--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is…" description: "\"“The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is one who, embarking upon a task, does not know what to do.' In this mode of not-knowing, the thick-torsoed, lit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/george-saunders-317_psychology_the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one_2470583.jpg" --- # The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is one who, embarking… ![“The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is one who, embarking upon a task, does not know what to do.' In this mode of not-knowing, the thick-torsoed, literal, and crew-cut mind is moved to the sidelines in favor of the swinging, perceptive, light-footed, tutu-wearing subconscious.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/george-saunders-317_psychology_the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one_2470583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/george-saunders-317_psychology_the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one_2470583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/george-saunders-317_psychology_the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one_2470583.jpg) > ““The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is one who, embarking upon a task, does not know what to do.' In this mode of not-knowing, the thick-torsoed, literal, and crew-cut mind is moved to the sidelines in favor of the swinging, perceptive, light-footed, tutu-wearing subconscious.”” [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers should embrace uncertainty, allowing subconscious creativity to guide their work over rigid logic. **In simple terms:** Embrace uncertainty for creative writing. Key Takeaway Let intuition lead your writing process. Themes creativity uncertainty subconscious writing process Mood playful inquisitive inspirational Type literary advice When to use this quote - novel writing - creative workshops - personal journaling - brainstorming sessions Key Concepts artistic expression psychology of imagination literary theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance intuition and structure? - When does uncertainty hinder progress? A Different Perspective Too much reliance on subconscious may produce incoherent work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barthelme-756662/) [Barthelme Embarking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barthelme-embarking-756664/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/donald-barthelme-756661/) [Mind Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-moved-756663/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-said-714415/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-process/) ## Related quotes > [Everything in this world is a creation of the mind, being moved by the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-randymar/everything-in-this-world-is-a-creation-of-the-mind-being-moved-by-the/) [Joel Randymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-randymar/) > [“...she still stopped when her mind moved towards real fear or dread or, worse, towards the thought that she was going to lose this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-toibin/she-still-stopped-when-her-mind-moved-towards-real-fear-or-dread-or/) [Colm Tóibín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-toibin/) > [“With just a whisper of my mind, I moved mountains. Imagine the storms when I speak in full. One percent of thought, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atlas-gondal/with-just-a-whisper-of-my-mind-i-moved-mountains-imagine-the-storms/) [Atlas Gondal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atlas-gondal/) > [“So I suppose one danger is that we might get the idea that, you know, “to blurt, is to be.” The idea that whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/so-i-suppose-one-danger-is-that-we-might-get-the-idea-that-you-know/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Until the 20th century it was generally assumed that a writer had said what he had to say in his works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/until-the-20th-century-it-was-generally-assumed-that-a-writer-had/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Once I was asked be a seatmate on a trans-Pacific flight…what instruction he should give his fifteen-year-old daughters, who wanted to be a writer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-l-pez/once-i-was-asked-be-a-seatmate-on-a-trans-pacific-flight-what/) [Barry Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-l-pez/) > [I have never, ever, not once, met a writer who said he or she would never read a mystery or a story set in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/i-have-never-ever-not-once-met-a-writer-who-said-he-or-she-would/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [When I was seven and told my mom, 'I'm gonna be a writer,' she said, 'Oh, that's a terrible idea. You'll live in misery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gaghan/when-i-was-seven-and-told-my-mom-i-m-gonna-be-a-writer-she-said-oh/) [Stephen Gaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gaghan/) > [Look how black the sky is, the writer said. I made it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/look-how-black-the-sky-is-the-writer-said-i-made-it-that-way/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [There is a great quote from a female writer. She said, 'If you don't break out in a sweat of fear when you write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/there-is-a-great-quote-from-a-female-writer-she-said-if-you-don-t/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [ There’s a writer for you,” he said. “Knows everything and at the same time he knows nothing.” \[narrator\]It was my first inkling that he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-s-a-writer-for-you-he-said-knows-everything-and-at-the-same/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [When I became a published writer, I said, 'Whatever I can do to help the libraries I want to do,' so all of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/when-i-became-a-published-writer-i-said-whatever-i-can-do-to-help-the/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“Never walk over a writer, I said to myself, unless you're positive he can't rise up behind you. If you're going to burn him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/never-walk-over-a-writer-i-said-to-myself-unless-you-re-positive-he/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [He asked, "What makes a man a writer?" "Well," I said, "it's simple. You either get it down on paper, or jump off a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/he-asked-what-makes-a-man-a-writer-well-i-said-it-s-simple-you-either/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [My first interaction with Gene was that after I auditioned I walked out of the room and then this big guy walks out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-lancie/my-first-interaction-with-gene-was-that-after-i-auditioned-i-walked/) [John de Lancie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-lancie/) ## More by George Saunders > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) [Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More Psychology quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [No!! Get out of my Head!...You may have invaded my mind and my body...But there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps...his PRIDE!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragon-ball-z/no-get-out-of-my-head-you-may-have-invaded-my-mind-and-my-body-but/) [Dragon Ball Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragon-ball-z/) [Browse all 56,059 Psychology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is one who, embarking upon a task, does not know what to do.' In this mode of not-knowing, the thick-torsoed, literal, and crew-cut mind is moved to the sidelines in favor of the swinging, perceptive, light-footed, tutu-wearing subconscious.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Saunders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one-who-embarking-upon-a-task/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Psychology" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one-who-embarking-upon-a-task/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/george-saunders-317_psychology_the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one_2470583.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/george-saunders-317_psychology_the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one_2470583.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/george-saunders-317_psychology_the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one_2470583.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is one who, embarking upon a task, does not know what to do.' In this…” — George Saunders", "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": "George Saunders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The writer,' said Donald Barthelme, 'is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one-who-embarking-upon-a-task/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-writer-said-donald-barthelme-is-one-who-embarking-upon-a-task/#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 } } ] } ```