What a fabulous post, Steve! The timing is interesting for me--I feel really validated. I've been writing fiction my whole life, but I recently discovered the medium of online serial fiction as a way to publish. Less than a month after I discovered the medium, I had decided to start my own online serial novel and had started the process of getting my website set up. I threw myself into it, made no attempt to disguise the fact that I'm new to the medium, and just did my best. I've gotten help from other newbies and had lots of success considering how new my novel is. I've identified and corrected a few mistakes, and I'm modeling a few things on someone else who is much more successful in the field than I am. I definitely have a lot farther to go before I reach my goal, but your post gives me confidence that I'll make it as long as I don't give up--and I don't intend to!
http://clarekrmiller.digitalnovelists.com