I'm not doing anything, and yet I'm also doing the most important thing a man can do: I'm listening to what I needed to hear from myself.
Paulo CoelhoRead
Writing is a solitary experience. I'm extremely superstitious. If I talk about the book or name the title out loud before finishing, I feel the energy I need to write will be drained. It's so intimate, I can't even share it with my wife.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing is a deeply personal and private process that can be influenced by superstitions.
In this quote, Paulo Coelho reflects on the solitary nature of the writing process, emphasizing how personal and intimate it feels to him. He expresses a superstitious belief that discussing his work before it's completed can drain his creativity and energy, highlighting the vulnerability and intensity involved in creating art.
Themes
WritingSolitudeCreativitySuperstitionIntimacyArt
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, one could use this quote to emphasize the personal nature of the writing process.
More from Paulo Coelho
All quotes →Each stone, each bend cries welcome to him. He identifies with the mountains and the streams, he sees something of his own soul in the plants and the animals and the birds of the field.
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We need to clear our minds of bad thoughts.
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Having the courage to take the steps we always wanted to take is the only way of showing that we trust in God.
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The fool who loves giving advice on our garden never tends his own plants
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Sometimes the Warrior feels as if he were living two lives at once.
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