I read all the time about writers who spend months researching before they start writing. I have a lot to learn and spend a lot of time each day figuring out how to do things on the computer that I'm not familiar with; the research is the easy part.
Lately, I'm learning something every day. Most writer blogs give advice on how to do things. One of these days I'll feel comfortable advising people, but for now I'm learning by experience, reading a lot of other people's sage advice, and working on my books.
I would say the actual writing is much easier than all the rest. These days writers have to be all facets of the publishing process as well as marketing. Most of us didn't sign up for this, but this is the direction things have gone so far. It, unfortunately, takes up a chunk of the time we could be writing and being productive.
I trudge onward and upward toward the shining goal of a wildly successful book. Some people make it. Why not me?
