Episode 31: [BOOK CLUB] Why You Should Read "The Alchemist"

In this episode, Elizabeth and Stephanie discuss why "The Alchemist" is a book every writer, creative, and entrepreneur should read. They touch upon quotes that provide inspiration and guidance on your writing journey. We all have a "personal legend" to discover in our life, and when we follow the path to uncover who we're meant to be, the universe opens the doors to make it happen. It looks different for every person, and it might sound a bit "woo woo", but you'll discover "The Alchemist" is a book that you can go back to time and time again to reflect on your journey. 

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Transcript

0:01

Welcome fellow writers to the Inspired Writer Collective podcast, your go to hub for all things writing. We're your hosts, Elizabeth and Stephanie. Whether you're a seasoned wordsmith or just dipping your quill into the ink well of creativity, we're absolutely thrilled to have you with us. Drawing from our experience in publishing diverse writing genres and the daily grind of showing up for yourself, we're here to be your writing companions. Expect insightful discussions, expert tips, and a dash of inspiration as we navigate the twists and turns of the writing journey together. So whether you're listening on your commute, during your writing session, or just relaxing at home, get ready for an immersive experience that celebrates the art and joy of writing. Hi,

Elizabeth: 0:49

Welcome back listeners to another episode of the Inspired Writer Collective. You guys are listening from all around the globe. We've got listeners on every continent except Antarctica, so You know anyone doing some travel, please download an episode if you happen to be there but thank you so much to our listeners. Thank you for your subscribing to the channel and to the podcast Thank you for your likes. Thank you so much for your reviews. The reviews are really important So if you haven't done that yet, leave us a five star review. Let us know what you like about the podcast

Stephanie: 1:23

very

Elizabeth: 1:32

for this month we did the alchemist. So some of you may have had this as required reading in high school or college I personally never had it assigned So this was my first venture into this book, but I I went into it knowing that it was one That is on the list of here's a classic everyone needs to read. Here's something all artists need to read you know, it would be listed on those sorts of lists. And so Stephanie and I did that this month and we're so glad that we did. We both got a lot out of reading this. There's so much here for anyone. In the creative arts particularly with writing, but, but any journey. So we really encourage our fellow writers here to pick it up. It's a short read. It's not complex, but there are so many nuggets of wisdom packed into such a condensed book. Now this book has been out for ages, so you can easily find this at the, you know, second hand store, maybe even those, like, little library, you know, books on the, your neighbor's street corner, like, you can get your hands on a copy of this book. So we're going to do our best to unpack a lot of the big lessons and takeaways but mainly we're going to be relating the story. To the writing journey, so it'll be less of an analysis of writing style or storytelling or character development and more about the actual message and applying it to our writing journeys. So stephanie, why don't you kick us off? What was your experience like reading this book?

Stephanie: 3:09

Well, very similar to what you just shared. And it, too, was my first reading of the book, which kind of surprising to me just because read so many classics over time and been given so many books. And I, and I thought to myself, why hasn't this book landed in my hands? But then maybe now was the time that it was meant to land there. Because of Making this shift into the writing journey and it's new and it's, it's essentially like what my, as the book talks about, my personal legend, the path that I'm meant to be on. Because in October of last year, I was in Nepal and I had a meeting with an astrology guru who read my birth chart and all the signs. And, the meeting, he didn't have any me other than the chart. He didn't know anything. There was no interview or questionnaire. it was immediately from the beginning, it was all about how writing was the journey meant to be on. I'd been thinking about it for a while, but wasn't fully confident in it. And then in reading the alchemist, it just became more clear, this idea that know what we're meant to be doing. But then things come up along the way that maybe stop us in our paths or we think we're meant to be doing something. And it, it sounds woo woo. And, you know, there might be people out there who think like, Oh, you know, that just is too out there. Like the universe is not conspiring to help me. I mean, that particular idea is repeated multiple times in the book, that when you have this desire for something, the universe does make the path for you. Okay.

