William Gaddis- Wanting to Write vs. Wanting to Be a Writer

William Gaddis distinguishes between the desire to write and the desire to "be a writer" during a 1981 question and answer session at Bard College.

[personanongrata]

I spend too much time fantasizing about how wonderful it would be to be a famous writer and too little time actually writing.

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[autofocus]

Wanting to smoke vs wanting to be a cigarette model.

[motherfinestudios]

'I don't mind the loneliness of it... The drudgery really can get you down.'

[andrewboard]

"I hate writing, I love having written." Dorothy Parker

[bongofury]

I write a comment in a fever, then delete it. There is no trace of the relief of expression. This is the kind of writer I am.

[amphibian]

Do you have access to the full recording? Is there any way you could share it or point me in the direction of it?

[ryanand]

The difference between writing and wanting to be a writer is a matter of description.

[thomascromwell]

I've wanted to write and, would that I could, to publish it under a pseudonym.

[gordonm.]

I must read JR, it's sounds amazing, but a backbreaker at 700 pages of almost pure chaotic dialogue beyond Billy Wilder.

[Searchinmano]

this might be a silly request, but since I'm not a native English speaker and sometimes he speaks too quick for me (even mumbling a bit), does anybody have the transcription of this by any chance?

[GoodBaleadaMusic]

He forgets one crucial writer. The one who doesn't want to write but has thoughts or experiences that demand be written! We now live in a world where the computer will write those experiences for you. You just have to dictate it. A writers new job is to create voices that computers cant. That come from the vulnerability of having a meat body.

Watch:

The rain hammered against the windowpane, a relentless metronome to the rhythm of his thoughts. Detective Jake Brody stared at the blank screen, the cursor blinking impatiently, mocking his writer's block. A half-empty bottle of whiskey and a stack of crumpled notes littered his desk, the remnants of another failed attempt.

"Just dictate it, Brody, " his partner's voice echoed in his head, the ever-present advocate for the new AI writing tool the department had adopted. "Let the damn computer do the heavy lifting."

Jake scoffed, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "It's not the same, Sam. The machine can't capture the grime, the stench of desperation that clings to every fiber of this city. It can't feel the weight of a mother's tears when she identifies her child's body, or the hollow echo of a gunshot in an empty alley."

He took a long swig, the burn a familiar comfort. The computer could string together words, sure, but it couldn't bleed onto the page the way he did. It couldn't translate the visceral reality of his job into something that made sense of the chaos, that gave a voice to the voiceless.

With a sigh, Jake pushed away from his desk, the old wooden chair groaning in protest. He walked to the window, the city lights a shimmering tapestry against the rain-streaked glass. A neon sign flickered in the distance, a beacon in the darkness: "The Last Word - Where Stories Come to Life."

A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Maybe it was time to let go of the old ways, to embrace the tools of this new age. But one thing was certain: the story, the heart of the matter, that would always be his.

[husainarif]

In conclusion, no matter what field or career, I think it is better to acknowledge the downsides of each career so people won't get disappoint and later abandoned their journey.

[ryanand]

“Anyone who writes — for anything other than infamy or — love of female critics is a fool.” — Emily Dickinson

[EndingSimple]

Garrison Keillor also made that distinction.

[BCKWARDS_CHRM]

I get depressed if I don’t write so I sort of have to these days. It will never really be a fun and flashy thing to do, and especially these days great pieces will not be making you very much money.

[hughmanatee]

It’s like wanting to be wealthy without wanting to work.

[goldbrick]

everyone wan be a millionaire too but they don wan choose the investments

[msvalkyrie]

Dr Johnson had alternative take on the failed writer . " Always writing ; never to
be read . "