“I wake up in the morning and my mind starts making sentences, and I have to get rid of them fast – talk them or write them down.”
- July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961
- American
- Novelist, poet, journalist
- Wrote masterpieces such as “The Old Man and the Sea,” “A Farewell to Arms,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954
Quote
“I wake up in the morning and my mind starts making sentences, and I have to get rid of them fast – talk them or write them down.”
Explanation
In this quote, Hemingway describes the spontaneity and urgency of his creative process. He compares the thoughts that come to him upon waking to sentences that need to be released quickly, either by speaking or writing. This suggests a sense of compulsion and a rapid flow of ideas, as though the act of writing is not a deliberate choice but a necessary outlet for the thoughts and words that crowd his mind. Hemingway’s emphasis on the speed of this process underscores the idea that for a writer, the creation of sentences is an instantaneous and unstoppable event, one that demands immediate attention before it dissipates or loses its urgency.
Hemingway’s approach to writing was often described as both natural and instinctual. His minimalist style, characterized by its directness and sparse use of words, reflects this spontaneous method of capturing thought. Hemingway’s writing wasn’t about overthinking or crafting complex sentences; rather, it was about allowing the words to flow out of him, almost as if they were already formed in his mind and simply needed to be put on paper. This process aligns with his belief in the naturalness of good writing, where the best ideas and sentences are often the ones that come quickly and without forced effort.
In the modern context, this quote speaks to the experience of creative flow that many writers, artists, or even entrepreneurs experience when they are deeply immersed in their work. The feeling of being overrun by ideas or thoughts that need immediate attention is common in any creative process, where inspiration strikes unexpectedly and requires quick action. In today’s world, this could relate to the pressures of writing for deadlines or content creation in the digital age, where the constant need for output often mirrors Hemingway’s own urgency to capture and express ideas before they are lost. It serves as a reminder that creativity often operates on its own timing, and the best moments of inspiration are those that can’t be ignored or delayed.
