10,000 hours

Malcolm Gladwell wrote a fascinating book called Outliers: The Story of Success. One of the things he found in his research of successful people was that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to become a master.  Humbling. He gives numerous examples including how Bill Gates became successful. So you are not just learning how to write a novel, you are becoming a proficient, accomplished writer. Do the math. If you write 10 hours a week and there are 4.3 weeks in a month (43 hours a month) times 12 months, that comes to 516 hours a year. Divide 10,000 by 516. It will take you 19.3 years to get in your 10,000 hours at 10 hours a week.