Everyone I’ve ever talked to says they could write a book. Many people even have an idea for a novel. Yet, whenever I talk to them again after some time, they haven’t made much progress—if they’ve started at all.

The main reason most people never write a book is because it requires delayed gratification. You can’t write a book in a day. Only the truly obsessed finish one in a week, rarely is a book completed in a month. Usually, it takes many months to shape your idea into something polished enough to publish—and most people don’t want to wait that long for the gratification of holding the finished book in their hands.

Blogs are different. You can write something in an hour, click “publish,” and enjoy your reward immediately.

If you keep at it long enough, you might even build an audience to interact with—and maybe even earn some money from it. But what you’ll definitely gain is the daily satisfaction of creating something.

Even though blogging is different from writing a book, it still follows the same principles.

In my case, blogging isn’t just a daily exercise in honing my craft; it’s also a way to improve my English. Sure, my English is far from perfect, but I’ve become much better thanks to this blog.

If English is your native language, blogging will still expand your communication skills. It makes you think about how to express your ideas and arguments more clearly. It pushes you to broaden your vocabulary and experiment with phrasing. It also strengthens your storytelling muscle, since every blog post follows a structure similar to a story scene:

• Grab the reader’s attention.
• Keep them engaged so they stay with you.
• End with a clear, satisfying conclusion that makes your post (or scene) feel complete.

Do you feel like you could write a book?

Start by writing a blog for a month or two—you’ll train your brain well enough to start tackling that 300-page novel, and succeed this time.