You’ve probably heard of the Jules Verne novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, which was published in 1864. It was also made into a movie, both in 1959 and 2008. 

In each version of the story, a group of scientists and adventurers travel deep into the Earth. They encounter all sorts of unexpected creatures and dangerous situations, sometimes barely escaping the jaws of death. 

That is often how we view writing. We look at it as a journey that takes us somewhere else. Most of the time, our normal lives seem pretty boring in comparison to the worlds we can imagine. 

But look at it from the opposite viewpoint. You don’t have to take a crazy, dangerous journey somewhere to have a meaningful adventure. All you have to do is take a journey to the center of YOU. 

The filmmaker Joss Whedon said, “I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I’m afraid of.” 

Don’t be afraid to explore the unknown. The unknown regions of your heart and mind are far more exciting and terrifying than any place you could ever go on earth. Then when you write about them, you can take us along for the ride, too.