I am a newbie, 1st time modeler who is looking to tray my hand and avoid what I read on various sites is the high degree of frustration and abandonment of the hobby. So thanks in advance for any who answer my questions or provide other guidance!

My 2 cents... Start with a kit that has good instructions. Unclear instructions are most frustrating. My first was MS Mayflower. Instructions were great.
Learn to enjoy "redoing". I used to view redoing a failure, now I look at it as upgrading.
Experiment...see what works best for you.
Learn, learn and learn some more. I seem to be learning more now than when I started.
Marry a supportive spouse. It is so much more enjoyable when she puts up with my mess and adores my work.
Keep an eye on the cat...nuff said.
Ask questions before you glue...
Realize there is always someone who does better work than you and this is not a competition.
Good luck
Slow

I couldn't agree more with Jim. I would also add another piece of advice; select a ship that YOU are interested in. It increases the liklihood of your finishing the project. Many people advise that you select a simple kit and work up. I have seen many first-time build of complex three-deckers by newbies, including an HMS Victory by an elderly lady who had never built anything previously. Keep in mind that these skills are really not difficult, they are just time consuming at first.

Good luck!

Many thanks for the thoughts and the encouragement. My plan is to start with Sultana which has been recommended for a beginner. I read about the "solid hull vs Planking" issue as it relates to newbies and have not been able to see a clear choice of one over the other--so therefore my selection of the Sultana kit.
Thank you for taking time. I am a little intimidated but have the time and ( hopefully) the patience to undertake the challenge!