Tag Archives: Papercut

Papercut Returns

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My short story Papercut was recently removed from the Short Stories section of this blog, but it has now returned. The reason for the removal was that I submitted a screenplay version to the BBC Writers Room. It didn’t win, but I did make it to the second round (the top 10 percent of five thousand odd submissions). I received an encouraging note from the BBC saying this was no small feat considering the competition. They also encouraged me to send further screenplays, which was nice.

Papercut was originally published in the Dragon Soul Press romantic fantasy anthology First Love. The story concerns a lonely teenage boy living with his ultra-strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. In his dreams, he is visited by a mysterious girl made entirely of paper, leading to a fantastical journey into… Well, click here to download the story for yourself.

If you’re curious, you can also download the screenplay version which streamlines and reinvents one or two areas of the story, particularly in the first act. Translating from one medium to another is a challenging task, especially when trying to find visual equivalents for inner monologue.

In case you were wondering, the above images, from classic fantasy adventure movie Jason and the Argonauts, and the iconic music video to A-ha’s 1985 hit Take on Me, were a visual and tonal influence on Papercut.

2019 In Review

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2019 has been an extremely busy year for me, and I am very pleased to have released a number of novels and shorter pieces.

Novels

Two more of my gothic mystery horror thrillers were released: The Irresistible Summons, which erred much more on the horror side, and Phantom Audition, which was more on the thriller side. Both feature nail-biting, page-turning spooky shenanigans, and were very well received. If you’re interested in picking up a copy as a Christmas present (or to read yourself) click here for The Irresistible Summons and here for Phantom Audition.

Shorts

Also this year, my short story Papercut was included in romantic fantasy anthology First Love, also published by Dragon Soul Press. Furthermore, three of my “Drabbles” (micro-fiction of exactly 100 words) were published by Blood Song Books anthology Curses & Cauldrons. These anthologies have also been very well reviewed. Check them out here and here, respectively.

Works in progress

Of the above works, Phantom Audition was a novel I wrote early in the year, and that was fast-tracked for publication. Compared with other years, I have written less than usual, outside of that, but there are still a number of short stories, and one novella, waiting in the wings. Indeed, delving into shorter works has been an agreeable change of pace for me, and the total word count of the above almost amounts to the equivalent of another novel. So I’ve not been that lazy.

On the blog

As ever, I’ve enjoyed covering lots of different topics on the blog. I love to write on subjects I am passionate about, and hopefully spark some discussion. You might have missed some of these, or want to re-read them, so here are three of my favourites.

Never Surrender to the Professionally Offended: A Rallying Cry for Authors

Uses and Abuses of Inner Monologue

Why Spoiler Awareness is Important

The Tangent Tree

Series three of The Tangent Tree – the film podcast I co-host with Samantha Stephen – is about to begin next week. Series two appeared earlier in the year. You can catch up on all episodes at the Tangent Tree website here – or listen on iTunes, Spotify, Podcast Addict and so on.

There have been many people who helped and supported me this year, sometimes through difficult things.

You know who you are.

Thank you.

First Love: Papercut continues to get rave reviews

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Last February, I had a short story published as part of Dragon Soul Press’s First Love romantic fantasy anthology. This was my second published short story, as I usually stick to novels. What’s more I don’t usually write romance (here’s a rare exception).

My contribution, Papercut, is a poignant, heartfelt love story about a lonely teenage boy living with his ultra-strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. In his dreams, he is visited by a mysterious girl made entirely of paper, leading to a fantastical journey which I won’t spoil.

There have been several rave reviews for this story (and for the collection in general). Papercut also ended up in a top-three short story poll conducted by Dragon Soul Press. Here is the most recent of the unanimous five star reviews on Amazon:

“There are so many fantastic stories in this anthology, all with their own take on the theme of ‘first loves’, that it’s hard to decide on a favourite! I certainly think every story earned its place here, but I was intrigued by, and thoroughly enjoyed Simon Dillon’s Papercut. The gritty, perspective on everyday life in a strict religious household was interesting, and provided a stark juxtaposition to the strange magic that brings the Paper Girl into Gabriel’s lonely life. I’d absolutely encourage anyone looking for a nice mix of genres, and voices, to give this anthology a chance!”

