--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to be a writer, not an engineer…" description: "\"I want to be a writer, not an engineer who writes books.\" — Paulo Coelho" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/paulo-coelho-10_book_i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-wh_2422846.jpg" --- # I want to be a writer, not an engineer who writes books. ![“I want to be a writer, not an engineer who writes books.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/paulo-coelho-10_book_i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-wh_2422846.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/paulo-coelho-10_book_i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-wh_2422846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/paulo-coelho-10_book_i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-wh_2422846.jpg) > “I want to be a writer, not an engineer who writes books.” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He distinguishes creative writing from technical writing, valuing artistic expression over functional documentation. **In simple terms:** Writers should pursue art, not just technical tasks. Key Takeaway Prioritize creative passion in your work. Themes creativity career identity Mood inspirational reflective Type career creative When to use this quote - career planning - education - personal fulfillment - writing workshops Key Concepts artistic integrity vocational choice Questions to Reflect On - Do you see a place for both roles? - How can you integrate creativity into technical work? A Different Perspective May undervalue the importance of technical skills. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't write the books. God writes the books and delivers the speeches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/i-don-t-write-the-books-god-writes-the-books-and-delivers-the-speeches/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“So it is that a writer writes many books. In each book, he intended several urgent and vivid points, many of which he sacrificed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/so-it-is-that-a-writer-writes-many-books-in-each-book-he-intended/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [The writer is the engineer of the human soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/the-writer-is-the-engineer-of-the-human-soul/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/a-writer-writes-if-you-want-to-be-a-writer-write/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [I've discovered my vocation. I want to be a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-discovered-my-vocation-i-want-to-be-a-writer/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“And don’t bother to deny it, because you just read it, so you have to be thinking about it. This is the way books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/and-don-t-bother-to-deny-it-because-you-just-read-it-so-you-have-to/) [Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/) > [You can't expect someone who has been in prison his whole entire life to turn around and become a sweet guy who writes books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norris-church-mailer/you-can-t-expect-someone-who-has-been-in-prison-his-whole-entire-life/) Norris Church Mailer > [“Carlo Levare (ok, a little weird writing in 3rd person) writes books because talking to himself in public is “frowned upon.” Indie author, professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-levare/carlo-levare-ok-a-little-weird-writing-in-3rd-person-writes-books/) Carlo Levare > [Many a fervid man writes books as cold and flat as graveyard stones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/many-a-fervid-man-writes-books-as-cold-and-flat-as-graveyard-stones/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [“He who writes books that aim to convince is a comedian, too, just a comedian. What has he got to offer others, apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-g-le-cl-zio/he-who-writes-books-that-aim-to-convince-is-a-comedian-too-just-a/) [J.M.G. Le Clézio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-g-le-cl-zio/) > [“It's been fun to have it take on a life of its own. I feel like I'm not even creating as much as I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/it-s-been-fun-to-have-it-take-on-a-life-of-its-own-i-feel-like-i-m/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [It ought to be a crime for any woman to have children that writes books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-dodge-daskam-bacon/it-ought-to-be-a-crime-for-any-woman-to-have-children-that-writes/) Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon > [In one of my favorite anecdotes about Foucault, someone asks him why he writes books. He responds by saying something like "When I begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/in-one-of-my-favorite-anecdotes-about-foucault-someone-asks-him-why/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [If you want to be a serious writer, then you have to write what there is to write about. If you're going to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-you-want-to-be-a-serious-writer-then-you-have-to-write-what-there/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I want to keep growing as a writer. I find myself doing unexpected projects and sort of challenging my idea of where I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-want-to-keep-growing-as-a-writer-i-find-myself-doing-unexpected/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want to be a writer, not an engineer who writes books.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-who-writes-books/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-who-writes-books/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/paulo-coelho-10_book_i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-wh_2422846.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/paulo-coelho-10_book_i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-wh_2422846.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/paulo-coelho-10_book_i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-wh_2422846.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want to be a writer, not an engineer who writes books.” — Paulo Coelho", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want to be a writer,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-who-writes-books/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-want-to-be-a-writer-not-an-engineer-who-writes-books/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```