Strange Times

November 19, 2015
Have you ever heard the saying: 'May you live in interesting times'? It's often understood to be as much a curse as a blessing. This week has been an 'interesting' time for many, if not downright tragic. Thankfully, my week hasn't included any tragedies, but it has been interesting in ways that haven't always been comfortable, and it's included some fun and good news too.
    My entry in the On the Premises mini competition on a theme of amnesia was placed second. The boost to my ego was far bigger than the prize. The magazine holds regular free to enter contests for short stories and mini works. The current one is for a story of no more than 50 words which must include 'xylophone'. Check out the website at http://www.onthepremises.com for all the details.
    The other piece of good news is that tickets can now be booked for the performances of the Walter Swan Trust Award winning plays. Rehearsed readings of the first-placed and runners-up in both categories will take place at the Wildman Studio, Ilkley Playhouse on Friday 4th December, and full performances of three of the plays, including Antarctica, will be at the Courtyard Stage, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds on Monday 7th December. The best news is that tickets are free! They can be booked direct from the theatres' websites or go to http://www.walterswantrust.org.uk where you'll also find a poster.

Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Coming Soon 

 

Read On

November 10, 2015
The UK has many national treasures besides the Crown Jewels–the Queen, the National Health Service, Wimbledon, fish and chips–scrapping any of these would be unthinkable, yet there's another national treasure that's constantly under threat–our public libraries.
    I loved going to the library as a child. It never worried me that I was expected to be quiet, I was too enthralled by all the worlds I could enter on the shelves, even though the nearest library was little bigger than my livin...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley.

 

Spooks and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night

October 31, 2015
In case you hadn't noticed, tonight is Hallowe'en. If you thought about it three or four months ago, you could now be celebrating winning a ghost story competition or having an article on the scary season accepted. If so, congratulations! There are certain themes and events that are popular every year, yet it's all too easy to forget about them until it's too late. Bonfire Night is less than a week away, and while it might still be possible to write something for a competition about it, there...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration 

 

Now, I'm Not So Sure

October 16, 2015
I couldn't decide what to blog about. It's been that sort of week. I haven't been blocked exactly, I've just had so many odds and ends of things to do (such as emails to respond to, like the one from Bruce Harris letting me know that Writing Short Fiction appears to have found a new editor) that I feel as if I haven't really done anything.
    Indecision is a real killer for any sort of writing. Sometimes it might be choosing between two words that apparently are equally apt that brings you to...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration 

 

Good News, Bad News, Better News

October 10, 2015
Today I've got good news and bad news. First, the bad news. The excellent Writing Short Fiction site, which is full of news and tips, may soon be no more due to the ill-health of the man behind it, Bruce Harris, who has decided he needs to save his energy for his own work. Unless someone offers to take it over in the next week or two, it will go. Find out more at http://www.writingshortfiction.org.
    The better news is that Plasma Frequency Magazine is probably going to be resurrected. The m...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Coming Soon 

 

I Could Tell You, But...

October 2, 2015
This is a difficult blog to write, because I can't say what I want to. For the time being I have to keep Mum and zip it. It's a shame as I'm bursting to tell you the news. I won't even be able to drop hints just in case–you readers are a clever lot and might be able to guess if I give you a clue.
    I suppose I could tell you what hasn't happened. I haven't won the Booker Prize or suddenly shot to the top of the best-seller lists. No one's begged to buy the film rights to Discord's Child ye...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Coming Soon 

 

Singing Again

September 11, 2015
It's okay, you can put your earplugs away, it isn't me who's singing but the Iyessi. I'm happy to say that I've now completed a new series of Iyessi songs to go with Discord's Apprentice. As with the lyrics for Discord's Child, there's one for the prologue and each chapter. Some are happy, some are serious, some you could dance to and others are gentle. Not that Ro would experience them that way. Hopefully, readers will enjoy them.
    Of course, the songs are an optional extra, which is why ...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Coming Soon 

 

You Are Important

August 31, 2015
I had already written a blog for this week when I came across Neil Gaiman's lecture for The Reading Agency on 14th October 2013 and decided it could wait. I don't know how I missed the lecture before, but if I did, others who might benefit from Neil Gaiman's words have probably missed it too, so it's worth mentioning here.
    The lecture gives reasons why literacy and universal access to libraries are so important. Not least of these is how reading fiction stimulates children's imaginations. ...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration 

 

Good Company

August 25, 2015
I can think of 10 good reasons to read issue eight of Fantasy Scroll Magazine–make that 11.
    The magazine contains 10 speculative short stories, including my own offering 'Haze' about how first contact with mankind could be the beginning of the end for a planet's inhabitants. The other stories vary from futuristic tech-based SF to dark fantasy. The one thing they have in common is being irresistible. Once you start reading, you can't stop. You'll find believable characters struggling with...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Reviews 

 

What Do You Read Again?

August 17, 2015
Apparently, Christopher Lee used to read The Lord of the Rings once a year. This was a habit he began decades before playing Saruman. He isn't alone. Many people have a favourite book that they read over and over, without it ever becoming stale. If you ask me, the definition of being a successful author is writing something that people not only remember, but enjoy re-reading. Strange as it may seem, not every novel on the bestseller lists has that quality. What is it that keeps readers coming...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration 

 
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About Me


My writing career began as a freelance feature writer for the local press, businesses and organisations. Now a prize-winning playwright and short story writer, my work has appeared in numerous publications on both sides of the Atlantic. I write as K. S. Dearsley because it saves having to keep repeating my forename, and specialise in fantasy and other speculative genres.

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