Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Invitation


So this is how I spend my days: lovin' on my baby. And oh, am I ever in love! I'm sure I was like this with my other boys, but somehow in the interim between infants I forgot how head over heels this mommy feels when it comes to a fresh-from-God babe. Bliss. I was made for this.

But I was also made for writing... And I'm back at it! Actually, in spite of my lack of sleep, I woke up in the middle of the night a few days ago with a fully fleshed-out scene playing like a movie reel in my mind. Nothing could be more fun for my author side! I got up and hammered it out as fast as I could. Ever since, it's like a floodgate has been opened. In other words, it's time for me to get back into the swing of things. Slowly, of course. ;)

Anyway, today I would like to issue an invitation... But let me give you a little background first. We only have one TV in our home and it happens to be tucked into the basement. I'm a fresh air and sunshine sort of a girl, so I don't go down there often. Truth is, I'd rather read a book upstairs than watch the tube down. So, you can imagine how many books I've read throughout my month-long maternity leave. I am, after all, nursing. I was planning to write a couple posts highlighting some of the incredible reads that have kept me entertained these past weeks. But there is one book that deserves much more than a quick review.

Have any of you read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller? It's a popular book--I'm certainly not the first to recommend it. But I do recommend it. Highly. In fact, I would dare say that A Million Miles is one of the most influential books that I've read in the past ten years. Yup. It was that transformational. And I want to talk to someone about it... It's not enough to have read it. I want to discuss it.

So why not discuss it here? For the next few months, I'm going to host a sort of book club. Every Monday I'll write a post about a chapter of Miller's book. If you want to pick up the book and follow along, great! If not, I believe A Million Miles offers enough challenge and insight to make participation in our discussions meaningful for even a first time reader of my blog. It's a win-win.

Still not convinced? Let me tell you a bit about the book... From the back cover copy: After writing a successful memoir, Donald Miller's life stalled. During what should have been the height of his success, he found himself unwilling to get out of bed, avoiding responsibility, even questioning the meaning of life. But when two movie producers proposed turning his memoir into a movie, he found himself launched into a new story filled with risk, possibility, beauty, and meaning. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years chronicles Miller's rare opportunity to edit his life in a great story...


Ultimately, I believe this book is about helping the rest of us edit our lives into a great story. I know I've been giving my own story a lot of thought these days. And, if that's not compelling enough, Miller spends a lot of time discussing the concept of story itself. What makes a good story? What sorts of characters are readers drawn to? What makes a tale memorable? Though I didn't expect to glean writing advice from this book, I have to admit I learned a lot about my craft.

So, there you have it. For the next several Mondays I'll be posting (and longing for your comments and interactions!) about A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Get thee to a bookstore and join the fun! Or jump in whenever you feel so led. I hope this turns into a very meaningful, and possibly even inspiring, exercise.

If you plan to read along, let's cover the first three chapters by next Monday (Random Scenes, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and They Fell Like Feathers). Don't worry, they're not long, and my guess is you'll actually want to keep reading. See you in a week!

9 comments:

  1. Count me in! I actually just bought this book last weekend, but I've been volunteering a lot at my daughter's school during her first week back so I haven't gotten the chance yet to read more than the first few pages. Looking foward to discussing it!

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  2. I loved Blue like Jazz!! I'm going to check this book out. Happy snuggling!

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  3. Sounds great! I actually just finished the book about an hour ago! I am looking forward to the online discussions...

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  4. Oh, how I want to! I've heard such great things about this book that I put it on hold at my library a few weeks ago, but I'm eighth in line. Maybe I'll just follow along until I get it... or perhaps I'll go out and buy it (it's not as though I could ever have too many books, is it?)

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  5. Oh, I'm so glad you're interested! It's such a great book and so chock-full of incredible insights (for writing and for life). Yay. :) Believe it or not, I think this book is better than Blue Like Jazz (I loved Blue, too), and totally worth the purchase price. My copy is dog-eared, highlighted, and filled with notes. It's just that sort of book.

    Looking forward to Monday!

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  6. Guess what book I picked as one of our eight to carry in the suitcases to Laos? Guess I chose to re-read in the airport yesterday while waiting for our first guests. Yay. Count me in.

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  7. Oh, yay! I would love to. I will get thine? to a bookstore and buy it! Or to a library...whichever. Oh, and my cousin is reading The Moment Between as I type and she said she has this newfound appreciation for wine. Way to go, Nicole. :) I told her that after I read your book I put down on my list of things to do before I croak that I want to visit a vineyard. One of my favorite little factoids from reading TMB was learning that they put rose bushes at the ends of the vines so if a bacteria or fungus comes along it will attack the rose bush first and they'll know there's trouble brewing for the vines. Anyway, can't wait 'til Monday!

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  8. Time flies! Enjoy every moment you can with all your kids. I'm sure you do but I really enjoyed the first paragraph of this post.

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