TAKE TWO
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
—Neale Donald Walsch
When the above quote appeared in my Twitter stream, it gave me pause.
“Comfort zone” is an expression we use often, but rarely do we contemplate how it affects our daily choices, both as writers and humans. “Comfort” implies safety and security—a warm and fuzzy place, akin to your grandma’s lap with the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking.
Why would anyone want to push past that? I’ll tell you: Because getting comfortable in your comfort zone is dangerous. Resisting change paralyzes your writing and personal growth.
Let’s call it what it really is: the “familiar zone.” Living life in familiarity isn’t [insert yawn]. bestselling authors don’t write familiar stories; they push their characters farther and explore new worlds, often having their work rejected over and over before finally finding a publishing champion. I wouldn’t use “comfortable” to describe that life.
