<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Monica Chase - Author]]></title><description><![CDATA[Monica Chase writes fiction that explores the intersection of humanity and tomorrow's technology, leaving readers pondering the 'what ifs'. ]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:57:31 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.monicachase.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Two Weeks After I “Figured Out” How to End a Trilogy]]></title><description><![CDATA[Two weeks ago I wrote about how to end a trilogy without playing it safe. It was thoughtful, strategic, and slightly smug in hindsight. What I didn’t mention is that before you land the plane, you still have to fly the damn thing. And lately, the flying part has gotten… slow. Turns out there’s a creative trap that shows up when you care too much about getting something right.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/two-weeks-after-i-figured-out-how-to-end-a-trilogy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b452c896363eb43d3711a3</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:43:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_3b9be7a8dddc4f96b935541224bad584~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How To End a Trilogy Without Playing it Safe]]></title><description><![CDATA[I’m 42,000+ words into Book 3, which is either disciplined momentum or a very elegant way of avoiding a harder decision. The number keeps climbing. It looks good in my planner. It gives me that quiet, virtuous hit of progress. See? We’re moving. We are not stalled. We are not spiraling. But I’ve started to notice that the movement feels slightly diagonal. Like I’m covering ground without necessarily lining up the runway. And if I’m not pretending, this is me seeking to capitalize on my...]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/how-to-end-a-trilogy-without-playing-it-safe</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a1df809d34acb7c434c7b7</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:38:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_584574467631486f456a55~mv2_d_3720_2976_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[My Amygdala Thinks Zoom Is a Hostile Environment]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Librarian, the Gremlin, and the Zoom Call “Would you be willing to share in an upcoming meeting?” Sure. Of course. Happy to. My nervous system: absolutely not. It’s amazing how a group of friendly authors on a Zoom call can briefly feel like I’ve been called to testify before Congress. No subpoenas. No hostile cross-examination. Just coffee mugs, decent lighting, and someone’s cat stepping across the keyboard like it owns equity in the platform. And yet. There’s a part of my brain that...]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/my-amygdala-thinks-zoom-is-a-hostile-environment</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a0ac9aab2490cb67fa725c</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:25:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_ee713574e566425789fa51594a87b4ab~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Paper Bills in 2025? The Copay That Time Forgot]]></title><description><![CDATA[A routine dental visit becomes an analog comedy of errors—paper bill, no online pay, stamps &#38; scissors—proving tech fails us in the funniest ways.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/paperbills-in-2025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">689cbb10f0b804ed623ba56f</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 16:49:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_62537071653438494e4d67~mv2_d_6000_4000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Author Virtual Assistant Services Miss the Mark]]></title><description><![CDATA[I tried to hire a Virtual Assistant. I came prepped with a one-pager and high hopes. What I got was a no-show interview and total silence. This isn’t a rant. It’s a cautionary tale for indie authors who outsource with optimism and get ghosted instead. If you’re building a business of one, here’s what happens when your prep is sharp, the service is shiny, and the system quietly breaks.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/when-author-virtual-assistant-services-miss-the-mark</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6894d9bf9ac5e3b05d325ed4</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_efe5bb9bd4214e0dade206265ec63dcd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Some Doors Wait for You. Some You Break Down]]></title><description><![CDATA[Some doors make you fight for them. Some just wait until you’re ready. This is what happens when life hands you a key you didn’t know was yours—and everything changes.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/some-doors-wait-for-you-some-you-break-down</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6877fb56d6f9cbb315718146</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 19:39:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_8e20ba2cf01f491a8ad12866f1b37dac~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[This Was Out Of My Comfort Zone]]></title><description><![CDATA[A conversation I almost said no to. What do you do when your voice shakes, your palms sweat, and your brain starts running ahead of your mouth? You say yes to a podcast interview anyway. I recently sat down with Tim Trott on Author to Author  to talk about my speculative fiction series, The Helix Chronicles , and how I went from corporate strategist to full-time writer exploring the ethics of gene editing, rogue AI, and power in the wrong hands. It’s a conversation I almost backed out of....]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/this-was-out-of-my-comfort-zone</link><guid isPermaLink="false">686d6227104aef7fbc59f578</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><category><![CDATA[Future Fiction Deep Dive]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tech Ethics Dialogue]]></category><category><![CDATA[Literary Memphis]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:29:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaQl-2IQTpc" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Happens When Science Fiction Villains Don’t Feel So Fictional]]></title><description><![CDATA[I wrote the villain. A podcast just confirmed the world I built wasn’t far off. A few years ago, while researching gene editing for a...]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/science-fiction-villains</link><guid isPermaLink="false">685302f705d47c18c468d3c3</guid><category><![CDATA[Future Fiction Deep Dive]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 19:27:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_5e3e57bb3a334654a078a855dbd39243~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dear Future Me: Encouragement for Writers Who Feel Like Quitting]]></title><description><![CDATA[Feeling burnt out or lost in your writing journey? This funny, heartfelt pep talk from your future self is exactly what you need to keep going.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/dear-future-me-encouragement-for-writers-who-feel-like-quitting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6807d95b7c84107804ba11bd</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:20:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_91b225aa5bee4347ade44c8febf450e5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What I Learned Updating My Goodreads Author Page]]></title><description><![CDATA[Updating my book cover on Goodreads turned into a metadata maze of ghosts, rules, and surprises. Here's what every author should know.