Elizabeth: 5:24

the alchemist is a classic example of the hero's journey so, you know the ordinary world the ordeal stepping into a new world the trials the dark night of the soul and then Ultimately returning with the elixir and all of that. So you may see some of those themes But we'll give some examples too of of how we've seen these different Like kind of moments or beats show up within our our own writing And so yeah, I think that's great when we're talking about that that personal legend stephanie I don't know I was asked on a podcast interview the other day. It's like, oh, how did you know you wanted to be a writer and And To be honest, that was not like how I came to it. Like it was literally presented to me as a option by my sister of, Hey, Do you want to write a non fiction book with me with this like monthly challenge and I said sure You know, it wasn't like idea. I want to be a writer. How do I be a writer? I put words on a page You know like it was it was just interesting the way that that unfolded for me in my journey where it wasn't something I just came to as an idea but just an An opportunity was presented and I followed my intuition, intuition about that being a, an interesting thing. And oh my gosh, it has led us on quite a journey. I mean, we've talked before, even that initial conversation I had with Stephanie one time when we were just having a, you know, catch up chat via zoom. And I asked her, Hey, do you want to start a business together? And then and then even then the podcast was not a part of that business plan That came a couple weeks later after we started the business and stephanie was like, hey, I think we should do a podcast so it's really interesting the way the different people's, you know, personal legends or journeys Whatever you want to call it soul's purpose can can unfold and there are a lot of challenges along the way You but I love this, this line in the intro. Now mine was the 10th edition book. So the author may have written a new intro for the, for later editions, but in this they have the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey. We who fight for our dreams suffer far more when it doesn't work out because we cannot fall back on the old excuse. Oh, well, I didn't really want it anyway. And that was a little bit confronting to me, that whole, like, idea of being able to shrug something off of, like, Oh, I guess I wasn't, I didn't really want that. I didn't really want that job. I didn't really want that, you know, I don't know, whatever, fill in the blank, right? That's kind of the excuse we use to allow ourselves to give up on something that at one point we were really drawn to.

Stephanie: 8:21

Yeah, no, I, I love that. And to go along with that, one of the notes I made to myself of a quote that stuck out early on in and I read the 21st, 25th anniversary edition is that It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. So that kind of dovetails off of what you were just talking about in terms of this idea of following the heart, but then there's also that sense of. And I love this idea about, you know, making life interesting because the journey that the character goes on in the alchemist, definitely. I mean, there's no doubt, like it's an interesting path. of the things that is really relatable is. That it takes time. I think one of the or, you know, things in our current culture, especially with social media and quick access to information that we think, and especially as writers that, Oh, you know, like you said, Elizabeth, that you did a 30 day challenge, like, Oh, I have to write something in 30 days. Or you see promotional things for write your book in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, whatever it might be. while there might be people doing that, the reality of the writing journey is that to really do it to the level that you want to be happy about what you're putting out there, it needs to take time. And I really appreciated that in The Alchemist that, you know, yes, this young boy is given this omen about what he's, where he's supposed to go, but it's not like he gets there right away. I mean, a year

Elizabeth: 10:09

Right.

Stephanie: 10:09

or longer. And so it's,

Elizabeth: 10:13

Yes.

Stephanie: 10:15

so that's a fascinating part of the book. And I think that it's something to hold on to, especially as writers, because I think there can often be the frustration of, Oh, I'm not getting enough done. I'm not where I want to be, but truly what this, what the alchemist shows us is that just staying the course and to take the next step forward helps you get there.

Elizabeth: 10:44

So I've been reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert while simultaneously reading The Alchemist for the purposes of this podcast and this month's book club. And so this accompanies The Alchemist so well and makes it specific for the writer. And just in regards to what you were just bringing up, Stephanie, about it taking time, Like, Elizabeth Gilbert had a number of traditionally published books out before she made it big with Eat, Pray, Love. And she didn't know that it was going to be, you know, what it was. She literally just put her heart on the page and she talks about how she just showed up authentically and she wasn't sure how people were going to take it. And much to her surprise, they really just resonated with it. And some people absolutely hated it. But. There were a large number of people like several million, I think six and a half million copies sold something like that who absolutely Loved it. And so yeah, yeah, I I loved so many of the like understirring lessons of the alchemist when it came to time about How Santiago gets really waylaid in the crystal shop and how he experiences that theft when he first comes to town like I could see it coming because I've also felt like

Stephanie: 12:06

as

Elizabeth: 12:07

those things that have, you know, very quickly.

