School Visits
I’m currently offering three different talks. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
My Writing Journey
In this lecture Desmond takes students on his writing journey that starts with being inspired by reading about the “Muckrakers” in high school, with emphasis on Upton Sinclair’s THE JUNGLE. Then to studying journalism in college, to getting a job as an advertising copywriter by delivering a pizza. To becoming Spike Lee’s creative director and writing two Superbowl commercials. To writing and directing an award-nominated HBO movie and producing a multi-award-winning short film. To writing and directing an award-winning theater play in NYC. To becoming a YA author.
The Dynamics of Opposition
This is a hands-on workshop that gives students and in-depth perspective on creating their own work.
Desmond says, “When working on our stories, we need to create meaningful challenges for our protagonists, and many times we don’t create enough of them. Or those challenges lack the complexity needed to bring out your protagonist’s real character. But this issue can be solved by digging into the negative side of our stories as well as the protagonist’s perspective.”
In this “hands on” workshop we will explore different ways of generating obstacles that truly challenge our protagonist.
“Participants should come with a one to two sentence description of your story. Be ready to work on a 15-minute exercise where you will create obstacles that can be employed throughout your manuscript. We will discuss the results of the exercise and review the tools we’ve employed to create the type of opposition necessary to make a compelling plot.”
Advertising, Film, or Playwriting Discussion
Desmond is an award-winning advertising writer, screenwriter, and playwright. He can create a dynamic and engaging talk based on any of these three professions to fit the needs of the course(s) or interests that students are currently engaged with.
Book Now
Get in touch now to schedule a visit.