Written a novel I mean. Not published :-D
It took me about two years to go from "I'd like to write something" to actually sitting down and writing it. It then took me eight months to write the first draft.
I met two agents at an event who said they'd be interested in reading a polished, edited version of the MS.
I've printed my first draft out in book format and read it all through, making notes as I went. I sat down and properly polished the first chapter - just 15 more to go!
Any tips for the editing process? And also, do you know any good, lively writing forums?