M.L. Desir's Blog, page 3
February 16, 2021
A letter to Hurston.
This. Is. Gorgeous!
Notebook Pages from a Black Non-binary Liberated Flapper
There are years that ask questions and years that answer” ZNH
Dear Ms. Hurston, or can I call you Zora? When asked to have a conversation with a writer from the past I chose you. I would choose you again, and again, and again, as I have chosen you before. I have chosen your words as beloved friends many times before. Your expansive teachings are so close to me that it was hard for me not to.
...
February 15, 2021
Canva is Free, Fun, and Fabulous!
If you haven’t heard, Canva is a graphic design platform, used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content.
I have been using Canva throughout the past few years and honestly, if I can create things with it — you can too! It’s really, really easy! And did I mention fun?!
This morning I created a new cover for my Facebook author page. I’m also actively building my tutoring clients. If you or someone you now is in need of a tutor, please don’t...
January 28, 2021
Pitfalls to Avoid: Mary Sue Characters
You: “Oh man, people are going to love my female MC. She’s a total badass!”
Friend: “Why?”
You: “Because she has all sorts of magic at her disposal, she can fight with swords, she’s got a genius-level IQ, and she’s beautiful. Guys just swoon for her, but she’s a virgin, saving herself for her True Love.”
Friend: Rolls eyes. “Of course. What does she do?”
You: “I’ve got a whole series of books planned. She’s from a fantasy world, but she’s transported to o...
January 24, 2021
The Horror! THE HORROR! A Writing Exercise on How to Scare Readers
EVERY SATURDAY for the month of January I’ve shared exercises from my popular writing guideBack To Creative Writing School. This is the last one and it’s an extract from a much longer exercise in the book. I hope you…well, perhaps enjoy isn’t quite the right word.(Horror fiction) shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory, and that every moment we teeter on chaos and oblivion – Clive Barker
Karl Albrecht writing in Psychology Today...
Ways to create a writing habit, even when every day is unpredictable
Last week, I spoke about how my writing habit had been crushed and re-shaped by the pandemic. And as part of the re-adjustment, I’ve been thinking of different ways to make a writing habit. The thing is, every day is unpredictable at the moment. And so the typical habit-making behaviour of picking a set time each day to write isn’t working. In fact, I’m often finding that my other commitments (work, uni, health) mean that my timings change day to day. So I’m trying th...
5th Annual Haiti Week
Vanderbilt University’s Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) will host its 5th Annual Haiti Week with virtual programs from February 9 through 11, 2021. On February 10, 12:10-1:00pm CST, CLASpresents “Translating Haiti: A Conversation” with Nathan Dize (Vanderbilt University) and Vanessa K. Valdés (The City College of New York-CUNY). Advanced registration is required. To register, see below:
All events will use the same Zoom meeting link. Register once to rece...
January 9, 2021
When I Mentioned Love
In my previous post, I mentioned that I love the country I was born in.
This is partially true.
I do not love, but despise its past and current state she is in and the masquerade of arrogant exceptionalism she has had the privilege to strut around in while simultaneously “preaching” to other countries with bombings and politically destabilizing them into “being better”.
I love the idealization of her, which is not the same thing as loving her as she is, was, and has yet to be.
And...
December 31, 2020
2020 Year-End Reflection – En garde, Indeed.
Trigger Warning: depression, death, dying, etc.
Have you ever wanted to hype yourself with positive, sunshiny cheery vibes only for reality to show up, snatch that silver lining, and smack you upside the head so bad before dragon punching the honeyed taste of optimism out of your mouth, leaving you bloodied, battered, and oh-so effing confused that you found yourself staring up at the sky laced with stars and questioning the universe?
Questioning your whole existence?
Not asking questio...
December 1, 2020
Level Up Your Writing with Colorful Prose!
What is prose?
Prose is a form of written language, which typically resembles ordinary speech. It usually looks blocky on the page. It flows naturally. It can be creative. In fact, I’m using prose right now.
There are many different kinds of prose. The most common types are:
NonfictionalFictionalHeroicProse Poetry
These four types branch off into more specific categories such as novels, biographies, memoirs, plays, and short stories (to name just a few).
That’s not what I want to ...
November 25, 2020
Books I Have Read and Reviewed (Thus Far) in 2020
This is definitely not an exhaustive list and I’m sharing a few now as this year (unravels?) to a close. 
