Writing Wild with Verna McKinnon

            What a crazy year this has been. I always take comfort in October. Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I embrace the change. I love seeing the leaves change into bright colors and crisp as they fall from trees , the brisk air, the coming of all things pumpkin spice, caramels & apples, hot tea, sweaters, Halloween, and fun movie nights on the weekend. What's not to love? For me, fall is a time for renewal and industrious action. Cleaning out the closets, journaling, and setting goals. Beginnings are not just for the New Year. My fresh start is for my writing as well. My fantasy novel, The Bardess of Rhulon , has a new publisher...Tanstaafl Press!        The  Bardess of Rhulon now published by Tanstaafl Press !   Tanstaafl Press has picked up The Bardess of Rhulon for publication. Tanstaafl Press is awesome. My book is now available in both paperback and Kindle editions at both...

  Hello fantasy and science fiction lovers! Today is a dive into the subject of Conan the Barbarian, by Robert E. Howard. I add the author's name because Conan has been the subject of many comics and other fantasy novels where others have written him, along with films and television. Many wonderful writers have written some Conan novels. I must emphasize this is about the true Robert E. Howard stories. I love the original Conan tales writtten by Robert E. Howard. Nothing against those other writers. It is simply because Robert E. Howard was the best. His sword and sandals hero is better in thos estories than how he has been portrayed in films and television.  Don't get me wrong. I would LOVE to see some decent adaptations of Howard's Conan in a televised setting. Film is problematic because it always cheats with "revenge fantasy" theme which is so tiresome and was never part of the Conan world which Howard created. Conan's parents were never killed when he was...

  The Pandemic Writer My world is strange. In some ways I am quite happy to work remotely from home. Yes, most of us authors have regular day jobs. It is bliss not to deal with traffic commutes to and from work, to not dress up, put on mascara which smudges by noon. It is disturbing when you turn on the news and the grief and chaos exploding from Covid, job losses and economics woes, politics, people being idiots (by not wearing masks/refusing to believe in deadly virus). You feel like you are among the mad! On one hand, I have had more free time to write. On the other, I have not written much as I would have liked. Let's be honest. The world is scary. My first six months of working from home involved lots of chocolate and a pot of coffee a day as I stressed over potential job furloughs (I have been lucky so far), empty toilet paper shelves in store, and working out to exercise DVDs keep a sane routine. I like workout videos because there is no virus threat and I can look stupid wi...

  Good Riddence 2020!  How many of us make the traditional New Year's resolutions? Be it for writing or getting healthy, whatever, we all do it. But the question I pose is perhaps we should look at this from a fresher perspective. Whether we call them resolutions or goals, I believe the best way to achieve this is to form a routine around those goals.  If we want to write more, set a routine for your creative goals. Start slow at first, and then build on it. The more you follow your routine, the more progress you will make. And progress leadds to bigger and better things. COVID Salvation As we all endure isolation and COVID stress, here are a couple things which have made life less crappy. THE MANDALORIAN THE WITCHER These two shows restored my faith in science fiction & fantasy on television. Yes, I am a big lover of TV and Film. These two made the year less wretched. All for now. Stay safe and wear a mask...and run away from those without one.  All for now. Che...