He had destroyed his talent by not using it, by betrayals of him and what he believed in, by drinking so much that he blunted the edge of this perception, by laziness, by sloth, and by snobbery, by pride and by prejudice, by hook and by crook. … It was a talent all right but instead of using it, he had traded on it. It was never what he had done, but always what he could do.  And he had chosen to make a living with something else instead of a pen or a pencil.

From “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” by Ernest Hemingway

With his characteristic terseness, Ernest Hemingway describes the defeat of the men who abandon their dreams to search for money, comfort, or social status: “It was a talent all right but instead of using it, he had traded on it.”  These words are addressed to those young writers who fight an uphill battle to make a living with their work.  Of course, their temptation is understandable, we all have to eat and have a roof over our head. Yet, writing is an art, so the pleasure derived from their creations should encourage them to continue their daily efforts.