Two or three years back I was in the audience at a panel, held during the Turin Book Fair, whan one member of the public asked a well known editor “What would you suggest to a kid that wants to become a writer?”
The editor replied “Don’t!”
And then expanded, explaining there’s already too many writers out there, while readers are getting scarcer by the day.
He came across as an all-around jerk, but they tell me that’s the persona he loves to show to the world, so I guess it’s ok.

Two days ago I was asked the same question.
Which was pretty awkward – I mean, I’m not exactly Stephen King, I can barely hold my own writing, who am I to give suggestions?
Anyway, I tried my best.

I suggested the would-be writer should buy a Do-It-Yourself handbook.
You know the kind – the sort that explains how to fix electric plugs, how to maintain the plumbing, and how to replace a broken window.
One of those big fat, normally brightly-jacketed DIY books.

Or maybe get a solid, well-written cooking book – not a recipe collection, mind you, but rather one of those books that teach you how to stack your fridge with essential ingredeints, how to select your spices, what pots and pans are useful and what you can do without.

Or maybe a good bicycle maintainance and repair handbook.
Or a car maintainance primer.

Something like that.
Buy a handbook about something strongly practical, and read it, and learn the skills in there, and put them in practice.
For a while.
Repair a few bikes, cook a few meals, fix a few sockets.
Then, and only then, get yourself a writing handbook.
I could suggest a few, but first, get yourself one of those other, and work on it.

This because, first, I am strongly opposed to the Cult of the Handbook, the one whose basic credo is “The handbook says so, therefore that’s the only way to do it.”
A little experience with something parctical like fixing a broken typewriter is indispensible – to me – to put the handbook in perspective.
Because no theory survives the test of the real world – and you learn the hard way that fixing a carburetor, painting a wall, cooking an omelette is not exactly like the book said.
Well, with writing is the same – you have to learn the handbook, but you also must keep in mind that in practice things will be different.

The second reason why I suggest picking up some practical, “dirty hands” activity is,  manual work is a good place in which to retreat when writing burns you out.
It’s not the only one – you can walk, meditate, go to the movies.
There is no single recipe here, neither.
But taking some time off to do some household maintainance or to cook a meal can be extremely refreshing.

And then, of course, should it turn out that you love to write, but nobody loves to read what you write, well, you can always look for a post as plumber, bicycle repairman, short-order cook or computer fix-it wizard.
Always have a fallback strategy.

The person asking me for suggestions did not seem impressed – she was probably expecting something more, who knows, writer-like.
But I’m sticking to my suggestion.
So much so, that I think it would be a fun project, proposing a writing course with a DIY handbook as the basic textbook.