Stephanie: 12:10

of

Elizabeth: 12:10

like a derailing, but were ultimately To go down a different path. To writing was in, I had a totally different format of my book early on. I've spoken about this kind of a memoir self help. Combo, I got feedback, almost a totally different book at this point, you know, and, and so it felt like a total derailing. And even the way that my divorce really emphasized or shifted the way that I wanted to approach certain stories in my book. In my memoir, those things on the surface seemed like really big setbacks, just like the theft of all of his money, but ultimately, it's helped me point me down the right path.

Stephanie: 13:00

Well, and it's interesting thinking about the theft that Santiago experiences because it's at a time where he sees a, a beautiful sword and there's a distraction and, you know, in the, in the world of, you know, both entrepreneurship and creativity, there's sort of that shiny object. Syndrome that happens where you think something over here is going to be better for you, that it's going to, you know, make you happier or do something more for you. And, and it's interesting because I think when I think about my own Transcription writing journey. And, you know, I've done a lot of writing throughout my life, but this shift to a more creative sometimes I doubt it in sort of the same way that the crystal merchant is like, well, maybe I should go, you know, just stick with what's comfortable. And even Santiago goes through that a few times of, well, maybe I should go back to buying my sheep again and going back to being a shepherd. it's interesting in the course of his journey, it's sort of a cautionary tale about not letting yourself fall back on what feels comfortable it's going through what's uncomfortable. That brings you to where you are meant to be and especially, you know, I think about it for us, like even with the podcast, like this was very uncomfortable for me, especially in the beginning, because the thought of putting myself on video for YouTube, but then also just being on audio for people to listen to and thinking, you know, well, who's really going to want to listen to what I have to say. And it feels the same way as a writer, like who's going to want to read what I have. But ultimately, you know, you will find your readers you can't please everyone. That's obvious, because even if you go to the most popular authors and look at the one star reviews, like, the popular authors out there have the one star reviews. You know, and if it was possibly to be in the negatives, there'd probably be some people who would go deeper, you know, in that direction. So you know, it's just interesting to think and, you know, and when I have days where I think like, Oh, I just don't have an idea, I have to be gentle with myself and say, okay, maybe now's not the time to be trying to work on this or, you know, How can you, you know, pick up where you left off? And that's often the place where I go to, is I go back to my writing. I open it up. I look at where I left off I just allow myself to get back with my characters and let it flow.

Elizabeth: 15:59

Yeah, I definitely have felt stuck at various points because I was really good at something. That could be a way I would explain my entire forensic science career. And trying to, you know, bury the iterations of it to make me happy. But ultimately it was just something that was really good at that. I didn't enjoy. One of the things that the old king tells the boy early on is he tells him about beginners luck. In what ways do you feel like you've experienced beginners luck either in your writing or, or other similar endeavors?

Stephanie: 16:35

Well, I think, I mean, in terms of, I mean, other endeavors, I mean, certainly like, in my teaching career, you know, it was always easy for me to find a job. And so that kind of kept me in the flow of staying in that career path because I was like, Oh, this is easy. You know, I. Like this is just happening for me, but again, I wasn't really enjoying it. I mean, when it comes to my writing, I know like when I did my master's, I got my master's thesis published. So that very much felt like beginner's luck because I wasn't really. Planning to have it published, but then, you know, my advisor was like, Oh, hey, there's an international journal. Let's just submit it and see. And then all of a sudden I was published, you know, and then you know, very much the same with, you know some other writing little writing things and, you know, the book I wrote for my previous business and just, you know, putting out that, that out there and, you know, getting a lot of positive feedback. And so know, I think that there have been those times, but for me, it was often that within like my family narrative, I wasn't always thought of as the one who's going to be the writer. And so I had that often in the back of my head of, well, maybe this isn't what I meant to be doing. And so that's where I could relate to some. Santiago in the alchemist when he would have moments of, well, maybe this isn't the path I'm meant to be on because I'm encountering obstacles and really for me, it was messaging that were the obstacles for the writing because when I start to put myself out there, I get A lot of, you know, good feedback and encouragement. you know, in our newsletter this week, you know, we talked about that, about, you know, being willing to put yourself out there and take the risk. And that's definitely something that comes through in the alchemist with. The journey of, you know, continuing to talk to, you know, he continues to talk to people and interact in different ways that keeps pushing him his destination of the pyramids. And Ultimately, you know, discovering himself in the process. And I think that that's important to remember. And again, like going back to what we were talking about before about taking time with it, that it does take time. And that's what I have to remind myself because oftentimes, you know, I want to have something happen right away. And especially. When I've, when something has come really easily, that sometimes that's not always a good thing that sometimes it's more, you know, what you work towards and have to have some struggle with that actually feels better. And so sometimes, even though I've had a fair share of beginners luck at the same time, there's that feeling inside me where it's like, well, yeah, but that almost felt. Like it just was too easy and the rewards don't feel as great as when I've had other times where I've really had to struggle to find my way to where I am.

Elizabeth: 20:05

luck that I've encountered with writing is that I had submitted one of my stories to one online literary magazine and it got accepted for publication back in February. So, you know, that was my first attempt at putting stuff out there. I was really nervous about it so much so that I only put one thing out there and then just held my breath for the rejection and it didn't work. The rejection didn't come but some, just like you were emphasizing, Stephanie, I almost kind of knew it was beginners luck and I'm like, okay, but what if I do another one? Like, is that one going to go? Well, or was that just beginners luck? And, you know, but it was very encouraging to, to have someone. Kind of recognize my work at that point and also to be able to share my writing in that way with family and friends and those others who are supporting my writing experience and writing journey to get a sense of what my writing style is like, what my writing voice is like. So definitely lots of lessons learned from it along the way, but that's my best example of beginner's luck when it comes to my writing. I think it's also interesting to look at the way the book presents a couple of the core fears that people have. The crystal merchant is such a good example of someone who has the fear of success. You see over and over again how that character Holds himself back from pursuing what he attests is his biggest dream of taking the pilgrimage to Mecca And also he questions the boy anytime he gives him a business idea That would allow him to expand his crystal shop, right? so whether it was, you know polishing them or selling different things or serving tea or You know, a number of different like ventures and expansions direction? Is that really going to get me towards my goal?

Stephanie: 22:01

is

Elizabeth: 22:05

Maybe he doesn't want a giant tea shop, you know crystal shop He has to leave behind but he wasn't going to pursue the pilgrimage either and he talks about how You know like

Stephanie: 22:17

meeting.

Elizabeth: 22:20

a disappointment. So I prefer to just dream about it That's what he says in regards to Why he's not going to pursue his dream I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living. Not so much that, Oh, I'll create a new dream, but oh my gosh, I only have this one dream. And if I ever achieve it, then what's, what's my life purpose purpose after that.

Stephanie: 22:49

yeah, there's definitely fear there with the crystal merchant with that. And I think it's a common one You have a dream that you're wanting to follow you think that you're going to get, you know, a lot of opinions from others that are going to get in the way and not let you get there. And, you know, I think that one of the things that we see too often is people talk about regrets when they're you know, because they didn't follow, you know, their dream essentially. And you know, too often we find ourselves in places where it's, in the case of the crystal merchant, you know, well, but I have to do these things or you know, I, I can't do these other things it'll mean too much change. And one of the quotes that stood out for me, especially about resisting, This idea of change and actually following your dream is, he says, I don't want to change anything because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am. And so this whole idea of just being content with where he is, yet at the same time, he's not content. And so, you know, we have this risk. Especially as writers. I mean, I know when I have days when I don't get enough writing done, I'm kind of in a sour mood. It's like my, it's like my brain is holding on to all my thoughts and ideas. And, but once I get them out, then it's like, Oh, I feel better. Okay. Now I'm, now I'm doing, you know, what I meant to be doing. And I think that change can be scary we all resist it in different ways. as we've noticed with what we're doing is, I mean, we both made changes and then the path has become clearer and, you know, while it sounds kind of woo woo, there just really is this sense that things start to open up and you gain more clarity as you keep moving forward towards whatever it is that you're dreaming of doing, whether it's publishing a book, publishing short stories, poetry, whatever it might be.

Elizabeth: 25:14

Well, and that brings me to the next point about like the focus on the future, which is where all that fear stuff resides, the fear of failure, the fear of success, and this passage about staying present. The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future and live each day according to the teachings. God only rarely reveals the future. When he does so, it is only, it is for only one reason. It's a future that was written so as to be altered, meaning that you're meant to change that future, to rewrite that future and I thought that that piggybacked really well with what you were just saying, Stephanie, about just being really present in the moment and not worrying about how the writing today is going to impact your writing tomorrow or next month or when your book's going to be done, but it's just about getting those words on the page today. Okay. Right? And it's just about meeting yourself where you're at today.

Stephanie: 26:19

Okay.

Elizabeth: 26:19

And if that is to take, you know, a side road that feels like a curvy, dark path, unfamiliar territory into poetry or a short story or something not related to your primary project, you have to know that that's, that's still serving a purpose. You're still

Stephanie: 26:39

You

Elizabeth: 26:51

barriers to break down a little bit,

Stephanie: 26:56

Well, and I love that whole quote about being in the present because I think too often we're either keeping ourselves stuck in the past too much, or we're trying to think of how we can have everything figured out ahead of us. And I think it's such a good reminder about. right where you are, and it's not that you can't think about the past and the future, because certainly, I mean, in both of our cases with our writing Both of us with our writing have talked about using aspects of our life from the past, of course, you know, influence our ideas for where we're going and, you know, what we're thinking about with our own writing. one of the things that I was looking back at, my notes here was, Going back a little bit to our discussion about fears, where there's a quote the book about relationship between fear and following your heart that so there's, there's some people who say that, you know, You can't have fear and love at the same time. You know, you, you can't have, you have to have one or the other. And the quote is don't give into your fears. If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart. And I think that that also is very true about staying in the present, about taking stock of where you are, you know, are you experiencing a fear or, you know, self doubt and it's so common. And I mean, I mean, writers, I think across the board all have some aspect of imposter syndrome, you know, like, who am I to write this book? Who am I to publish? Like, nobody's going to discover me. Nobody's going to like what I write. And it's really not true, you know, we tell ourselves all kinds of. Of stories. And that's that fear coming up, but if we take a moment and we listen to our hearts and what brings us a sense of joy and love and purpose, that that's going to open up more pathways for us. And I mean, there's always going to be fear. And there's always going to be, you know, playing with, you know, your love for wanting to do something. And it really comes down to, you know, what's your choice. And that was the same thing with Santiago on his journey were that even though he had moments of and not being sure about going ahead, you know, he was following his intuition kept going back to, you know you know, the, what the king had said to him early on the, you know, when you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it. And in different ways, that same line is repeated multiple times throughout the book. And of course, that repetition is very effective in reminding us to come back again to, you know, when you really want something, universe will help you achieve it.

Elizabeth: 30:16

I think that quote you shared about the fear and the blocking of the heart to like from a practical sense. That's where I know I personally, but I've also heard this recommended as a practice. That's where I benefit from journaling before I sit down to work on my actual like manuscript. If I'm feeling any sort of doubt or. Fears to go ahead and like get those out in my journal So that I do have access to tap into the heart in order to work on my manuscript

Stephanie: 30:48

Well, and in an upcoming episode with one of our guests I believe it's going to be released next week. There's a discussion about the power of doing journaling to, you know, help you engage more actively with, with your writing. And I think that that's a great recommendation. And I find that that helps me as well. And certainly, you know, any of you listening who are familiar with Julia Cameron's work and the artist's way I mean, she has that as a core component of her approach with morning pages, which she encourages you to do it. Like the minute you get up in the morning, I'm not so diligent about doing it the minute I get up in the morning, but it is very helpful for just, know, essentially clearing out the cobwebs or whatever junk might be weighing on your mind. And again, that's another way. As we were just discussing about keeping yourself in the present is when you just can journal everything out, it can just like get rid of whatever might be blocking that creative flow and get it done on the paper.

Elizabeth: 32:03

one of the last points I have and feel free to add anything after this stephanie is this concept of learning through action or Recognizing that it's all about the journey or the process and so this is a quote from the book There's only one way to learn, the alchemist answered. It's through action. Everything you need to know, you have learned through your journey. And then a couple pages later it says, when I have been truly searching for my treasure, every day has been luminous because I've known that every hour was a part of the dream that I would find it. When I have been truly searching for my treasure, I've discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepherd to achieve. And I think that that's just a great reminder that even those days where we don't feel like we're producing anything That's going to end up in the final version of say a book or whatever That it's all a part of the process. We're being exposed to different ideas different thoughts playing with different things whether that's you know at a writer's workshop or through podcasts we listen to or guests we get to talk to an interview with We're picking up all sorts of vital information, little nuggets of wisdom at a time that is slowly finding its way to embed itself into our work. It's a little bit like rolling in glitter, right? It's like, even when you're not in that moment anymore, that glitter is going to find its way, you know, into the various, you know, cracks and crevices and so all of those things that you're experiencing are going to bring Bye. Bye. Bye. You know, value and variation and insight to your work.

Stephanie: 33:42

I love that image of rolling in glitter. I think that that's going to definitely stick with me when I think about about it. But it also is that whole idea. I love that about, you know, taking action and trying to. trying new things and it can be really scary, but it can be so worth it. And one of the things that really stuck out for me from was a quote that says I only invoked what you already knew. And it's what the alchemist says to Santiago about the journey. And for me, A lot of reading this book actually brought me back to thinking about The Wizard of Oz, which actually was a movie that terrified me when I was growing up. But there's the one quote from Glinda the Good Witch that always sticks with me, that's, you had the power all along, my dear. I think that it's that same idea that, you know, from the moment you're young, we know what our path is, there's so many messages that we get from the world around us, from others, that Often steer us away. And I think one of the powerful aspects of reading a book like the alchemist, especially as a creative person or an entrepreneur or wherever you are in your journey, that it's a very simple reminder of staying true to the path where you feel that you're meant to be. Silence.

Elizabeth: 35:27

And I just want to reiterate that that does not have to be the way that it looks. Sure, this book uses the example of an occupation with a shepherd, but the search for his treasure is not about necessarily like a job title. Sure, there's some monetary gain and we're talking about it in regards to writing, but not necessarily even writing for any sort of substantial You know, financial outcome. So just keep in mind that, you know, when we're talking about like this purpose or this personal legend, that legacy that you leave behind, what, what you're here to do to create, to experience, to just be in like it's all of that. It's not simply like, Oh, what was, what was I thinking? I wanted to be as a child. I need to get back to that and pick that job. It may, it may not be in the form of a career. It may just be that thing that that continues to drive you through the day. Maybe while you're at your accounting job, you're dreaming about, you know, whatever it is that you're working towards and that could be a part of the path. It doesn't mean you're on the wrong, you know, occupational path. So I just wanted to throw that out there because of the way that that messaging has been really hijacked of make your passion the sole source of your livelihood. That's may not necessarily be the right move.

Stephanie: 36:48

So listeners, thank you for joining us today for our book club discussion of The Alchemist. hope that if you haven't read it, that you are able to get yourself a copy and pick it up and we'd love to hear from you. If you do, if you've already read it, we'd love to hear your thoughts. connect with you. follow the links in the description for this episode and join our newsletter. If you haven't already done that so that you make sure that you don't miss out on all the insights and inspiration we have to share with you your writing journey.

37:42

Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the Inspired Writer Collective podcast. We hope you found inspiration, insights, and connection to yourself as a writer. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe, and leave us a five star review. Remember, the power of storytelling lies within each of us, and by supporting one another, we can make a difference. We invite you to schedule a coffee chat with us on our website, www. inspiredwritercollective. com. Just like our style here on the podcast, our coffee chats are casual and a way to connect about your writing and discover if book coaching or joining our upcoming writing cohorts for memoir and contemporary romance writing are for you. You can also become a part of our community by connecting with us on social media. You can find us on Instagram and YouTube at Inspired Writer Collective, on TikTok at Inspired Writer LLC. Let's continue this writing journey together. You can find links in the show notes. Until next time, fellow writers, may your pens be mighty and your stories captivating. Happy writing!