Paulo Coelho’s Blog

What inspires the characterization of the protagonist especially in case of female protagonists? How much of that inspiration comes from real life?

I only allow myself to write every two years because I feel that I’ve gathered enough emotional energy to come up with a story. I never know, before sitting at my desk, if I’m going to have a female or a male voice.

All is very unpredictable. As in life, there is not always a rational explanation for certain choices. My literature is much more the result of a paradox than that of an implacable logic. The paradox is the tension that exists in my soul. Like in archery, the paradox is the bow that can be both tense and relaxed. I know that it’s important to have values in life, but I’ve always been more drawn to incoherence, because life is not static but rather like the tides, coming and going.

Real events, memories, longings, other stories - all fuse when I embark in a new story.