M.L. Desir's Blog, page 43
November 11, 2018
Navigating Lit Mags: Why and Where to Publish – guest blog rewind by Bernard Grant
Navigating the world of literary magazines was difficult for me in the beginning. I initially set out to publish anywhere, so desperate for publication, I actually Googled easiest literary magazines to the publish in, or something to that extent, and came across visual and literary artist’s Michael Alexander Chaney’s “Top Lit Mags that REALLY do Publish Emerging Authors.” Some of the magazines on his list include Baltimore Review, Bayou Magazine, New England Review, River Tee...
November 9, 2018
November 9 post: Deep POV is shallow (and harming fantastic fiction)
A Potential Case Against Deep POV? A very interesting read.
I don’t feel like writing a story today so I’ll make a post on writing. This post will pull together different issues I have hinted or referenced in other posts, focusing on what I believe has become a serious problem in fiction literature, especially what is known as ‘genre writing’: the death of the narrator. I blame what is known as Deep Point of View, although perhaps a new term would be needed for what I will...
November 1, 2018
The Many Ways YA Books & The Community Isolates Teens
I think (I know) some people will probably disagree with me on this, but a fundamental assumption made in this post is that first and foremost, YA’s audience are teens ages 13-18.
This isn’t supposed to be a “adults can’t read YA!!!” post, nor is it supposed to argue who YA is for. I’m telling you straight out that I think YA is first & foremost for teens, and if you can’t at least understand (not necessarily agree, but understand) this assumption for the rest of this post, t...
October 5, 2018
NO FEE Submission call + editor interview – So to Speak Journal, DEADLINE: Oct. 8, 2018
Oooh la la!
So to Speak is a feminist literary journal and their blog is currently accepting submissions for their Immigration Series, including: The Feminist Artistic Process (Prose and Poetry writing, Visual Art, Photography); Micro (fiction or nonfiction); Book Review; Personal Essay; Experimental – Bending of Form, blending of genres.
I wondered how and why this journal came to be, so I asked Blog Editor Allison Tunstall and she kindly replied. See my interview with Tunsta...
Your Current Challenges Doesn’t Define Your Tomorrow
Thanks to OJ’s positive message!
Just because your current situation of living is looking PALE and TOUGH, DOESN’T mean your future is not COLORFUL…
Ojspride
If you cannot walk past the darkness (troubles, hard times, etc) facing you today…., then your colorful future will be in JEOPARDY.
Remember that;
Before getting to any great destination in life…. One must overshadow the hurdles and circumstances, laid out by life.
Be brave, keep living, Keep Smiling, Love, Laugh…, and take ONE...
October 4, 2018
Fatal Flaws: Why Your Story is Falling Apart & How to Fix It – by Kristen Lamb…
Kristen Lamb tells it like it is in this entertaining post no fixing your (potentially) fatally flawed story.
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog
Recently I blogged about the log-line, how it’s an incredible diagnostic tool for spotting flaws in a story idea. The brilliance of the log-line is the simplicity. As an editor/writing coach, I can zero in on a story’s every strength and spot every flaw with a single glance at the log-line.
How? Because the log-line is a prototype (a scaled-down mod...
October 3, 2018
Outlining Your Novel – Whether You’re a Plotter or a Pantser – by Harrison Demchick…
Harrison Demchick shares great ways on outlining your story.
September 24, 2018
How To Write In Deep POV
As a writer who has spent the last few years drafting a four book YA series, I thought I’d gained a good grasp on how to write.
I’d ironed out the head hopping that embarrassingly featured way too much in my first drafts. I’d mastered ending each chapter with a cliffhanger. And I’d worked out writing from a multi-character point of view (POV) was my thing.
So earlier this year when I received another publisher rejection for book one, I realized maybe nailing just those things wasn...
September 16, 2018
Creating Fantasy Food
Food is a vital part of life. It’s a major component in social interaction. It’s expressive of culture. And, let’s face it, we have to eat to live.
The characters in fantasy worlds are no different. They have to eat, and what they eat depends on where they live, their economic status, their culture, their personal preferences, and what time of year it is. Just like in our world.
The easiest way to create fantasy foods is to take something from our world and change the na...
4 Signs You’re Using Outdated Marketing Techniques
[image error]
Relevancy is everything in today’s marketing landscape. Things move at lightning speed in the digital world, so what worked for your business last year may not be very effective anymore.
Failing to adapt to change and sticking to the status quo can bring certain death to a business. For example, Kodak was once a powerful brand that controlled 90% of the United States’ film market in the 1970s. However, they never adjusted their mar...