First Love also features stories by AM Cummins, Kathryn St John, AR Johnson, DS Durden, Sofi Laporte, Meg Boepple, Melinda Kucsera, Edeline Wrigh, AD Carter, Zoey Xolton, and Galina Trefil. Pick up your copy here.

Papercut makes top three in Reader’s Choice poll!

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My short story Papercut has made the top three in a Reader’s Choice poll conducted by my publisher, Dragon Soul Press. Papercut initially appeared in First Love, a romantic fantasy anthology, which is available here.

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Because Papercut has made the top three, it will be republished as part of a “Best of” from all this year’s Dragon Soul Press anthologies, due to be published at the close of the year.

Needless to say, I am really rather pleased about this.

Papercut concerns a lonely teenage boy living with his overbearing and strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. One day a mysterious girl made entirely of paper appears in his dreams, and… you’ll need to read the story to find out. more.

Title Announcement for my next novel (and other news)

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As well as promoting new releases Spectre of Springwell Forest and my short story Papercut (part of the First Love romantic fantasy anthology), I’ve made good use of the grim winter months writing another spooky mystery novel entitled (drumroll…) Phantom Audition.

St Johns Museum, Warwick

I struggled more than usual to find a title for this particular novel, even resorting to testing a few suggested titles on social media. But in the end, my closest friend suggested this title to me, and it stuck.

Phantom Audition revolves around Mia Yardley, a recently widowed bit-part actress grieving for her much more successful actor husband in his ancestral family mansion (like the one pictured above). Cryptic runes, a strange diary, a mysterious medium, and ghostly visions gradually lead to the unravelling of a sinister mystery. Is Mia being given a message from beyond the grave?

This novel sits more at the supernatural/psychological thriller end of my gothic thriller/horror spectrum, though there are still plenty of suspenseful, skin-crawling moments. I intend to beta test it very soon, and once that’s happened (and it’s been through various publisher hurdles), it should be available this October.

Before then I have another scary novel to unleash, called The Irresistible Summons. This is a haunted house story of a very different kind about which I will say no more at present, other than you can expect to have it in your hands in July.

In between those two releases, I might just release another short story. It all depends whether my somewhat offbeat submission to my publisher’s upcoming Coffins and Dragons anthology is accepted. Watch this space.

First Love: Out Now!

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It’s finally here! First Love, the romantic fantasy anthology from Dragon Soul Press, is out now. This anthology features my short story Papercut.

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Those of you who normally give me a wide berth because of my horror writing needn’t be put off this time. Papercut is a poignant, heartfelt love story about a lonely teenage boy living with his ultra-strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. In his dreams, he is visited by a mysterious girl made entirely of paper, leading to a fantastical journey into… You’ll have to read the story to find out.

Also, don’t forget to join me today for the Facebook online launch of First Love. The event begins at 11am Eastern time (4pm UK time), and lasts for a whopping six hours, with each author in the anthology taking a 30 minute slot. My slot is at 12:30pm Eastern time (5:30pm UK time). Join me for a Q&A, games, giveaways and more by going to this link at the above time.

To get your copy of First Love click here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

First Love: Out Tomorrow

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First-Love-KindleIt’s almost here! First Love, the romantic fantasy anthology from Dragon Soul Press, is out tomorrow. My short story Papercut is a part of this anthology. It concerns a lonely teenage boy living with his ultra-strict Jehovah’s Witness mother, who keeps being visited in his dreams by a mysterious girl made entirely of paper.

Also tomorrow, you are all invited to the Facebook online launch of First Love. The event begins at 11am Eastern time (4pm UK time), and lasts for a whopping six hours, with each author in the anthology taking a 30 minute slot. My slot is at 12:30pm Eastern time (5:30pm UK time). Join me for a Q&A, games, giveaways and more by going to this link at the above time.

First Love also features stories from a bunch of other hugely talented authors. Whether you fancy reading about the dreamscapes of the religiously oppressed, or love stories involving forest nymphs, mages, selkies, Native American mythology, or, as one of my fellow writers pitched her story to me, “Bridget Jones meets Morgana Le Fay”, this is a must for those who like their romance with a fantastical twist.

To pre-order on Amazon Kindle or to get paperbacks in the UK click here.

To pre-order on Amazon Kindle or to get paperbacks in the US click here.