Writing Wild with Verna McKinnon

Hello Friends, I know-I say I will write and never do.  I am writing, but it is my novels I am focusing on.  I do love to blog,  I love spreading the love of fantasy and science fiction.  But time is also very crunched and sadly mu blog suffers.  I promise to do better in 2013.   For now, have a nice Solstice time with lots of drobba and a happy New Year.  I will be popping out of seclusion for some upcoming conventions in 2013-Rustycon in Seattle, January 18-20 and Radcon on Pasco, WA February 15-17.  I hope to see you there.  Verna McKinnon

It has been a long time since I wrote anything in my blog.  Months in fact.  I think last time I was heady and sad with the Once Upon a Time season finale.  Heady because it was so great...sad because it would be months until the 2nd season.  Season 2 is here and I am happy to have a fun fantasy show with depth back. I have also been writing.  Parts of 2 novels and short stories.  I have ideas that I am taking down for other stories.  Writing down little bits of magic that sometimes flows from my imagination.  I have been waiting for my cover art for book 2.  My newest short stor, "A Bard's Blunder," was published in the Bards & Sages quarterly July 2012 edition.   Check it out.  It is a funny little fantasy about the spirit of Shakespeare running into those three weird sisters in the Afterlife.  They are not amused. Also much sadness for many reasons. 1.  Ray Bradbury passed away.  He was a literary giant with a dazzling imagination.  He will be missed and his wor

Okay, I will admit it.  I am am avid watcher of the TV show " Once Upon a Time ."   That and Lost Girl are my 2 current favorites next to Game of Thrones.  I love fairy tales-though the more earthy versions rather than fluffy Disney.  I do not hate Disney-but they often soften the fairy tales and make them too sparkly.  Once Upon a Time put the hearty grit back in the fairy tale.  It is the best thing to hit regular network television in years.  The season one finale last night was a rush of what the events that spiraled into a smashing finale   that left me satisfied-you know, like had some amazing cheesy pizza followed by chocolate cake feeling of satisfaction.  Warning-if you did not watch last night's season 1 finale, be warned of spoilers ahead. 1.  I loved that Emma finally got it-the curse  is real!  Am not sure what its was about the book that broke her blind spot-but I don't care.  Awareness on Emma is a great new look.  They had dumbed her down for so

Hello Familiar Fans, Just a quick bulletin that my new short story, "Snow White: My Story," is at last in print!  You can find it in the newest Mystic Signals print edition, Issue 13, as one of their exclusive stories for their print edition.   Here is the cover art for the magazine, which is actually a big beautiful anthology with a sturdy front cover and made to last.  They are available on Amazon.  My Snow White is full of scare and humor, plus I delved into some questions I always had-why the Snow White's heart?  Why the hot iron slippers to punish the evil queen?  Who were the Dwarves?  Read and find out.  Let me know if you like it on Facebook.

Okay I need to address an issue that is vexing me.  First of all, John Carter (which should have been John Carter of Mars or similar) is no flop.  The ridiculous expectations of studios to reap back all of their production costs in 2 weeks is illogical and deluded.  Also they did not know how to promote the movie.  I know the studio's base is suppose to be fantasy based studio-but I personally think they do not understand anything beyond kid cartoons and fluff.  John Carter was based on Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series, the first of which was written a hundred years ago-literally.  No one knows or understands today that John Carter comes from that.  Disney needed to promote that and use that as part of the ad runs.  Other than meager clips you got nothing what the movie was about.  It is a great movie.  Disney (I believe) hates real science fiction and fantasy literature-look what they did to the Black Cauldron years ago?   Now we are expected to dump any interest in John Cart

My editor Joe Dickerson (sitting) showing off and hopefully selling copies of my book @ Fantascicon in Dalton, Georgia recently.    Looks like it was a fun convention.  I hope he sold lots of copies.  Hi Joe!

