--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not know what makes a writer, but it…" description: "\"I do not know what makes a writer, but it probably isn't happiness.\" — William Saroyan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-saroyan-1743_happiness_i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it_2511115.jpg" --- # I do not know what makes a writer, but it probably isn't… ![“I do not know what makes a writer, but it probably isn't happiness.” quote by William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-saroyan-1743_happiness_i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it_2511115.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-saroyan-1743_happiness_i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it_2511115.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-saroyan-1743_happiness_i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it_2511115.jpg) > “I do not know what makes a writer, but it probably isn't happiness.” [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing often stems from struggle or deeper motives rather than simple happiness. **In simple terms:** Writing is driven by more than happiness. Key Takeaway Explore deeper motivations for writing. Themes creativity motivation artistry Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical introspective When to use this quote - authoring a novel - journal writing - poetry - screenwriting Key Concepts existential purpose emotional depth Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your creative work? - Can joy coexist with artistic struggle? A Different Perspective Happiness can still influence writing, even if not primary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The person who says, 'I'm enlightened' probably isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/the-person-who-says-i-m-enlightened-probably-isn-t/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [A whole bunch of agents and editors looked at my stories, and they all said, in effect, 'You're a pretty good writer and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/a-whole-bunch-of-agents-and-editors-looked-at-my-stories-and-they-all/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [The writer probably knows what he meant when he wrote a book, but he should immediately forget what he meant when he's written it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-writer-probably-knows-what-he-meant-when-he-wrote-a-book-but-he/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I can't do anything other than writing. I'm not very able, generally. If I'd not been a writer, I would probably be a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-thorne/i-can-t-do-anything-other-than-writing-i-m-not-very-able-generally-if/) [Jack Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-thorne/) > [The monsters demand less of you as a writer because they're probably closer to who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/the-monsters-demand-less-of-you-as-a-writer-because-they-re-probably/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [If I can't finish a screenplay, if I can't get to the last page as a writer, it probably means it's not a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/if-i-can-t-finish-a-screenplay-if-i-can-t-get-to-the-last-page-as-a/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [If I wasn't a writer, I would probably be a watchmaker. I like putting puzzles together, and that is what a watch is, figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/if-i-wasn-t-a-writer-i-would-probably-be-a-watchmaker-i-like-putting/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [If there's anything I can do- I know there probably isn't, but..." Just be here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/if-there-s-anything-i-can-do-i-know-there-probably-isn-t-but-just-be/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Even though I don't write about things that come from my life because I'm lucky, and I live in a great place with great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/even-though-i-don-t-write-about-things-that-come-from-my-life-because/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I realized the other day that about the only author I genuinely read for pure pleasure is one of the worst authors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-realized-the-other-day-that-about-the-only-author-i-genuinely-read/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [A man who is a genius and doesn't know it, probably isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/a-man-who-is-a-genius-and-doesn-t-know-it-probably-isn-t/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [I didn't have a burning desire to be a writer or director - writer probably more so, certainly not a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/i-didn-t-have-a-burning-desire-to-be-a-writer-or-director-writer/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [Your success as a writer will probably not depend on how well you write so much as in how you handle rejections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-morris/your-success-as-a-writer-will-probably-not-depend-on-how-well-you/) [Gilbert Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-morris/) > [If you don't think it's safe, it probably isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-smith/if-you-don-t-think-it-s-safe-it-probably-isn-t/) [Jerry Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-smith/) > [The best advice that an accomplished writer could give a beginning writer is probably, "Find your slide and then grease it." Almost every writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/the-best-advice-that-an-accomplished-writer-could-give-a-beginning/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## More by William Saroyan > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever dream of determining and knowing this truth, is form, that which is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/the-basic-truth-of-all-things-as-nearly-as-we-may-ever-dream-of/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“This is a hell of a night. I don't want to leave it just to go to sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-is-a-hell-of-a-night-i-don-t-want-to-leave-it-just-to-go-to-sleep/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Americans still believe they are cut out to be successful-in everything: love, love-making, luck, luck-giving, money-making, sense-making, cancer-avoiding, clothes-wearing, car-driving, and so on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/americans-still-believe-they-are-cut-out-to-be-successful-in/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [I can't decide for you whether or not you have got to write, but if anything in the world, war, or pestilence, or famine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-can-t-decide-for-you-whether-or-not-you-have-got-to-write-but-if/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [He paints for the blind, and we are the blind, and he lets us see for sure what we saw long ago but weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/he-paints-for-the-blind-and-we-are-the-blind-and-he-lets-us-see-for/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [I am interested in madness. I believe it is the biggest thing in the human race, and the most constant. How do you take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-am-interested-in-madness-i-believe-it-is-the-biggest-thing-in-the/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Two years ago your father died, Ulysses. But as long as we are alive, as long as we are together, as long as two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/two-years-ago-your-father-died-ulysses-but-as-long-as-we-are-alive-as/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Cowards are nice, they're interesting, they're gentle, they wouldn't think of shooting down people in a parade from a tower. They want to live,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/cowards-are-nice-they-re-interesting-they-re-gentle-they-wouldn-t/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [In the time of your life, live - so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/in-the-time-of-your-life-live-so-that-in-that-good-time-there-shall/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [San Francisco is a world to explore. It is a place where the heart can go on a delightful adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/san-francisco-is-a-world-to-explore-it-is-a-place-where-the-heart-can/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Even after you've won fame and fortune, every time you write you've got to write, there's no shortcut, you have to start your career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/even-after-you-ve-won-fame-and-fortune-every-time-you-write-you-ve/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose history is ended, whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-should-like-to-see-any-power-of-the-world-destroy-this-race-this/) [WILLIAM SAROYAN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [There could be no extreme vanity in my recognition of myself, if in fact there could be any at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/there-could-be-no-extreme-vanity-in-my-recognition-of-myself-if-in/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“This sense of being out of time has driven thousands of people from their homes into moving-picture theaters where new universes appear before them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-sense-of-being-out-of-time-has-driven-thousands-of-people-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) [Explore all 207 William Saroyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [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/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do not know what makes a writer, but it probably isn't happiness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Saroyan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it-probably-isn-t-happiness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it-probably-isn-t-happiness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-saroyan-1743_happiness_i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it_2511115.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-saroyan-1743_happiness_i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it_2511115.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-saroyan-1743_happiness_i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it_2511115.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do not know what makes a writer, but it probably isn't happiness.” — William Saroyan", "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": "William Saroyan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I do not know what makes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it-probably-isn-t-happiness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-do-not-know-what-makes-a-writer-but-it-probably-isn-t-happiness/#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 } } ] } ```