. I studied how we use stories, often unconsciously, to teach our children about how they should … Continue reading
Posted in Games, Parenthood
6 Comments
Getting There
Being a parent is frequently terrifying. You know you’re screwing your kid up. You’re certain that every influence or bad thing is screwing your kid up for you in ways that you never imagined. It’s so hard to see what … Continue reading
Posted in Parenthood
2 Comments
#1reasontobe
I don’t feel like I’m any kind of hero for sticking it out to become a woman working fulltime editing RPGs. It’s pretty much a dream come true, and I’ve never been more accepted and respected. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, … Continue reading
Posted in Conventions, Editing, Freelancing Life, Games, Kids and Gaming, Parenthood
5 Comments
#1reasonwhy
I’ve been slowly catching up on the #1reasonwhy phenomenon—it’s still a little staggering to see a Twitter conversation between two people I know personally evolve into a trending topic covered by multiple news organizations! I had little to add to … Continue reading
Posted in Conventions, Editing, Freelancing Life, Games
4 Comments
A Few of My Favorite Leftover Things
It’s about time to cue the complaints about how much turkey everyone has left over and how sick they are of turkey sandwiches. At our house, though, it seems like we never have enough leftovers from Thanksgiving because two of … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
5 Comments
The Con You Wish You Went To
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, after driving past downed trees and long lines at gas stations, we arrived in Morristown, NJ, for Metatopia. Luckily, it was in the six block area of Morristown that somehow still had power. Many … Continue reading
Posted in Conventions, Editing, Freelancing Life, Games, Uncategorized
1 Comment
When Your Editor Sucks
Today I wrote a tough email to an author who sent me a review copy of her book. I probably won’t post the review (although if she decides any publicity is better than none, I’ll write it up) because to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
9 Comments
The Freelancer’s Workday
I’ve completed my first year living the dream as a full time freelancer in the RPG business. I am so lucky to be able to do this, and so grateful to Clark who provides the steady paycheck and the insurance … Continue reading
Posted in Editing, Freelancing Life
10 Comments