New Member, and New writer.

[Aosto]

Hello all. It's become a recent obsession of mine to want to write a novel, more specifically a fantasy novel. I guess you could say it's on my bucket list of things to do. The problem is, I have no formal training and have never taken any creative writing classes. I've come here for general advice, and to learn from what appear to be masters of the trade.
I'm currently in the stages of world building, and by that I mean I have procured a notebook and a pen, and have spent much time on research. I don't mind the need to write short stories, but I want all my works to be central to this world that I want to create. So, in closing, I hope to learn from the vast amount of collective wisdom that is apparent in these pages and apply this knowledge to my own works.

[Steerpike]

Welcome, Aosto. I'm glad you found the site and hope you enjoy it here. There's no need to write short stories if what you really want to do is write novels, but a short story can give you a "complete" work quicker, so you'll have the feeling of having completed something, which can be a confidence booster. Also, you might be able to sell it, which is a real confidence booster

[danr62]

Welcome aboard!