Don't Panic!

December 28, 2025
It is all too easy at this time of year to take everything too seriously and stress about things that really aren't worth it. So you forgot to buy the sprouts–who cares? The cat wrecked the Christmas tree.: it isn't a disaster. In future years it will be one of the fond memories you share.
To lighten the mood, and in the spirit of seasonal silliness, here are a couple of pieces to make you groan or laugh. They aren't perfect, but that's Christmas for you. Relax and enjoy it.

Inspired by Baldric...



Stir, stir, stir, stir,

Stir, stir, stir, stir,

Stir, stir and stir some more.

Making pudding's such a bore.

Is it worth it? That's the question.

Or will it give us indigestion?

There are so many things to eat,

But Christmas pud's our favourite treat,

So on the whole we would prefer

To have our pud and stir, stir, stir.


O, To Be a Bauble


I'd like to be a bauble

And hang upon the tree.

With golden bows and glitter

I'd sparkle prettily.


I could have been a fairy,

But I'm sure you would agree

That having a branch stuck up your 'frock'

Isn't sitting comfortably!

Hopefully, I'll write something less silly in the new year. In the meantime, you can treat yourself to something more sensible by visiting the Smashwords End of Year sale and downloading Discord's Child and Artists & Liars FREE until 1st January at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ksdearsley


All good wishes, 

Karla

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

 

Break a Leg

November 8, 2025
Not literally, of course, but at the moment I almost wouldn't mind having a leg in plaster if it meant I didn't have to go on stage tonight.
I've never thought of myself as an actress and only agreed to take the part to help a friend. I should have known better. I suppose I was flattered to be asked, and the previous productions I've taken part in have been good for me. I've enjoyed meeting the rest of the cast, I've learned much about what makes a good script and I've had fun. This time, how...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration 

 

Bonfire Season

November 2, 2025

Few writers arrive on the literary scene fully formed like Athene from the head of Zeus. There are 'instant' successes, such as Zadie Smith whose first novel White Teeth was a bestseller, but most writers have to learn when they start out–me included.

Recently, I came across a publication that had an open call for a particular type and length of story. The only ones I had that I thought might be made to fit the bill, were some that I wrote when I first started trying to get published. They w...


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Posted by K. S. Dearsley.

 

Read All About It!

October 16, 2025
Writers don't have to resort to fake news to influence how readers will interpret what they write. It is not only what they say that is important, but how they say it.
Inevitably, a certain amount of editing is involved. It is impossible to include all the facts and details of even simple stories or issues. There has to be some decision on what to include or exclude. What kind of language is chosen is also influential: is it formal, authoritative, chatty etc.? This might in part be influenced...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Linguistics 

 

Playing God

September 15, 2025
The first time I remember being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said I wanted to be a vicar. For a child who wasn't particularly religious, it was a strange choice. I don't know now what I thought the job entailed or what attracted me to it, but I pretty soon decided that I'd rather be a ballerina instead. Then I found out that you had to start dance lessons by the time you were seven and wafting around the living room like a cross between a demented pixie and a bulldozer was no s...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Biographical 

 

To Buy or Not to Buy

August 13, 2025
There is a library that gives borrowers a ticket showing them how much they have saved by going to the library instead of buying the books. No doubt, the intention is to encourage more readers to use libraries, but surely the purpose of libraries is to make books available to those who cannot afford them, and to encourage readers to experiment with their choice of reading, not to deter those who can afford it from buying books.
Among the arguments for and against the practice put forward by m...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley.

 

Broadening Horizons

August 5, 2025
Self-publishing isn't for the indecisive. As if agonising over whether it's better to use this word or that, or to cut or not to cut, isn't enough, when you self-publish you're faced with a seemingly endless stream of choices about how you want your manuscript to look.
I've been putting together the Iyessi song lyrics that I originally wrote as chapter headers for the Exiles of Ondd novels. I want to publish them on Kindle and Draft2Digital as well as an illustrated paperback. As the digital ...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration 

 

In Rant Mode

July 20, 2025
Would you post the work of another author, albeit work that is available as Free Commons, without attributing it to that author?
Recently, someone I know did this on Facebook with 'Dust if You Must' by Rose Milligan. In fact, the poem stood alone in the post without any comment from the person who posted it. Unsurprisingly, the post was praised by several people, who asked if the poster had written it. In response, another person gave the poem the correct attribution, and suggested that the o...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration 

 

New Sayings

July 8, 2025
Am I the only person who shouts at the television when she sees a sign on an advertisement that says 'Invite Only'? (INVITATION Grrr!) Or grinds her teeth every time someone says 'gifting' instead of 'giving'?
There are so many more important things to get red in the face about, such as cuts to adult learning classes, artificial intelligence ripping off writers' work, online piracy, and books being banned from libraries and schools in countries that should know better. Why does the misuse of ...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Linguistics 

 

I'm Back!

June 29, 2025
You might not believe this, but this is the sixth time I've written this blog. I've done it once a month, but for one reason or another, it's never actually made it online. What went wrong? You may well ask. I'm not sure that I know myself.
The year started off with good intentions, as it always does, but nothing so far has come to fruition. I would say this is despite my efforts, but the truth is, I've found it really hard to get motivated. The chaos around the world this year, hasn't helped...
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Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Coming Soon 

 
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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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