Collaborating with Sibelius, Paul discovered he was better at composing plays and novels than music and after a concert in Helsinki in 1891 focused on his writing. That year he published his first novel, "En bok om en menniska" (A book about a man), which was published by Bonniers in Stockholm. In 1892 he published a collection of short stories called "The Ripper", a title inspired by London serial killer Jack the Ripper. Albert Bonnier considered this book too indecent and refused to publish it and other books Paul later wrote about violence and sexuality. Instead, "The Ripper" was published by Grönlund in Turku, Finland, but the book was controversial and critics considered some of its content obscene. In 1893, Paul published "Herr Ludvigs", which is believed to be based on his father's misfortunes as a businessman. Wiedersheim-Paul had died in 1892 after losing most of his assets. The book contains interesting descriptions of Helsinki.