Writing Wild with Verna McKinnon

    Hello Familiar Friends,   Revising a novel is a complex beast.    I am currently in the process of revising a new novel which is more intense than just editing for grammar boo boos.  I have changed some key elements in my story, and though it better and stronger, it also meant going back to rewriting some earlier chapters.  It is exciting and also tedious.-much like the life of a writer.  It also changes where the novel was heading.   I have been through this before.  When I was submitting my first published novel, Gate of Souls, I went through the same thing.  The book was good before, but the major changes I made, which there were many, for adjustments and relationships of characters, structure of the my story, deleting certain characters which were dead weight, adding new, shifting how I did things, etc.,-it was insane.  But it made my novel better and the story was stronger.  I went into p...

A synopsis-really? If there is one side of writing that vexes me, it's doing the novel synopsis.  I am great at building worlds, creating lively characters, doing mini synopsis like a teaser in a cover letter, writing novels & short stories.  But the dreaded synopsis makes me cranky.  I always fret about doing a condensed version of my novel.  It makes me rather wolfish.   I struggle and whine.  The synopsis must also be full of life and texture, yet fast to read.  It must be the hook that captivates the editor's eye and make them salivate for more.   It is hard because you do not know where your masterpiece is going.  You often never know the editors and are at the mercy of a volatile publishing world. Writers, unless they have made it and have regular agent or publisher, have to sell their work without any real contact with their potential editors, agents, and publishers.  It's like...

Hello Familiar Friends, Am on a quest to finish the Bard Maiden of Rhulon .  My fantasy adventure is now at 58,273 words.  That is about halfway through the novel.  Why is that important?   Words counts are guides and also a celebration of how far you have come.  I also added a new character and revised another character that was already in my compendium but has not show up yet.   Things change as you write.  Often that is a good thing because your story is evolving and you need to be open to that.  So I have made a significant goal and will continue on to finish. Change can be beneficial as you write and not everything needs to be set in stone when develop your novel.   You have a foundation, which is important, but creativity never sleeps.  I cannot tell you how often a new character popped up as I wrote a chapter or a direction for my characters or plot changed that actually made things better. ...

Hello Familiar Friends, Have been on a roll-writing wise.  Am more than halfway through writing solid draft of Bard Maiden of Rhulon .   Am on the infamous chapter 13.  It is infamous for me because a lot of stuff has to happen  in next couple chapters.  Yes, there is a blood and chaos.  And some personal struggles for my heroine, Rose Greenleaf.  Am crazy with ideas and some things have taken a different turn in the story.  I now know exactly how the first book in this trilogy will end.  And it will lead her into even more fantastic adventure and intrigue.  Sadly, I must keep it to myself unless you are a publisher who wants to acquire my literary tome- then I will talk. On another note my publisher has contracted a new artist to do the cover art for Tree of Bones, book 2 of my Familiar's Tale series.   Am anxious and eager for this book to be released.  Joe-let my book be released!...

Hello Familiar Friends, Have been dealing with some knotty plots bumps on my Rose Greenleaf novel, Bard Maiden of Rhulon .  Oddly, having added a new character to the novel, a major one, has actually helped untangle the knot.   Now at first, it was an experiment and I thought it was going to ruin things and almost dropped this character.  But...it has opened up a whole lot of places for my main heroine, Rose Greenleaf to go.  It has challenged her, allowed me to get her where she needed to be,  and added some spice.  The character is fun.  He has written himself almost, his dialogue is clean and effortless, and he is taking Rose into the heart of conflict that is mandatory to the flow.   This character is a conduit from which I can lead Rose to places she could not be on her own without a reason,  This happens to writers.  You think you have your book bible all laid out and things are set in...

Greetings Familiar Friends, New Year is here!  Hooray!  Happy New Year! blah, blah, blah.... Now, down to the business of writing.  Am focusing on finishing older projects & new!  Just completed a new chapter on Bard Maiden of Rhulon.  Also working on two new books with opposite perspectives-one is darker but traditional heroic fantasy and other is a fantasy/science fiction fused futuristic tale with two of my favorite things-robots and witches. Yes, I am blending my genres.  I dare anyone to try and stop me.  Now, back to my bard novel.  More later. Verna McKinnon

Greetings Familiar Friends! It is fully the holidays-which is also a little crazy.  As I indulge in rich snacks, am formulating literary darkness and chaos for my poor characters.  I am a little crazy too-from a literary perspective- as I am working on 3 novels right now- Fires of Rapiveshta, Bard Maiden of Rhulon (my heroic female dwarf!) and now a dark unicorn tale called Blood of the Unicorn.   What a merry tale of mayhem is brewing in my world of evil kings, dark gods, goblins, stoic warriors, murderous changelings, worried familiars, exasperated sorceresses, brave heroes & heroines, murder, and brutish trolls.    I have a busy holiday seasons ahead of me.  As I post ideas to my cork boards in study , as I have 4 of them above my desk one for each book and a general madness board, I will hope your holiday is more peaceful as I go a little mad with spiked eggnog and  story plots.  Have a lovely holiday! ...