Let's be honest here: Writing a novel is no small task. Yes, I know there are eBooks out there claiming to show you how to complete a novel in 30 days, but it can't be done, at least not by a newcomer to novel writing.

Producing 70-odd thousand words is a big enough challenge alone. But to learn the rules of how to plot a novel and how to create characters and all the rest of it (which is the position a newcomer would find themselves in)...well, let's just say that two or three years is a more realistic estimate of how long writing a novel will take you.

Which leads me to the point of this article...

What is the payback for all this hard work? What can you expect to get out of it?

To be honest, the perks of writing a novel will be different for everyone. For some, making money from their fiction will be the prize they keep their eyes on. For others, it might be the promise of fame (or, God help you, celebrity). For many more, the creative challenge alone will be sufficient.

For what it is worth, here is what motivates me (and what doesn't)...

First up, it isn't the money (honestly!) Not that the riches that a bestselling novel might bring wouldn't be welcome in my bank account, but I would be lying if I claimed it was money that motivated me to write.

The same thing goes for fame. (I'm perfectly happy out of the glare of the spotlight, thank you very much.) Even the possibility of writing a truly great novel and going down in literary history doesn't do it for me (well, maybe a little).

You see, all of these things are rewards that you receive only after your novel is published. Before that can happen, you face years of hard work with no guarantee whatsoever of publication. And even if your novel is published, it is unlikely to be successful enough to enable you to quit the day job (sorry, but those are the cold facts). To put it simply, if fame and fortune are what you seek then novel writing probably isn't the best train to climb aboard.

So what else is there?

The challenge of writing a novel, that's what. And the fun of writing one.

The sense of achievement that comes from nailing a particularly tricky scene, or from figuring out a clever plot-twist.

The opportunity to have a creative outlet for all of your thoughts and theories and feelings and beliefs on what it means to be alive in this funny old world.

Above all, the chance to rebuild the world according to your own specifications - and then to play at being God in that world. That is exactly what writing a novel is all about when you think about it: Playing at being God in a world of your own making. And which of us wouldn't want to do that?