--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: David Foster Wallace: What writers have…" description: "\"“David Foster Wallace: What writers have is a license and also the freedom to sit—to sit, clench their fists, and make themselves be excruciatingly awa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/david-lipsky-30389_average-person_david-foster-wallace-what-writers-have-i_2707609.jpg" --- # David Foster Wallace: What writers have is a license and… ![“David Foster Wallace: What writers have is a license and also the freedom to sit—to sit, clench their fists, and make themselves be excruciatingly aware of the stuff that we’re mostly aware of only on a certain level. And that if the writer does his job right, what he basically does is remind the…” quote by David Lipsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/david-lipsky-30389_average-person_david-foster-wallace-what-writers-have-i_2707609.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/david-lipsky-30389_average-person_david-foster-wallace-what-writers-have-i_2707609.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/david-lipsky-30389_average-person_david-foster-wallace-what-writers-have-i_2707609.jpg) > ““David Foster Wallace: What writers have is a license and also the freedom to sit—to sit, clench their fists, and make themselves be excruciatingly aware of the stuff that we’re mostly aware of only on a certain level. And that if the writer does his job right, what he basically does is remind the reader of how smart the reader is. Is to wake the reader up to stuff that the reader’s been aware of all the time. And it’s not a question of the writer having more capacity than the average person. It’s that the writer is willing I think to cut off, cut himself off from certain stuff, and develop…and just, and think really hard. Which not everybody has the luxury to do.”” [David Lipsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lipsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that writers use their craft to sharpen awareness, cutting away distractions to reveal truths the reader already knows but hasn’t fully felt, thereby honoring the reader’s intelligence. **In simple terms:** Writers help readers notice what they already know but ignore. Key Takeaway Use writing to clarify hidden truths for readers. Themes writing awareness clarity intelligence discipline Mood thoughtful inspirational Type literary philosophical motivational When to use this quote - creative writing workshops - personal essays - teaching literature - self‑reflection - editing Key Concepts literary craft consciousness self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice cutting away mental clutter in your own work? - What truths do you already know but rarely acknowledge? A Different Perspective Not all writers can or will to the intense self‑cutting required, limiting the depth of insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Average person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm influenced by Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggers, David Foster Wallace: writers who are often not content to just stack paragraphs and have to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-andrews/i-m-influenced-by-jennifer-egan-dave-eggers-david-foster-wallace/) [Jesse Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-andrews/) > [The measure of artistic merit is the length to which a writer is willing to go in following his own compulsions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-measure-of-artistic-merit-is-the-length-to-which-a-writer-is/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“A horror writer is one who is not only willing to look into the darkest of shadows...but to reach into them too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-scopel/a-horror-writer-is-one-who-is-not-only-willing-to-look-into-the/) Thomas Scopel > [As a writer, you have to be willing to kill your darlings, and I'm a writer first. 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