I'm always curious about how writers write. When I read this from Paulo Coelho's blog (and if you know me, you know I absolutely love Coelho!), I was inspired. And reassured.
See the original on his blog here.
But, thought I'd share it on my page, too. (As a reminder for me!) Here is what Coelho had to say about how he writes:
On Inspiration: "I procrastinate, check some emails ... then, I start. I write my books very quickly because I cannot stop."
On Confidence: "You cannot sell your next book by underrating your book that was just published. Be proud of what you have."
On Simplicity: "What counts in a good story is the person inside. Keep it simple."
On Trust: "Trust your reader. Don't try to describe things. Give a hint and they will fulfill this hint with their own imagination."
On Writing: "I write the book that wants to be written. Behind the first sentence is a thread that takes you to the last."
On Expertise: "You cannot take something out of nothing. When you write a book, you use your experience."
On Critics: "Writers want to please their peers. They want to be recognized. Forget about this. Who cares? You should care to share your soul and not to please other writers who will write a review that nobody is going to read."
On Overcoming Stagnation: "If I don't feel inspired, I need to move forward. You need to have be disciplined."
On Research: "If you overload your book with a lot of research, you are going to be very boring to yourself and to your reader. Books are not there to show how intelligent you are. Books are there to show your soul."
On Notetaking: "I use notes to take them out of my head. I will never use them the next day - they will be useless."
On Story Arcs: "There are only four types of stories: love story between 2 people, love story between 3 people, a struggle for power, and a journey."
On Style: "Don't try to innovate storytelling. Tell a good story and it is magical. I see people trying to work so much in style, finding different ways to tell the same thing. It is like fashion. Style is the dress, but the dress does not dictate what is inside the dress. What counts is the person."
On Notetaking II: "If you want to capture ideas, you are lost. You are going to be detached from emotions and forget to live your life. You will be an observer and not a human being living his or her life. Forget notetaking. What is important remains, what is not important goes away."
This reminded me of why I love Coelho. And why (how) I write, as well ... although I struggle with the whys and hows. But, this reassured me. Share your soul. Be proud of your voice. Share your soul.
Photo by Jason Tavares
