Writing Wild with Verna McKinnon

Hello Friends, I had strange dreams  this weekend.  I even dreamed about my characters involved in something (some battle or a conference-hard to tell which) but it is a misty shadow now.  Dreams may fade but they leave their mark.  It could be too much Halloween candy.  It is unsettling when my actual dreams are invaded by my characters, but I must take it to heart when that happens.  They want my attention. As I start another Monday and plan my week of writing my novels, I find myself pondering how to achieve more writing time.  What makes it difficult is the ever present threat of laziness on my part.  Once I do force myself to the laptop or writing pad, I can become immersed in the ritual of the chapter and characters.  It is wonderful when that happens.  I am like a Goddess unleashing her power of creation (but in a benevolent way).  A Wonder Woman of the Pen.  A Celtic storyteller.    But I must get there by sitting down and doing it! I must admit, I am luckier than mo

Hello  Familiar's Tale Friends & Writing Enthusiasts! I confess I am guilty of procrastinating.  Actually doing the "writing your novel" process is a lot like being on a diet.  You will start tomorrow, next Monday, when the stressful week is over, write my blog, after I watch this episode of Buffy, when Hell provides chilled beverages...the list goes on. Writers are the greatest procrastinators of all time.  It is strange because we love what we do.  It is a voluntary occupation and even a vocation.   Once in a college class, we watched a funny video about an author who was prepping to write his novel.  First the pencils were not sharpened, he had the wrong paper, the paint was old and he repainted the office!   A lot of effort to avoid what we love to do. It is more frightening to realize the consequences.  Franz Kafka stated that, "A non-writing writer is monster courting insanity."  It is a bit grim, but the point is clear.  We are at mental risk

Greetings Friends, I want to discuss the importance of fresh ideas and perspectives.  As I sit here consuming coffee, I think about how when writing fantasy and science fiction, sometimes people fall into traps of repeating same thing over and over in the lather, rinse, repeat fashion.  That is a shame because those folks need to play the"what if" game more often.  A Ray Bradbury favorite (we miss you Ray) Example, for years I thought the use of animal familiars in fantasy fiction was rather limited and their idea and use was not expanded very often.  So I imagined a world where animals familiars play a more active role in the story and with their mages.  I even included a vast array of animals in the mix, rather than focusing on the usual cat familiar or owl (sorry Belwyn you are the best owl familiar ever).   My familiars are everything from owls to wolves to badgers, tiger hares,  and sloths and new creations like wampus and scorpion snakes.  Yes, a sloth for those