Hi. I’m Marisa. Pronounced muh-riss-uh, not muh-rees-uh. Unless you’re my parents, in which you case you roll the R and say muh-DEES-uh. But only if you’re my mom. My dad would say maw-dee-SAW. Also, there was a time when my older brother could only pronounce my name as maw-see-saw, but that is neither here nor there.
I’m one of two Iranian-Mexican-Citizen Potawatomi Nation people. (My brother is the other one.) I may be the only Marisa Mohi in the U.S. Other than that, I’m pretty normal.
I’m a Gen Y Oklahoma writer with two master’s degrees and a bad cake habit. I’ve been scribbling down ideas since my parents sent me to the 7-Eleven down the strip mall from their pizza restaurant to buy a memo pad and a highlighter so I didn’t spend all my time playing the Gilligan’s Island pinball machine in the lobby. If you buy me a drink, I’ll gladly tell you about the time I read Ramona Quimby, Age 8 in the second grade and realized that my true calling was to be a writer.
For the past three years I’ve been teaching Business Communication — a technical writing course — at my alma mater, the University of Oklahoma. I’ve also been freelance writing for a few local publications, and I’m always looking for my next feature writing assignment!
On this blog, I talk about the work of being a writer, whether that’s the day job or the side hustle. I talk about my everyday life, and things tend to get a little silly. And I also talk about balance between the two. I have to admit though, I’m mostly chasing that balance, but when I achieve it, you’ll be the first to know.
Favorite Posts
Work: 10 Ways to Make Time for Writing Even If You Think You’re Too Busy | Blog for Your Business: 5 Reasons You NEED This E-Course | 10 Writing Lessons I’ve Learned from The Fast and the Furious Franchise | Writing for an Audience: One Simple Writing Trick That Will Save You Every Time | Writing Only Gets Harder | 10 Fanfiction Stories I Want to Read | 10 Fictional Careers I’d Be Great At
Life: Reading Memories: Crying About Dr. Seuss and Frodo | How to Be a Morning Person | Why I Can’t Walk My Pit Bull Anymore | 5 Steps to a Better Night Time Routine | The Pedestal in His Workshop | The Real Beauty and the Beast Controversy! | Ghost Pictures (TAKEN IN MY NEW HOUSE OMG)
Balance: You’re Supposed to Be Here | Guarding the Fuck Bucket | The Transformative Practice of Saying No | Setting Your Own Agenda | Busy Is a Choice | If It Ain’t Yours, Don’t Carry It | Letter Board Quotes: Motivation for the Delightfully Unobliged