--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing is a mode of being. If I write I…" description: "\"Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.\" — Bernard Malamud" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/bernard-malamud-3871_funny_writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i_3082969.jpg" --- # Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live. ![“Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.” quote by Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/bernard-malamud-3871_funny_writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i_3082969.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/bernard-malamud-3871_funny_writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i_3082969.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/bernard-malamud-3871_funny_writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i_3082969.jpg) > “Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.” [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is presented as essential to existence; the act of writing sustains life. **In simple terms:** Writing keeps you alive. Key Takeaway Write to stay alive. Themes creativity identity existence Mood introspective inspirational Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - daily journaling - novel writing - creative block Key Concepts self‑expression literary purpose artistic survival Questions to Reflect On - How does writing shape your sense of self? - What prevents you from writing regularly? A Different Perspective Writing may not solve practical problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mode Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mode-write-5266978/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-live-326050/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Mode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-mode-3988842/) ## Related quotes > [I go back and forth between input phases where I'm reading a lot or trying to get out and explore the world a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-go-back-and-forth-between-input-phases-where-i-m-reading-a-lot-or/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I'm the kind of writer that, once I get into writing mode in my brain, I'm non-stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-prass/i-m-the-kind-of-writer-that-once-i-get-into-writing-mode-in-my-brain/) [Natalie Prass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-prass/) > [Writing is a mode of agency in the world that is different from mere employment. There has to be some sort of ethical or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/writing-is-a-mode-of-agency-in-the-world-that-is-different-from-mere/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [When I'm in writing mode I tend not to listen to music. I usually have a gestation period before I start writing. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-temple/when-i-m-in-writing-mode-i-tend-not-to-listen-to-music-i-usually-have/) [Luke Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-temple/) > [I want to study, to write to live and have a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/i-want-to-study-to-write-to-live-and-have-a-good-time/) [Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/) > [“I always say to people who want to write: Live life! Don't stand on the rim, don't sit on the sidelines. Make mistakes, make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-always-say-to-people-who-want-to-write-live-life-don-t-stand-on-the/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm convinced that we can write and live our own scripts more than most people will acknowledge. I also know the price that must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/i-m-convinced-that-we-can-write-and-live-our-own-scripts-more-than/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Write only if you cannot live without writing. Write only what you alone can write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/write-only-if-you-cannot-live-without-writing-write-only-what-you/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I don't write anything that I haven't lived. In terms of integrity, you have to write what you live. And if you write beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/i-don-t-write-anything-that-i-haven-t-lived-in-terms-of-integrity-you/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“I don't believe in writer's block. If I can't write, I go out and live. Then, if I'm a writer, I'll find something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-arpesella/i-don-t-believe-in-writer-s-block-if-i-can-t-write-i-go-out-and-live/) [Peter Arpesella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-arpesella/) > [“~Live to write, Write to live~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mckinzie-s-heart/live-to-write-write-to-live/) [McKinzie S. Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mckinzie-s-heart/) > [“I work to eat, but I write to live. -Nakia R. Laushaul”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nakia-r-laushaul/i-work-to-eat-but-i-write-to-live-nakia-r-laushaul/) [Nakia R. Laushaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nakia-r-laushaul/) > [“To read is to breathe; to write is to live!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-thompson/to-read-is-to-breathe-to-write-is-to-live/) [Johan Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-thompson/) > [“Read more than you write, live more than you read”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/read-more-than-you-write-live-more-than-you-read/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“You are an author, a public figure. You are going to be judged no matter what you write, so live your life in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-gerdes/you-are-an-author-a-public-figure-you-are-going-to-be-judged-no/) [Sarah Gerdes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-gerdes/) ## More by Bernard Malamud > [Writers who can't invent stories often substitute style for narrative. They remind me of the painter who couldn't paint people, so he painted chairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/writers-who-can-t-invent-stories-often-substitute-style-for-narrative/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [We have two lives... the life we learn with and the life we live after that. Suffering is what brings us towards happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/we-have-two-lives-the-life-we-learn-with-and-the-life-we-live-after/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [“Leo hurried up to bed and hid under the covers. Under the covers he thought his life through. Although he soon fell asleep he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/leo-hurried-up-to-bed-and-hid-under-the-covers-under-the-covers-he/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [You can't eat language but it eases thirst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/you-can-t-eat-language-but-it-eases-thirst/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/first-drafts-are-for-learning-what-your-novel-or-story-is-about/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [“I’m an American, I’m a Jew, and I write for all men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/i-m-an-american-i-m-a-jew-and-i-write-for-all-men/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [“Her face deeply moved him. Why, he could at first not say. It gave him the impression of youth--spring flowers, yet age--a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/her-face-deeply-moved-him-why-he-could-at-first-not-say-it-gave-him/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [I am somewhat of a meliorist. That is to say, I act as an optimist because I find I cannot act at all, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/i-am-somewhat-of-a-meliorist-that-is-to-say-i-act-as-an-optimist/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [Teach yourself to work in uncertainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/teach-yourself-to-work-in-uncertainty/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [One's fantasy goes for a walk and returns with a bride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/one-s-fantasy-goes-for-a-walk-and-returns-with-a-bride/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [The great thing about writing: Stay with it ... ultimately you teach yourself something very important about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/the-great-thing-about-writing-stay-with-it-ultimately-you-teach/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [We didn't starve, but we didn't eat chicken unless we were sick, or the chicken was](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/we-didn-t-starve-but-we-didn-t-eat-chicken-unless-we-were-sick-or-the/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [As long as a man stays alive he can't tell what chances will pop up next. But a dead man signs no checks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/as-long-as-a-man-stays-alive-he-can-t-tell-what-chances-will-pop-up/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [“So sleep now, without fear for your life, and if you should ever manage to get out of prison, keep in mind that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/so-sleep-now-without-fear-for-your-life-and-if-you-should-ever-manage/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [Children were strangers you loved because you could love. If they gave back love when they were grown you were ahead of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/children-were-strangers-you-loved-because-you-could-love-if-they-gave/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) [Explore all 114 Bernard Malamud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) ## More Funny quotes > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers & think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) [Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bernard Malamud" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i-live/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Funny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i-live/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/bernard-malamud-3871_funny_writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i_3082969.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/bernard-malamud-3871_funny_writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i_3082969.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/bernard-malamud-3871_funny_writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i_3082969.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.” — Bernard Malamud", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bernard Malamud", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writing is a mode of being....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i-live/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/writing-is-a-mode-of-being-if-i-write-i-live/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```