January 22, 2019
When I first saw trailers for The Favourite, I was delighted. I've been interested in Queen Anne's reign since someone gave me G. M. Trevelyn's England under Queen Anne when I was a teenager. It's a period that gets little attention compared with the Tudors or the Napoleonic era, yet it was pivotal in many ways. Not that I expected the film to be a history lesson. After all, it's a drama, not a documentary, so I wasn't disappointed that the film concentrated on the relationships between Queen Anne and her favourites, nor that it stretched the most scurrilous speculation about what went on almost to the point of pinging!
Everything about the film was calculatedly outrageous. The colours of the costumes may have been restrained, but the blue and white actually added to the atmosphere of luxury and power at a time when Chinese porcelain was the height of fashion and tea was an expensive luxury. The yellow candlelight and the use of a wide angle lens to distort the views of long galleries and rooms, added to the feeling that something was askew, or even sick.
I've heard the film described as a comedy, and there's wit aplenty, but it's always accompanied by sorrow. Some people might find the language and sex scenes difficult to cope with, but it has to be said that the former is far more explicit than the latter, with actions being suggested rather than shown–anyone expecting lots of naked flesh will be largely disappointed. The performances of all the cast, particularly Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz (both funny and poignant), were excellent.
There were insights into life in the period, especially the way servants behaved and were treated, but for the most part I would forget what you know, what you think you know and what you aren't sure you know, and simply watch The Favourite for what it is: a highly entertaining film.
Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Reviews
January 13, 2019
I watched too much television over Christmas. I don't suppose I'm alone in that, but I probably watched more bits of things than most people because I didn't buy a TV guide in the mistaken belief that I wouldn't be tempted to watch as much that way. Consequently, what I saw had an element of pot luck.
One of the things I almost missed was
Going Postal, the television adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel. I love Terry Pratchett's books, and I've wanted to love previous television ad...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley.
December 31, 2018
Where did this tradition of making resolutions at the new year come from? Frankly, I haven't a clue, other than the link with new beginnings, but it's very hard to escape it. Perhaps the reason so many resolutions are broken before the end of January is because they are half-hearted to begin with, made for form's sake rather than a true desire for change.
I'm not going to suggest what promises anyone should make themselves, and if you're heartily sick of being asked what your New Year's resol...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration
December 24, 2018
If you get a moment after the last-minute shopping for the festivities, and find yourself without a plate or glass in your hand, you might take stock of what's happened and what you've done in 2018. You won't be alone. Most of us do it at this time of year: another 12 months gone, and what happened to all the things you thought you'd achieve?
I know there are plenty of things on my list that I haven't been able to put a tick next to yet. Some things are no longer a priority, others have progr...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley.
December 16, 2018
When someone finds out I'm a published writer, I can guarantee I'll be asked one of two questions: 'Does it pay well?" and/or "In anything I've heard of?" Whether it pays well depends on whether you're used to champagne and flying on private jets, or dine regularly in your bedsit on beans on toast. Some people think that unless your earnings are in the J. K. Rowling bracket you aren't a proper writer. Maybe a list of my credits would impress them more.
I've had hundreds of pieces published or...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley.
December 4, 2018
One of the great things about the internet is that it's easier than ever to have your say about things. Put up posts on social media, blogs or reviews and potentially your views will be seen by a worldwide audience.
However, being persuasive means doing more than firing off Tweets as the impulse takes you. Look at the derision President Trump's brought on himself, and the ammunition he's handed to his detractors by not checking for typos. It always pays to spend a little time shaping wha...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley.
November 19, 2018
When I was a member of a science fiction writers' group there was always one topic that would liven up the conversation: what is science fiction? If Third Flatiron Anthologies' latest offering,Terra! Tara! Terror! had been around then we would have had plenty to wrangle over. There are SF stories with elements of fantasy or horror, fantasy with twists of SF, folktales, and myths brought up to date. In fact, there's the full range of speculative fiction in all its wonderful mutations.
There...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Reviews
November 9, 2018
A writer's life consists of sitting in front of a computer, tapping at a keyboard and pressing 'send', doesn't it? Not quite. Even when real life such as shopping, doing the laundry and walking the dogs doesn't intervene, things are rarely so straightforward. This is how my week went from Friday 2nd to Thursday 8th November.
As usual, I started the day on Friday by checking my emails, Facebook and Twitter pages. Even if I don't post a tweet, I like to respond to any likes and retweets, and...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration
October 28, 2018
Does your vote count? Did your favourite couple get voted off Strictly? Did your friends choose the worst film to download? Fear not, there are places where your voice will be heard.
If you enjoy a book, you can give it five stars on sites like Goodreads or Amazon, and if you really want to make an author's day, you can vote for their story in a magazine or competition readers' poll. Which brings me to the Pen 2 Paper competition. This year's finalists are now online at
https:www.txdisabil... Continue reading...
Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Competitions
October 7, 2018
Whenever I check out Twitter or Facebook I'm bound to come across a host of inspirational quotes about saving the planet, becoming a better person, the good old days–whatever subject you can think of. I confess to scrolling past most of them, but I can never resist the ones connected with writing. Here are some of my favourites, found in all sorts of places from social media and the back notes on novels to how-to websites and radio interviews.
"To hold a pen is to be at war."
Voltaire
A fre...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration
