Invention and chance

Abstract

Antonio Muñoz Molina reflects on his experience as a writer, highlighting the crucial role of chance and the unexpected in the creative process. Through personal memories, he recounts his beginnings in journalism, his anxiety before the blank page and how routine and discipline helped him to find his voice. However, he stresses that the decisive moments in his writing have come unexpectedly, like revelations in a dream or while walking. He recounts how the central idea of his first novel and other major works were born out of sudden sparks, not conscious effort. He vindicates the ‘beginner's mind’ and humility in the face of excessive certainty, arguing that inspiration and intuition are as valuable as technique. The text is a tribute to the magic of writing, to the interplay between invention and chance, and to the need to be open to wonder.