I'm in the same boat as you just writing for fun and enjoying the process. I'll probably look at the self-publishing route once I've finished my current WIP. I've learned a huge amount about various topics, including empathy for the characters I write about, and it has given me more appreciation for the skill of the writers I love.
Also I hacked together an E-Ink "typewriter" for writing https://i.postimg.cc/2S53Pt7J/foto-no-exif-1.jpg
> I've learned a huge amount about various topics, including empathy for the characters I write about, and it has given me more appreciation for the skill of the writers I love.
I've learned tons about this kind of thing over time, and as I've gotten more experience I've drawn on my interactions with others IRL and thinking more about human experiences, how characters would react realistically, and such. There is so much to learn. It really does make you appreciate the great fiction that you love, and it gives you something to work towards, a greatness to emulate.
LMK if you ever want to exchange writing with someone, it can be a lonely road sometimes.
_Before_ I get into Word I process the words from my brain either by writing in longhand, or by using my typewriter. I use the step from these analogue methods to digital as an initial cleanup phase.