--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... and I knew what I wanted: I would…" description: "\"“... and I knew what I wanted: I would settle in a hill station and write my novel. I had visions of myself at a table on a large veranda, my notes spr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/yann-martel-395_books_and-i-knew-what-i-wanted-i-would-settle_1580190.jpg" --- # ... and I knew what I wanted: I would settle in a hill… ![“... and I knew what I wanted: I would settle in a hill station and write my novel. I had visions of myself at a table on a large veranda, my notes spread out in front of me next to a steaming cup of tea. Green hills heavy with mists would lie at my feet and the shrill cries of monkeys would fill…” quote by Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/yann-martel-395_books_and-i-knew-what-i-wanted-i-would-settle_1580190.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/yann-martel-395_books_and-i-knew-what-i-wanted-i-would-settle_1580190.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/yann-martel-395_books_and-i-knew-what-i-wanted-i-would-settle_1580190.jpg) > ““... and I knew what I wanted: I would settle in a hill station and write my novel. I had visions of myself at a table on a large veranda, my notes spread out in front of me next to a steaming cup of tea. Green hills heavy with mists would lie at my feet and the shrill cries of monkeys would fill my ears. The weather would be just tight, requiring a light sweater mornings and evenings, and something short-sleeved midday. Thus set up, pen in hand, for the sake of greater truth, I would turn Portugal into a fiction. That's what fiction is about, isn't it, the selective transforming the reality? The twisting of it to bring out its essence? What need did I have to go to Portugal?”” [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator imagines a remote, misty setting to write a novel, seeking a place where nature and solitude inspire creative truth. **In simple terms:** Seeking a quiet, inspiring place to write fiction. Key Takeaway Find a setting that fuels your creative truth. Themes creativity solitude environment fiction truth Mood reflective dreamy inspirational Type literary philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing retreats - travel for inspiration - remote work - creative blocks - nature immersion Key Concepts artistic inspiration place-based writing imaginative immersion Questions to Reflect On - What environment best sparks your creativity? - Can isolation both help and hinder writing? A Different Perspective Ideal settings may be impractical; solitude can hinder discipline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cup of tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cup-of-tea/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Green hills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green-hills/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [That's what fiction is about, isn't it, the selective transforming of reality? 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But fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/i-m-really-not-interested-in-writing-about-science-at-all-i-mean-i/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [Fiction that isn't an author's personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn't worth writing for anything but money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/fiction-that-isn-t-an-author-s-personal-adventure-into-the/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I think fiction isn't so good at being for or against things in general - the rhetorical argument a short story can make is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-think-fiction-isn-t-so-good-at-being-for-or-against-things-in/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More by Yann Martel > [“It’s a big ocean crossed by busy ships. 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The weather would be just tight, requiring a light sweater mornings and evenings, and something short-sleeved midday. Thus set up, pen in hand, for the sake of greater truth, I would turn Portugal into a fiction. That's what fiction is about, isn't it, the selective transforming the reality? The twisting of it to bring out its essence? 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