I've been writing for about three years, picking it up after years of telling myself I didn't have time. I was rusty, especially with grammar. I started writing fanfiction because I could write in a familiar setting (I'm a scifi fan) and concentrate on crafting the writing, not developing characters and world building. I entered some challenges and last author standing contests and I can tell you, some people can be brutal, especially if hiding behind user names, but I learned a lot from that experience.
A friend of mine, who is a published author, suggested I get the online grammar program Whitesmoke, which I did. It isn't cheap but it really helped me. I'm still not perfect and have a live person do a final edit for grammar on any work that I publish online.
Writing a novel has always been a passion, and I am currently on chapter 13 of my first effort. It is an amazing process, rewarding, and fun. My suggestion is to enjoy the process, don't sweat the details, yet...write your story. There are plenty of qualified people who can assist you in getting the mechanics right, but they cannot tell your story.
Listen to what you want to do, don't pay attention to the naysayers.
Good luck!!!
= new reply since forum marked as read
