Write Angles: Unfiltered Voices, Episode 20 - Desney King

Описание: Desney King: Never Give Up, Even When the Story Changes

What does it mean to keep writing when your body won’t let you write the way you once did?

In this episode of Write Angles: Unfiltered Voices, I’m joined by Desney King — retired senior book editor, novelist, and founding member of publishing collective Pilyara Press. Desney’s novel Transit of Angels was published in 2020, and she’s now working on a novella and a collaborative memoir after surviving multiple strokes.

We talk about publishing collectives, professional standards in self-publishing, grief and love at the heart of Transit of Angels, and how Desney has reshaped her writing life in the face of disability. This is a powerful conversation about collaboration, creativity, resilience, and choosing light — even on the hardest days.

Desney King brings a lifetime of wisdom to this conversation as an editor, an author and a human who has had to radically reimagine what it means to keep creating.

Desney’s novel Transit of Angels was published through Pilyara Press, a groundbreaking Australian publishing collective built on skill-sharing, goodwill, and professional standards. Founded by bestselling author Jennifer Scoullar, Pilyara Press operates without money changing hands internally. Instead, members exchange expertise in editing, proofreading, publicity, and production, while retaining creative control and global reach through print-on-demand and e-books.

In this episode, Desney explains how the collective works and why it offers a powerful alternative to both traditional and solo self-publishing — one grounded in professionalism, collaboration and care.

At the heart of our conversation is Transit of Angels, a quiet, devastating, and hopeful novel about grief. The story follows Angelica, a young woman whose husband dies suddenly in a motorbike accident, and traces her journey through loss, love, and the slow return of possibility. Desney describes it as an “unsexy love story”, one where love persists even in the darkest moments.

Desney also shares her deeply personal experience of surviving multiple strokes and living with visible and invisible disabilities, including cognitive impairment and severe fatigue. Once known for her structural editing superpower, she now finds long-form fiction beyond her capacity and has adapted by turning to novellas and collaborative memoir.

Rather than giving up, Desney has reshaped her creative practice: shorter forms, slower pacing, strong rituals and deep trust in process. Her approach to writing now is intentional, gentle and fiercely committed.

We talk about:
• why rushing self-publishing does real harm
• the non-negotiable value of professional editors and proofreaders
• letting go of the book you thought you’d write, to honour the one you can
• collaboration as a creative lifeline
• and the quiet power behind her catchphrase: Never give up

This episode is a reminder that authorship isn’t defined by speed, productivity or word count, but by devotion to the story, however it needs to be told.

Key Moments to Listen For
• How Pilyara Press works as a publishing collective
• Transit of Angels and writing grief with hope and restraint
• Why professional editing is essential — not optional
• Writing after stroke: adapting form without losing voice
• “Never give up” as a daily, conscious choice

Resources & Links
• Transit of Angels – Desney King
• Website: https://desneyking.com.au/
• Instagram:   / desneykingauthor  
• Facebook:   / desneykingauthor  
• LinkedIn:   / desney-king-5ba31133  
• YouTube:    / @desneykingauthor  

Your Next Steps
• Share this episode with a writer who needs encouragement today
• Keep challenging the myth that self-published means second rate