The first rule of writing to to ... write. I know that sounds simple, but fully half of the people who say they want to be writers never actually write anything. They simply refuse to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, as the case may be). For some reason, these people think that one day, they'll be writers.
If you want to be a writer, sit down and write. Sure you'll make mistakes, you'll have to revise or even rewrite eventually, but you need to get your thoughts down on paper. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or format just yet. Those things will come later. Sit down, get started, and you'll be well on your way to writing your first novel.
