mikmaster

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How To Write a Novel

How To Write a Novel

  I stumbled upon an article while browsing for tips and tricks on writing, and thought it was really helpful. Writing can be intimidating, especially with a first draft. It’s so overwhelming, and hard to decide where to start. Some writers argue that you should start at the endof the novel. Some argue that you should begin with crafting your characters. I’m sort of in that place right now where…

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The Origin of Words, etc.

The Origin of Words, etc.

There are a large portion of words that make sense. Undergarments: articles of clothing that you wear under your garments. Got it. Tablecloth: a cloth that you put on top of a table. These words just make sense. However, I would say that the greater portion of words don’t make sense.

My friend and I recently had a thoughtful conversation about the meaning of words. Now you may be thinking that…

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Vending Machine For Writers

Vending Machine For Writers

I think vending machines have a personal vendetta against me. It’s not something I noticed at a young age, but after countless incidents, I began to wonder if they were conspiring against me. 

When I was a kid, I would always make my grandpa hand over all his quarters so I could put them in the 25 cent machine. Gum balls, plastic rings, temporary tattoos, you know the drill. I was always…

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"There's No Job Security in Writing."

“There’s No Job Security in Writing.”

You’re catching up with extended family at a Christmas get together. When you’re home for winter break, all your family members are asking, “how is school going?”

Then your aunt asks the question you’ve been dreading.

“What’s your major?“

You sigh, because you know it’s coming. “English,” I answer. I brace myself for what is sure to follow. I always hope there will be just a nod of approval, but…

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Favorite Fairy Tales "Aren't you too old for Disney World?" I was 13 years old the first time I had my heart broken.

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Write It Out: Busting Writer's Block & Creating Your Own Inspiration

Write It Out: Busting Writer’s Block & Creating Your Own Inspiration

Every time I hear any promise of alleviation when it comes to writer’s block, I an immediately overcome with excitement, determined I have found the cure. Each and every time this happens, I am disappointed to find that I have not, in fact, discovered a groundbreaking tactic for overcoming the dreaded writer’s block. Some are more helpful than others, but when you find a technique that improvesyo…

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Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

When I read today’s topic from The Daily Post, countless ideas flooded my mind. If I could be any celebrity for one day, who would it be?

My first thought was whatever supermodel was fortunate enough to be currently dating Leonardo DiCaprio. No, that would be a waste of the day. (I’ll come back for you , Leo.)

After that notion faded, my mind came to a few of my favorite directors. Frank Darabont 

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Writer's Block, Flighting Idea Syndrome and Other Pleasantries

Writer’s Block, Flighting Idea Syndrome and Other Pleasantries

I imagine that many bloggers would consider themselves writers. I haven’t posted any of my real writing on here, but I suppose that writing a blog post is similar to writing a story (be it a short story, a novel, a poem, etc.)

I consider myself a writer but, as I’ve said before, it’s less than a profession but more than a hobby. However, I, like most writers, often encounter problems while…

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The Story Of My Name

The Story Of My Name

Since one of the “5 Posts to Write Right Now” according to The Daily Post was the story of your name, I decided I would share mine.

There was no particular reason my parents chose Mikaela over their other choices – Madison, Megan, and Nicki. Well, except for my uncle convincing my mom that Nicki sounded like a stripper name.

As most of you are probably aware, there are a few different spellings…

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Hush, Hush - By: Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush – By: Becca Fitzpatrick

Being home for summer, you have to get creative to keep yourself entertained. And I figured a good way to keep busy would be to start putting a dent in the infinite stack of books I have purchased but not read.

I decided on Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I bought this book a while back. It was on sale for $5 at Barnes and Noble in honor of the upcoming release of the final book in the series.…

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Let The Right One In

Let The Right One In

Let The Right One In, released in 2008, is a Swedish horror film starring Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson. You can watch the trailer for the film here, or watch it in it’s entirety on Netflix. The film is based off of a novel of the same name by John Adjvide Lindqvist. If there’s one thing about Let The Right One In, it’s that it cannot be easily categorized. While it is considered both a…

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Dare to Ask The Universe

Dare to Ask The Universe

I stumbled across this excerpt from a commencement speech that actor Jim Carrey gave at Maharishi University of Management. You can find the speech in its entirety here, but what Carrey says in this excerpt is so profound. He talks about why you should go after your dreams, and how his father inspired him to do so.

Carrey’s father,…

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Confessions of a Not-So-Perfect Perfectionist

Confessions of a Not-So-Perfect Perfectionist

I think it’s safe to say that anyone who considers themselves a writer has dealt with two things: Writer’s block, and your ruthless inner critic.

I recently posted about my first experience with Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way. The first section features a segment about what Cameron calls “The Morning Pages.” Essentially, this is a daily practice of writing three unfiltered, unedited pages…

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The Greatest Movie Ever Made

The Greatest Movie Ever Made

What is the greatest movie ever made?

It’s a loaded question. There’s no possible way to ever get a definitive answer, unfortunately. How would you even go about deciding? You could look to box office success and decide that way (accounting for only theatrical revenue, that would be James Cameron‘s Avatar). You could poll movie critics, movie-goers, filmmakers… But it’s unlikely that you would…

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Verbal Ticks

Since I haven’t posted in a while, I thought I would tackle a few posts today. In this post, I am addressing a question posed by The Daily Post. However, this post includes much more than just that. I preface with discussing the power of words, so that once you reach the actual question, you will have a more imaginative mindset to answer an interesting question.

  The Daily Post’s question today…

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22 Jump Street

Last night, I went to the theater to see 22 Jump Street. This film is the sequel to 21 Jump Street (not to be confused with the TV series starring Johnny Depp).

The films, 21 Jump Street (2012) and the new release, 22 Jump Street, star Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.

Admittedly, I am typically pretty hard on the comedy genre. It really reminds me of horror, in that it is a very polarizing genre. I…

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The Mist (2007)

So this will be my first post after my unannounced (and unintentional) hiatus. Fortunately for you all, my hiatus was filled with tons of movies to review, after binge watching for the better part of a week.

Directed by Frank Darabont, based off the novella by Stephen King, The Mist was my favorite of the horror films I gorged on this week. You can read the NY Times review here.

To be completely…