A bit of advise from a complete novice. (Like massive noob novice)

[Michael01]

Again, sorry for assuming that this was how everyone works.

No apologies are necessary. Basically, I think we "practice" with whatever we're working on at the time. I never write anything without the goal of making it something people will want to read, but in order to do that I have to keep working it until it gets there.

As for assumptions, I assumed that someone else gave you this advice first and it sounded logical to you. It does sound logical when you're just starting out. If you came up with this on your own ... well, the same principle applies. You'd have to be more familiar with the process before you realize how different the art forms really are.

So I gather you have an inclination toward novel writing? Good. Work on whatever project(s) you have in mind and see how it turns out. If your ideas happen to be naturally expressed in that form, you'll soon realize that your first efforts are still just a draft. Then you go back and revise until it's better, and do it again after that - and so on. That's practice.

You might still get an idea to write a short story. That's also good. Give it a shot and see how that turns out. I think JDP is right when he says that either way you'll still develop the general skills involved, but that shouldn't be your main reason for writing short stories.

And I probably shouldn't have said short stories but rather shorter pieces of writing, since if you, like me get bored of writing long stories after a while you can allways just write a more interesting scene that you have planned in your story (or any scene that can be implemented into your story.)

Yes, you can do that. It can be very helpful too. The important thing is to write what you want.

Good luck, and I hope you'll get around to sharing some of your work with us!

EDIT: You all snuck in on me.

I like what Teresa said:

Ah, but it isn't just practice if you finish it and see it published. If you start out thinking that you won't stick with it and that it will never be published, then no doubt it will be hard to spend the effort. On the other hand, if you keep on writing because the story absorbs you, then it isn't practice either, because loving what you are doing is a pretty good end in itself.

I was trying to express that I think the process is both practice and an "end in itself." Thank you, Teresa!

 

[thatollie]

In my opinion, the most important thing you can take from this is to just keep on writing and really think about advice (even mine, actually especially mine) before you decide to accept it.

 

[Michael01]

In my opinion, the most important thing you can take from this is to just keep on writing and really think about advice (even mine, actually especially mine) before you decide to accept it.

I had to roll with that. Really.

It's true. I wouldn't put much stock in my own advice, either.

 

[thatollie]

I had to roll with that. Really.

It's true. I wouldn't put much stock in my own advice, either.

I know right, I've sounded so sane recently that people may have been fooled into believing it.