Donald Miller's Blog, page 161

What Makes This Paragraph so Great?

When I first started writing I made the mistake of thinking I should be descriptive. I’d envision every scene and describe things, the trees as tall as flag poles, the wind coming across the field like music and all that flowery like this and like that. But in truth, many of the great writers don’t describe much at all. It’s true you’ll read Fitzgerald or Steinbeck and feel like you are in the scene, but when you take a second look at the description, there isn’t a whole lot there.

Instead of adj

Any suggestions on a to-do list for the dog boarder?

My assistants son, Riley (approximately 12.5-years old) will be keeping Lucy (approximately 5-months old) while I am away this weekend speaking at a conference, and all next week while I am traveling down south. It’s costing me $20 a day, which isn’t bad when you consider the going rates at a kennel. Still, I am putting together a bit of a to-do list for Riley. Got any suggestions on what I can add to it?

Here tis:

1. Daily feeding.
2. Daily walks (1 short and 1 long, total of an hour or so.)
3. Da

How to Write a Book Part II

I taped my writing session today. Thought you’d like to see it. I often speak German when I write, so that explains my rant.

A Great Start to Your Tuesday Morning

My friend Chase Reeves sent me this video . A great way to start the day. I realize it’s already afternoon where some of you are, but I hope this helps you get through the rest of tuesday.

A Quick Update on Lucy

The bad news: She does have a drinking problem.

The good news: It’s just Vanilla Cream. But that’s how it starts.

Pray for her all the same. Hope you’re having a great Saturday!

Can I get your feedback on a book cover concept?

We are working on the cover for “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” and are moving in several directions at once. I really liked the idea of having a black and white cover (it’s a hardcover book, so this will be a slip cover) that feels a bit more narrative. The publisher is working on comps, too, to take it in other directions, so we are wide open. I asked the illustrator if he wouldn’t mind me asking your opinion about this cover, though. The typeface will change, but the image is what I’m c

My Mom bought a car! It’s a…

It’s a camry. Thanks mostly to you guys for talking her into it. She read all of your suggestions and settled on the Camry. She drove a couple of them over a couple weekends but they didn’t have sunroofs, and she really wanted a sunroof. Then, out of the blue a dealer said he had the car for her. How awesome. Mom had a great time reading your comments and I think she even e-mailed a few of you. Hope that was okay.

Mom works at a place called “The Design Firm” which is an interior design shop in H

Why They Stay on Top

I’ve read a number of reviews for No Line on the Horizon, the new release from U2. Some think it’s a masterpiece, others think Bono and the boys must have put it together over the weekend. 

The variety of reviews made me wonder what kind of pressure the four kids from Dublin must feel when they step into the studio. And I’m not talking about a fear of the critics. The critics are the least of their worries. Imagine being a 50-year old family man, spokesman for a global aid organization and mediat

Matt Wertz and The Alternate Routes

Enjoyed dinner tonight at the Doug Fir with Matt Wertz and Tim Warren, frontman for The Alternate Routes, a band new to me but apparently a staple for a lot of folks. I ended up not being able to get into the show because my license was expired (really? you’re really not going to let me in?) and the guys were on stage so it was a lost cause, but the conversation was worth the outing. And I’ve since come home and bought more than a few of A/R’s songs, including their entire first album, and I’m s

Stop My Mother from Buying an Ugly Car

When Clint Eastwood released a movie called Gran Torino, it brought back haunting memories. Not of Clint Eastwood, or of the socio-economic and racial prejudice that serves as a theme for the movie (I haven’t seen the movie yet) but of the actual car. It was the first car I remember my mother bringing home. My sister and I were at my grandmothers house when my mom drove up in the early 70’s model Ford. My sister and I were so excited we jumped up and down on the back seat (which was twice the si