Exhausting all options before the Last Resort

Julian Barnes responds to the question, "Would you recommend being an author to anyone else?":

Ha! I'm not a careers advisor, and if someone has to ask 'Should I be a writer?' maybe the fact of asking the question implies that they don't want to be one enough. But on the other hand, there are many ways of getting to become a writer, some all swagger and confidence, some all doubt and insecurity. I took the latter route. I still at times can't get over the fact that I've become a writer, and make my living at it. All I would say is, don't become a writer unless you are convinced that writing is the best way of describing and rendering the truth about the world; if you think there's a better way, try that instead.

(Via This Space)