So, I have been wanting to write a novel for the longest time, but for some reason, I haven’t gotten around to it. A good chunk of it has to do with procrastination, but if I’m being honest, that procrastination was quite justified. If you, a normal person with no architecture experience, were instructed to create a whole apartment complex sketch from scratch, of course, you’d procrastinate because that is common when the task is so daunting. Instead, you would be much more willing to start with the sketch of a single apartment or a single room. 

So, that’s what I did. During summer vacation, when I was pretty much idle, I began to write short fiction. I began with a story of 1000 words (also known as flash fiction). After writing a few of these "rooms," I used the skills I developed to build an "apartment": a short story.

A short story is anywhere between 1500 – 7500 words. I first wrote a short story that was 2500 words long. Then I wrote another that was pretty much similar in length. Then, broadening my comfort zone, I began to construct 'bigger apartments'. 3500 words, 4000 words. Slowly and steadily, I built up towards that impossibly daunting endeavor of writing a novel.

This was not only great for making myself comfortable with writing a novel that is going to be tens of thousands of words, but also because, in this whole process, I learned a lot about the craft of writing fiction. Dialogue, Prose, Descriptions, Characters, Plot, Setting, and Story. Before this venture, I only had a rudimentary grasp of every one of these aspects, but after, I felt I could comfortably write the pieces without second-guessing each and every word that I’d written. 

Now, I have actually started writing the novel I had thought of. Before all this, writing a novel seemed like a fairy tale I was trying to live, something impossible and out of reach. Now, I have made it a reality. 

I also realized another reason for my hesitance regarding writing a novel; it’s a pretty big commitment. I would have to spend months of my time writing it, so what if it turned out badly? Months of dedication would go to waste. Well, now that I have confidence in myself and my writing, that fear has gone out the window. Beginning the novel, I was eager to embrace the journey and the lessons it would offer, just as I had with my short fiction writing.

If you have been wanting to write a novel and haven’t been able to, first of all, I understand you. Secondly, start with short fiction. Start small and work yourself up to that goal that seems so out of reach. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was this the builder’s first job.