It takes approximately 2 seconds to draw a circle. Chances are, the first one won’t be perfect. But, at 2 seconds per circle, it’s possible to draw 30 circles a minute. That’s 180 circles an hour. I bet you, that by the 180th circle, they’re getting better. Near perfect.
On the other end of the spectrum, it takes authors about three years to write a novel. That’s three years before they can start to learn from what they’ve done, to find out if it’s any good, or how they can improve it. Chances are if it’s their first one, it’s not going to be very good. It often takes at least 2 or 3 tries to make a good version of anything, whether that’s a creative pursuit, or something more like making bread, beer, or pancakes.
If an author wants to write a novel, but they haven’t done so before, then perhaps the best way to start is by writing a short story – a beginning, middle and end in 2000 words and less than one weekend. Then write another, and write another. By the end of the year, that author could have written 52 short stories. That’s 52 opportunities for learning from how readers read it, what works and what doesn’t, what parts are hardest to write, and what the author finds easiest.
By keeping feedback cycles as short as possible, we’re able to learn as quickly as possible. The faster we learn, the more we’re able to see (and correct) mistakes, amplify what’s strong, and improve at the skill we’re trying to master. It might also turn out that we find satisfaction in short stories and circles, and the novel doesn’t matter so much in the end after all.