No matter why you write, there is a common element that ties all writers together. We are all on a journey of discovery. We don’t just write to express what we think. We write in order to discover what we think.

For many writers, it goes even deeper than that. It’s an itch they keep on scratching, but it never seems to quite go away. This itch is what we call a life theme. It’s a theme, a statement, or an idea that ties your body of work together.

This isn’t true for all writers. But for most, it is. They write because there is a singular theme that resonates from their soul. It’s a golden thread that ties it all together.

This was true of Maya Angelou. She said, “In all my work what I try to say is that as human beings we are more alike than we are unalike.” That was her golden thread.

Is there a theme or idea that you keep coming back to? Something you’re trying to say, but you never quite feel you get it right? That feeling of not getting it quite right is not an indication that you’re inadequate. It’s a sign that you still have more to say.

Don’t be afraid of your golden thread. In fact, lean into it. The more you do, the more your writing will resonate with people because it represents the truth of who you are and how you see the world.

And if you have been true to your golden thread, someday you’ll be able to look back on your body and work and see how that golden thread has been woven into a stunning tapestry.

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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. 

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