Okay, I do plan on seeing John Carter, which should have been titled "John Carter of Mars," or "Princess of Mars."  I heard via rumor that Disney did a poll and said that women would not see a movie called John Carter of Mars. Disney- get a grip.    In fact, all movie and TV studios, stop over doing the stupid focus groups!  They are lame.  Those focus groups would not have liked Star Wars or Star Trek either-and look at the money makers those were?  I am miffed that this was not John Carter of Mars, or any of the possible cool titles that Edgar Rice Burroughs created.  Yes, this is something from the wonderful age of classic science fiction/fantasy pulp era where imagination ruled, that same age that spawned HP Lovecraft and Robert E Howard.  A friend recently commented that John Carter sounded too much like John Connor (from Terminator) until I pointed out these stories were much older (first of which was written in 1912 under Barsoom series which was what he cal

Hello all Familiar's Tale fans! Just got back from Radcon 6 in Pasco, Washington.  Was fun and crazy, with lots of great creative people there.  Ben Bova, Alma Alexander, and Tony Daniels to name a few attended.  There were also scores of small publishers and indie writers (like myself) that staffed the weekend long event.  We had great panels about writing, where I coined my literary smoothie phrase.  We were talking about collaborative writing (translation-how to write with a friend/spouse/partner and not destroy each other).  I will post a few pics soon.  Right now am exhausted.  All that fun and junk food has me weak as a newborn wampu.  Until then, have a great week. Verna McKinnon

Greetings my fellow fantasy and science fiction friends.  This weekend I am going to be at Radcon 6 in Pasco, Washington.  Am excited as many great folks like Ben Bova and Alma Alexander will be there.  I will be on lots of panels and mainlining Starbucks & chocolate to keep going.  I look forward to the fun. Also, last time I blogged I missed a show that should not have been cancelled.  "Legend of the Seeker" was cut short after 2 seasons.  It is sad because it was genuine fantasy and though not exactly like the novels had some heart to it.  I loved the cast and the pure fantasy feel.  Regular TV is trying to force "soft sci fi & fantasy" on us.  You know, contemporary shows where there is a thin thread of supernatural or some sudden super powers for one or more characters without any real reason for it.  Contemporary fantasy can be tricky.   Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the best example of a good contemporary show.  Fringe, Charmed, Sanctuary, Doctor Who

The mistakes and frequent stupidity of television often amazes me.  The long list of tragic mistakes is eternal, though I have a short personal list of issues that have bugged me.  The blame is wide-producers, networks, bad writing, studios, etc...but the end result is the same-the ruin  or banishment of great shows.  Often science fiction and fantasy are axed.    Tragic, especially now that we are in an age of mostly rotten unimaginative TV.  The few good shows struggle while wretched cheap reality shows, boring law or medical dramas or shows with toilet humor prevail.  So, here is my list of  some  great shows that were cancelled by the idiots that rule TV/or some plain stupid moves that give me a headache.  It is a short list as I could never list them all. 1.  Firefly .  One of the best science fiction shows with a great cast and massive potential crushed after barely a dozen episodes.  Nathan Fillion was perfect and the dream ended too quickly.  Shame on you TV! 2.  SciFi Cha

Okay, between bouts of frantic games of Plants vs. Zombies & Scrabble online, I am writing.  Writing is a strange occupation if you think about it.  We create worlds and characters in our heads and often think about cruel things to do to those characters.    My poor characters are going to be put through many many tortures in the next 3 Familiar's Tale books-but I am also a believer on happy endings- for some . I am also angling to play Skyrim-we just bought the game.  Nothing boosts the creative juices like a dragon chasing you whilst you try not to pee your armor.   But in between I am getting some great stuff written for book 3 and the new fantasy book for a new series.  So, as I am off work today in Seattle due to freezing blizzard conditions, I shall put my creative juices to proper use and write a new chapter of excitement where Mellypip is trying to teach a baby dragon to read.  This goes well until Mellypip's scrolls end up burning from the dragon's burps of f