BIOGRAPHY: An author of YA, Mysteries and Satirical Adventures, K. Alan Leitch writes with lyricism for the fun-loving reader. His novel awards include Textnovel, Serena McDonald Kennedy, The Write Launch and Book Pipeline. Through sixteen short fiction awards, he’s loved soap operas with Writer Advice; lived loudly in Gathering Storm Magazine; written in seven different voices for Women on Writing; and protected other worlds in Stringybark Stories. His satirical adventure, Crimes of Convenience, has placed in the 2017 International 3-day Novel Contest, and his YA Mystery, Too Much Information, has placed in the top seven of the 2018 International Eyelands awards and in the top ten of the 2017 Book Pipeline Contest, surpassing 1,974 other published and unpublished novels. ‘Gram, Tweet or Tumble him @KAlanAuthor.
HOME: Surfers Paradise, QLD
PREFERRED NAME: Keith
GENDER: Male
AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS:
| Finalist | Too Much Information | 2018 Eyelands Book Awards competition: Top 7 of 80 entries! |
| Finalist | Crimes of Convenience | 2017 3-Day Novel contest: Top 10 of over 200! |
| Semi-finals | Too Much Information | 2017 Book Pipeline novel competition: Top 10 of 1,984! |
| Feature | Too Much Information, ch. 3 | The Write Launch |
| Second Place | The Cold and the Dutiful | Writer Advice, Volume 20, Issue 4 |
| Print/ eBook | The Last Page | Gathering Storm Magazine, Issue 3 |
| Runner Up | No Chocolate for Gerald | Spring, 2017 Fiction Competition |
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The Malicious Mist of Misery Sound | Fall, 2016 Fiction Competition |
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Mixed Colors | |
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Ease | Fall, 2015 Fiction Competition |
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Starlite Lanes: We Bowl for Democracy |
Recipient:Textnovel Award
Final Reading: Serena McDonald Kennedy award
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| Honorable Mention | Passings | Winter, 2018 Fiction Competition |
| Honorable Mention | Damp Courtship | Winter, 2017 Fiction Competition |
| Final Judging | Last Gift of the Coltray | 2017 Parsec Short Story Contest |
| Final Reading | My Father’s Voice | Winter, 2016 Fiction Competition |
| Final Reading | The Colorful Cargo of Captain Jimmy | Summer, 2016 Fiction Competition |
| Second Place | The Hug | Independent Education Union’s open category fiction award |
| Honorable Mention | Enduring Entropy | Published in “A Visit to the Duchess,” by Stringybark Stories. |
SOCIAL MEDIA: See other samples of my writing, along with my blog, Words from K. Alan . Follow me on Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr @KAlanAuthor .
ORGANIZATIONS: Member: English-Speaking Union; Member: English Teachers Association of Queensland; Organizer: South-East Queenland Public Speaking Adjudicator: Rostrum Voice of Youth Adjudicator: Lions Youth of the Year Public Speaking Adjudicator: GC Debate
SPEECHES PER YEAR: 1-3
SAMPLE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Saint Stephen’s College; A.B. Paterson College; APS Schools’ Association
SCHOOL:James Cook University/Oxford University
DEGREE:Master’s Degree
GENERAL FIELD OF STUDY:Education
SPECIFIC FIELD OF STUDY:English Literature (particularly at Oxford)
ACTIVITIES AND SOCIETIES:Member of the English Speaking Union and the English Teachers’ Association of Queensland
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:Not only has my postgraduate academic writing earned me Distinctions, but my studies of literary style and perspective have opened new avenues toward constructing reader-centered narratives. The accessible plots that I love to write are enhanced by a perfect balance of influence from literary masters.
CURRENT FIELD: Education
RELATED EXPERIENCE: English Literature and Advanced Placement English Extension teacher.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:Finding new ways of teaching and motivating students to learn about literature keeps my literary toolbox continuously refreshed. Furthermore, familiarity with the attitudes and styles of teenagers informs the voices of my Young Adult fiction.
MY WRITING STYLE: Emotions symbolized are a powerful narrative tool. Spiderwebs of anger crawl from the bellies of my characters to twist their faces; flightless joy grounds them to a family they did not know they loved. Any object in the setting can link to feelings.
MY DISTINCTIVENESS AS A WRITER: A range of life-experiences creates a rich field of sources for a writer, and I have worked in I.T., Secondary and Post-Secondary Education and retail, in three countries 9,000 miles apart. My extensive world travel and time with many socioeconomic classes have exposed me to a patchwork of voices that stitch together into my own unique narrative.
Keith,
I loved your story, Mixed Colors. It was one of the most vivid and moving pieces I’ve read in a long time. Congratulations on your win. Thank you also, for following my blog. Welcome to the fence jumpers. @sheilamgood at Cow Pasture Chronicles
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Thank you so much. Inspiration does play a part!
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Hi Keith, nice meeting you here 😊
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Hi, Yuulye. I didn’t see your post because I’ve been distracted from my blog for months. Now that I’m back, my first struggle is to make the HTML code on my page do what I want, so your blog seems like it might be a good resource.
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