The Perils Of Writing

It seems to be a sort of tradition for authors to advise those starting out on a writing career to stop it at once and do something sensible instead. Richard Ford, among others, was the most recent to say it; now, there's Philip Pullman in this interview:

What good advice was given to you when you were starting out? "Don't. You'll never make it. You'll never earn a living. Get a decent job and forget all about it. It's a silly idea. There's no future in it."

What advice would you give to new writers? "Don't. You'll never make it. You'll never earn a living. Get a decent job and forget all about it. It's a silly idea. There's no future in it."