Hello,
I have read your book the alchemist, and I was wondering where is the best place to write a book that is so intriguing? Is any place more inspirational than another?
I write virtually anywhere. When I wrote The Alchemist for instance I was in my apartment in Rio de Janeiro. In the other hand, in the case of my book The Zahir, I wrote it while traveling in Europe and Kazakhstan.
Having said this, I only write every two years and the very act of writing a book takes from 2 weeks to a month. The rest of the time I travel and I live the moment – knowing that it is during this period that the seed of a new story will appear.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
It is one of my longings to have your autographed books. Can you arrange some? do reply me. i am waiting.
Dear Sadaf,
Given problems that often occur with the post – I suggest you write to the paulo@paulocoelho.com.br
So that a signed card by me may be sent to you.
Please bare in mind that this takes up to 3 months – but it never fails.
Love
Paulo
I am stunned to learn that all your books you have written in less than one month.
Impressive ;o)
Thelma that’s so true, I also used to write on napkins in restaurants… Now I try to carry a notebook and pen with me always because my inspiration flows unexpectedly.
I wrote a short story more than 15 years ago, and only shared it with one person. I always wanted to share it, but was always reluctant. Because of Paulo’s blog and everyone here, I have gotten some inspiration to write again and to share it, so I will!
Thank you Paulo and everyone for sharing!
love
lily
I feel little inspired in nature,far away from city noise.
Dear Marie-Christine [Grandmother!! I am too. My grandson is 16 years old and my grandaughter is 12. The children of my eldest daughter}
You write on ... your hand and when you .... wash it your ... inspiration flies away... ;]
LOVE,
Thelma.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwcLpHx-ktM
Good rythm and pretty cool.
I write on my hand.
The inspiration of the Poets!!
You live, you dream, your senses accept the feelings, your mind works continuously, your subconscious too and when the … glass is full you just concentrate it and a new piece of art is born. Your new book!!
I have read that a poet used to write his verses even on the menus of restaurants, or a painter his sketches on small pieces of paper.. The flow of inspiration..
Thanks to the artists we have beauty in our lives.
LOVE,
Thelma
Jenovia,
Thank you very much, appreciated ! :)
God bless you !
Attractions.A tired person is looking for a rest.A hungry one-will not go to sleep without eating first.The lack of something makes us feel the necessity “to fill” “the emptyness” with whatever is missing(by hurring up,instead of “luggage” we’ve got “garbage” so often).Some people get inspired by “splendour” of worldviews(by never’ve been anywhere),others-want to see “the prison” from inside,just the firsts ask for “the one way ticket”,others-for return as well.We get inspired by something,which resonates with us,brings us to “wholeness”.
I wish I had so much spare time as you do! Wow! Two years living and a month working… that’s a dream life!
All the Best,
Gabriel
Santosh,
You have such great energy!!!! The light is so bright in your eyes, thank you for being so positive and sharing your light…we are all grateful.
“Do not stop if you are flowing because flowing of river never stops, do not hide if you want privacy because you cannot hide from your own self, let it come out and grow inside you like your own story.”
“Writers live in the world of imagination and at their fingertips.”
“Time stops and God within all of us awakens because at that very time there is some message which has to be revealed (like a tresure to be found) to the entire world.”
God bless you all !
Je pense qu’un écrivain ne s’arrête jamais d’écrire. Même s’il est question de donner naissance à un livre tous les 2 ans, vous ne cessez d’écrire entre temps. Des aphorismes, des contes, des articles… C’est ça qu’est bien. c’est le métier qu’on exporte, qu’on emporte avec soi où que l’on aille. Comme une seconde peau. Qui pourrait rêver plus pratique?
Dear Paulo:
It is a great inspiration to me to know that all of your books are written in such a short span of time – from two weeks to a month. I realize that there is a long gestation period before you begin to put the work to paper, but still this is impressive to me and, likewise, gives me great hope. First of all, I suffer from bi-polar disorder, which makes it difficult for me to attempt any project that stretches over a long period of time. Almost all of my work gets done during my manic phases, which last from a few weeks to a few months. When the mania runs out, the work stops and any project left unfinished is left to sit for more weeks or months before it is picked up again. At that point, I tend to lose interest. It is hard to go back and pick up where I left off. The inspiration that initiated the project is gone, the passion is dead, and I am left holding a work that, for whatever promise it may hold, I cannot bring myself to complete. Most of my writing projects end this way. So, if I set out to write a book with the idea that it will perhaps take me several years to complete it (as is normal with most writers, it seems), not only is this an unrealistic and unrealizable goal for me, it is a time span that is inconceivable from my point of view. The world turns on and off for me like a light switch, and anything requiring continuity over a long stretch of time is destined to fail.
On the other hand, when I am in one of my manic phases I tend to work frenetically. I go for weeks or months with little or no need for sleep whatsoever. I don’t suffer from insomnia – I just simply don’t go near the bed to even think of sleeping. It’s like the difference between having re-chargable batteries, and being plugged directly into a socket. When I’m manic, it seems I have no need to re-charge my body and my brain each night – I’m plugged directly into some invisible electrical socket. So, the point is: during such periods I am capable of getting the same amount of work done in a month that, under normal circumstances, might take a person a year or more.
When I was in school, in a creative writing program, almost all of my professors preached the same sermon: work every day with diligence, write even just a little at each sitting but do it persistently, and eventually (though it may take several years) the work will get done – the book will be finished. Well, needless to say, try as I might, no matter how many vows I made to myself to write in this way, it simply never worked for me. I would be manic for a while and I would be writing and I would be holding myself back, trying to maintain a “normal” schedule, trying to pace myself, trying to make myself sleep on a regular basis and eat on a regular basis and keep to the prescribed formula…and before long, as soon as the manic phase was gone, the work would fizzle out. Later, months or years later, when I would pick the project up again to think of working on it more, it seemed to me a dead thing – dead and lifeless and wholly uninteresting.
So, having read about the way you write your books, Paulo – from start to finish within a month – I’m going to try your formula next time…this time. I suspect it will fit me just perfectly.
Thank you for this and all of your posts!
Sincerely,
Savita Vega
I am stunned to learn that all your books you have written in less than one month.
Impressive ;o)
I came to Tunisia to finish my book…but it seems my soul is still learning something….growing…and until I complete this stage that I am in….I just can’t bring myself to add to it. This tells me that I am still living out some of the book. I get frustrated some times because I thought that if I just made it to my promised land…that all would fall into place. Waahahahaaa…how wrong I was. The lessons are even more abundant in this land.
The best place to write a book if fascinating …… in his heart, he is born; by the hand, he lives