It's definitely better to train and run dozens of 5ks before trying to run a marathon. Same for writing.

I started a novel years ago, but had no clue what I was doing. Then I started writing stories on Medium. It was my training ground.

I learned to tell stories. I tired several genres. I let the stories deterime their own length. And I wrote hundreds of stories ranging from 50 to 12,000 words.

After that, my novel wasn't as daunting. It simply required more planning. And I was able to accomplished my dream of writing a novel that I am proud of.