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/what-i-learned-updating-my-goodreads-author-page</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67ed871e9fed29845b3fe83c</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:11:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_367977796f327174615a38~mv2_d_5920_3758_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fear Said No. She Said Watch Me]]></title><description><![CDATA[She faced wild animals, a rare diagnosis, and the blank page—then became a published author at 70. Brenda E. Smith’s story is unforgettable]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/fear-said-no-she-said-watch-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67dd788c523d1543c9b29fcd</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><category><![CDATA[Must-Reads & Critiques]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:16:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_6b66784555435455657967~mv2_d_4256_2832_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Break Free from Overwhelm and Take Back Your Time]]></title><description><![CDATA[Feeling overwhelmed? Stop adding more. Start cutting what’s dragging you down. Here’s how to break free and take back your time.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/how-to-break-free-from-overwhelm-and-take-back-your-time</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67abc3b490c5c2b7971ba392</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 11 Feb 2025 22:04:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_0577b97a76784d4f9adb40f72643acdb~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Thought I Was Writing a Book. Instead, I’m Unraveling My Own Story]]></title><description><![CDATA[I set out to write a memoir. Instead, I found myself unraveling the story I thought I knew—and facing the truth I wasn’t ready to admit.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/i-thought-i-was-writing-a-book-instead-i-m-unraveling-my-own-story</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67a2754f22037409c62abac0</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:08:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e49526_04549372990a4e6e83689678aeb92892~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Messy Middle: How to Keep Going When Your Creative Journey Feels Overwhelming]]></title><description><![CDATA[Feeling stuck in the messy middle of your creative journey? Why the weight matters, how to handle it,  &#38; why it’s worth pushing through.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/when-your-creative-journey-feels-overwhelming</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66b630fbe62c1ad74fab3e3f</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 18 Nov 2024 21:18:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e49526_1c5015eca6b64a9b973cb0c876fd3239~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Stay Productive as a Writer (Writing Tips For When It Feels Impossible)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Struggling to stay productive as a writer? Discover simple strategies like habit stacking, time blocking, and quirky rewards to boost focus!]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/writing-tips-how-to-stay-productive-as-a-writer-even-when-it-feels-impossible</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66fd84ed4a8eb8a90da0f00f</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 02 Oct 2024 17:58:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4e7a3668813d4c0989f77d9f27c84312~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[DARPA’s Bold Vision: Tech That Shaped Our World and What Comes Next]]></title><description><![CDATA[Shaping Tomorrow, One Innovation at a Time Did you know DARPA’s innovations are woven into your daily life? From the internet to GPS, the...]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/darpa-s-bold-vision-tech-that-shaped-our-world-and-what-comes-next</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66e087a7c29fa6964feaa710</guid><category><![CDATA[Future Fiction Deep Dive]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tech Ethics Dialogue]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:12:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_1b60f0bdf04c4dcfbab2ba8f6713c5b6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why The Best Sci-Fi Thrillers Make Us Question the True Cost of Progress]]></title><description><![CDATA[Discover the thrill of innovation’s darker side—where sci-fi thrillers reveal the hidden costs of progress and ethical dilemmas.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/why-the-best-sci-fi-thrillers-make-us-question-the-true-cost-of-progress</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66e07b027e08cf5eb3778e78</guid><category><![CDATA[Must-Reads & Critiques]]></category><category><![CDATA[Future Fiction Deep Dive]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Sep 2024 17:23:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_8e2f71014dd44bc8b86314036b3b5172~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Can CRISPR Stop Cows from Fueling Climate Change? Gene Editing Takes Aim at Methane]]></title><description><![CDATA[Can gene editing solve climate change by stopping cows from producing methane? Scientists are using CRISPR to tweak cow guts. ]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/can-crispr-stop-cows-from-fueling-climate-change-gene-editing-takes-aim-at-methane</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66e056b9f301331fb6217fee</guid><category><![CDATA[Tech Ethics Dialogue]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Sep 2024 14:56:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_556468706366496d513959~mv2_d_4288_2848_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[CRISPR Technology: A Science Fiction Reality That’s Now Knocking on Our Door]]></title><description><![CDATA[Jailed for Playing God: The Scientist Who’s Back to Rewrite Our DNA We’ve all seen it—the moment when science fiction steps into reality...]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/crispr-technology-a-science-fiction-reality-that-s-now-knocking-on-our-door</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66df4fd3e83b2a2d4844b782</guid><category><![CDATA[Tech Ethics Dialogue]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 09 Sep 2024 20:01:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_74562d5258306265447038~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Embracing Mediocrity Can Lead to Mastery]]></title><description><![CDATA[Explore why embracing mediocrity can lead to mastery. Learn how consistent effort often outperforms the quest for perfection.]]></description><link>https://www.monicachase.com/post/why-embracing-mediocrity-can-lead-to-mastery</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6677385928cc2db4e82021b1</guid><category><![CDATA[The Author's Journey]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 22 Jun 2024 21:16:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_99463d90b311413e81c937ef9b508672~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Chase</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>