Catalyst

Archive for the ‘writing’ Category

Speakers and writers have the responsibility to convey an idea to another in a way they can understand and evaluate.

Grammatical mistakes interrupt readers as well. When a speaker says, “Jeff and me went to the store,” the listener immediately assumes he is undereducated. Learn to use syntax correctly and you will allow even the most erudite to listen easily.

Eliminate passive voice. Rather than  “The book was bought by me,” employ active voice by writing“I bought the book. ” While you can use passive voice, use it sparingly.  Run your writing through a grammar checker in a word processor to snuff out passive voice from your writing.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller

If they made a movie from the story of your life, would you buy a ticket?  Would it even make it to DVD on the “cheap shelf?

For Donald Miller, his adventure into writing a screenplay based on his life taught him one thing–his life was boring. He needed to find a story and develop a character. His book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years takes a Picassoesque approach to the pursuit of meaning in life and creating a better life story.

Miller’s book reads like a rafting trip on a river. It starts slow, picks up speed, and then pumps adrenalin through your heart. When Miller describes life, you find him slipping into your shoes. The routine is familiar. He explains why we sit on comfortable couches, eating chips and mindlessly drinking sodas. We enjoy the comfort but want something more. So the reader follows him as he kayaks down a river to meet a man named Bob. (You want to meet your own Bob one day.) You pant as you make your way up a Peruvian hillside. You feel the ache in your calves as you pedal cross-country with him.  More than that, you feel the tears that comes from living a genuine life.

Miller aptly points out that character comes from overcoming obstacles. Most Americans seek to avoid obstacles. Is that why character slips a little more each day? All need to write an epic story with their life. Try great things. Challenge yourself. Pour yourself out for others. Then you have something worthy of epic.

I came away from Miller’s book with more than appreciation. It sparked a small flicker of desire for more than the routine. His masterful weaving of story blew the embers into flame to be more genuine, more daring, and more creative. Whether I ever bike across America or plant a tree in the Sub-Sahara, I will let Donald Miller have a key to my home any time. He is always welcome.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life is published by Thomas Nelson Publishers and is available online and at bookstores.