Question for all those writers out there.

[Roger]

There is lots of good advice here. The only thing I can add is:

Don't be afraid to start
Don't worry about how long it will take to finish
Don't get discouraged if you only write a few sentences each day

Do write as you have time, it's nothing to feel guilty about
Do enjoy it
Do share your passion about writing with your family, they will understand

You will probably get frustrated along the way, but that will pass and the story will come. Write the way that feels best for you. When it's done, it's done, no matter how long or short it is.

When I wrote my first novel, it came out to be 290,000 words. I eventually trimmed it down to 210,000 words and then split it into two books. I can't tell you how many times I read over it and edited it. Then I let it rest for about 9 months and edited it a few more times. It's a long term commitment, but a worthwhile one.

[Brigid ✩]

I guess I can only kind of repeat what everyone else has said––but no, there are no set rules and there's no right or wrong way to write a story. If you have an idea, write it down and see where it takes you. I personally like to have a bit of an outline before I start writing the actual story; that is, I like to at least know the beginning, end, and a few things in the middle. But I know a lot of writers just "wing it" and that works for them. It's different for everyone, so just experiment and figure out what works best for you. :)

[Chris]

My first three full length novels are just back story for what I'm working on now.