How Many Universes Fit on the Head of a Pin

All right. Universes. Within universes. That's what I promised.

I found this site recently. It's a universe. And if you open it up, it's full of galactic superclusters, which are full of galaxies. And you can keep going down, smaller and smaller, into star systems, into planets, into towns, into people.

Yes, into people. What they're made of. What they're thinking. What's in their pockets.

What? No! Who would do that?

What does this have to do with writing? Everything! There is so much potential inspiration here. There are whole lives being lived in here. You could pick one city, on one planet, and just expand the information you find there into a story.

Not deep enough for you? Not immersive enough? Wish you could see a planet, in a galaxy, in a universe, inside the blood vessels of a guy named Stan? No problem, you can go there too. Universes within universes.  I was just exploring a souvenir shop that exists inside a hydrogen proton in an amoeba (which in turn lived on the arm of a tourist named Jessica). I have spent way too much time wandering around in there.

It might just be words on a screen, but there are millions of stories in there. And when you think about it, stories are just a bunch of words anyway. It might not be your cup of tea, but I can’t stop digging deeper, wondering what sharks are thinking (and why they’re always yelling).

I think if I ever find myself in need of a setting for a story, I might just go wandering around in there. Maybe if I dig deep enough, I'll find myself.