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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/18973
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/18973
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 **It depends on two things.**

1. What your skill level is. 
2. What you feel comfortable doing. 

I began writing with fan fiction and fan fiction contests. ( **Note:** these contests were loose and open. They were not professional, and were simply somewhere to practice and receive criticism.) That's how I learned to write. If you're a beginner, still honing and perfecting your writing process, I believe open community contests may be for you. I would also look into fan fiction on something you're interested in. It's very open, and a great place to test methods out. It also has the added bonus of giving you free criticism, in the form of your readers' comments.

However, if you feel like you know what you're doing, and are just looking to solidify your processes, I would say magazines and journals could be a good way to go. They will give you a good taste of what actually writing a book is like, including the publishing process. You will probably get professional feedback/editing on what you write, and all feedback is invaluable.

**Summing up**

So it comes down to where you're at, and what you feel comfortable doing. If you're just a beginner, I would recommend contests, and especially fan fiction. If you have a solid process that you use to write and are looking to solidify it, I would recommend magazines or journals.

_Disclaimer:_ I have dabbled extensively in fan fiction and fan fiction contests. I have never gone near magazines or journals, simply because I never felt the need. I honed my processes entirely through fan fiction (and this site).

Original score: 1