“When I have an idea, I turn down the flame, as if it were a little alcohol stove, as low as it will go. Then it explodes and that is my idea.”
- 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
“When I have an idea, I turn down the flame, as if it were a little alcohol stove, as low as it will go. Then it explodes and that is my idea.”
Explanation
In this quote, Hemingway describes his creative process in terms of gradual ignition and sudden explosion. He likens an idea to a slowly simmering substance on an alcohol stove, where he reduces the intensity or focus of his thoughts until the idea builds up and eventually explodes into clarity. This process suggests that Hemingway does not force ideas or rush through them. Instead, he allows them to slowly develop in his mind, gradually gaining intensity and focus. When the moment is right, the idea erupts with full force, and he knows that it has taken shape. The image of an idea exploding is fitting, as it conveys the burst of clarity or sudden insight that often accompanies creative breakthroughs.
Hemingway was known for his economical, precise writing style, and this quote reflects his understanding of how the best ideas don’t come through constant effort or pressure but rather through allowing time and space for them to mature. He believed in the power of introspection and quiet reflection to allow ideas to form, and the idea of turning down the flame suggests his preference for a more subtle, organic approach to creativity, rather than forcing immediate results. Once the idea is fully formed, it explodes onto the page with the force and clarity Hemingway sought in his writing.
In the modern context, this quote can speak to the importance of patience and space in the creative process. Today, in a world often obsessed with immediacy and instant results, Hemingway’s approach encourages us to recognize that some ideas need to slowly percolate before they come to fruition. It also suggests that insight and inspiration can’t be rushed but must be allowed to build up naturally, and when the time is right, they will manifest with a clarity that feels almost explosive. The metaphor of the alcohol stove reminds us that great ideas often emerge through quiet simmering, not through forceful striving or pressure.
