--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing a novel is like traveling the…" description: "\"“Writing a novel is like traveling the universe on foot.”\" — Dennis R. Miller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48b/dennis-r-miller-40133_books_writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-un_351826.jpg" --- # Writing a novel is like traveling the universe on foot. ![“Writing a novel is like traveling the universe on foot.” quote by Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48b/dennis-r-miller-40133_books_writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-un_351826.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48b/dennis-r-miller-40133_books_writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-un_351826.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48b/dennis-r-miller-40133_books_writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-un_351826.jpg) > ““Writing a novel is like traveling the universe on foot.”” [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing a novel is likened to a slow, exhaustive journey across the vast universe, emphasizing effort and exploration. **In simple terms:** Writing a novel is a long, exploratory trek. Key Takeaway Embrace the journey of writing. Themes creativity effort exploration Mood inspired determined Type creative process inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - solo drafting - research trips - creative retreats Key Concepts novel writing metaphor endurance Questions to Reflect On - What parts of writing feel like traveling? - How can you sustain stamina for long projects? A Different Perspective The metaphor may romanticize the difficulty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novel writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-writing/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“When I'm writing, really writing, everything but breathing is an ignorable distraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/when-i-m-writing-really-writing-everything-but-breathing-is-an/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“It seems to me that you might create any sort of character in a novel and there would be at least one person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soseki-natsume/it-seems-to-me-that-you-might-create-any-sort-of-character-in-a-novel/) [Sōseki Natsume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soseki-natsume/) > [“The story is the story is the story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-brien/the-story-is-the-story-is-the-story/) Heather O'Brien > [“Focus on writing first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyra-parish/focus-on-writing-first/) [Lyra Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyra-parish/) > [“When you're writing a book, it's rather like going on a very long walk, across valleys and mountains and things, and you get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-you-re-writing-a-book-it-s-rather-like-going-on-a-very-long-walk-2/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“One of the few things I know about writing is this:spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, right away, every time. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writing-is-this-spend-it-all-shoot-5/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“To write a book is to suspend the present and create a new reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-dudics-dean-aka-suzanne-quill/to-write-a-book-is-to-suspend-the-present-and-create-a-new-reality/) Susan Dudics-Dean aka Suzanne Quill > [“The difference between wanting to write and having written is one year of hard, relentless labour. It's a bridge you have to build all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shatrujeet-nath/the-difference-between-wanting-to-write-and-having-written-is-one/) Shatrujeet Nath > [Well,the fun part of being a writer is that it's like making a wonderful film, with no limit on my budget. I can design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/well-the-fun-part-of-being-a-writer-is-that-it-s-like-making-a/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [I love tour, but I don't like traveling at night or driving long hours. But I love touring. If my kids could be out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/i-love-tour-but-i-don-t-like-traveling-at-night-or-driving-long-hours/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [I also like to do physical things. I like swimming a lot. I like traveling. Not touring traveling but just plain traveling. I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-also-like-to-do-physical-things-i-like-swimming-a-lot-i-like/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Generally I don't like traveling around saying the exact same thing. I don't think that's a very good thing to do with your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/generally-i-don-t-like-traveling-around-saying-the-exact-same-thing-i/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [“like traveling without knowing what country you’re going to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-wright/like-traveling-without-knowing-what-country-you-re-going-to/) [Austin Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-wright/) > [“They must have looked like traveling companions, Phoebe thought, possibly even a couple. She noticed her voice leaning into laughter, how she tossed her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/they-must-have-looked-like-traveling-companions-phoebe-thought/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I love feeling the rhythm of other people's lives. It's like traveling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/i-love-feeling-the-rhythm-of-other-people-s-lives-it-s-like-traveling/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) ## More by Dennis R. Miller > [“I don’t care that it has been going on since the Old Testament. Rape is wrong and I will keep fighting violent men. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/i-don-t-care-that-it-has-been-going-on-since-the-old-testament-rape/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“When I'm writing, really writing, everything but breathing is an ignorable distraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/when-i-m-writing-really-writing-everything-but-breathing-is-an/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“For some offenses, there is only retribution." Nora Hawks, "One Woman's Vengeance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/for-some-offenses-there-is-only-retribution-nora-hawks-one-woman-s/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“Storytelling? God started that. Discovery. Lust. Murder. Revenge. Power. Sin. Redemption. Forgiveness. Miracles. We simply retell the stories in the language of our generation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/storytelling-god-started-that-discovery-lust-murder-revenge-power-sin/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“Writing is easy. Writing is hard. It's a breeze and a struggle, just like life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/writing-is-easy-writing-is-hard-it-s-a-breeze-and-a-struggle-just/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“Do you really think that laws made by men and a justice system maintained by men will ever be fair in cases of rape?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/do-you-really-think-that-laws-made-by-men-and-a-justice-system/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“For me, all writing -- storytelling and style -- gets back to the Bible, Twain and Hemingway, and not in that order.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/for-me-all-writing-storytelling-and-style-gets-back-to-the-bible/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“On Writing About Nora Hawks I write about a female character to try, in vain, to understand two things: the purpose of life, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/on-writing-about-nora-hawks-i-write-about-a-female-character-to-try/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“Another drink, another sentence, and the writing continues on. . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/another-drink-another-sentence-and-the-writing-continues-on/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“What fascinates me about writing is wrestling thought into reality and creating a new world that is forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/what-fascinates-me-about-writing-is-wrestling-thought-into-reality/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) [Explore all 11 Dennis R. Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing a novel is like traveling the universe on foot.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dennis R. Miller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-universe-on-foot/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-universe-on-foot/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48b/dennis-r-miller-40133_books_writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-un_351826.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48b/dennis-r-miller-40133_books_writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-un_351826.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48b/dennis-r-miller-40133_books_writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-un_351826.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing a novel is like traveling the universe on foot.” — Dennis R. Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dennis R. Miller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Writing a novel is like traveling...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-universe-on-foot/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-universe-on-foot/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```