{"id":21912,"date":"2014-08-19T15:01:57","date_gmt":"2014-08-19T07:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=21912"},"modified":"2021-06-21T19:50:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T11:50:30","slug":"writing-advice-just-write","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/writing-advice-just-write\/","title":{"rendered":"Why “Just Write” Is the Best Writing Advice You’ll Ever Get"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I first started out as a professional writer<\/a>, I read every resource<\/a> I could grab on the subject. As I read, read, and read some more, I noticed that one piece of advice kept cropping up: \u201cIf you want to become a writer, just write.\u201d<\/p>\n

At first, I thought, well, that\u2019s not very helpful. Obviously, writing is what writers do. Besides, that doesn\u2019t tell me anything about how to be a better<\/em> writer. If writing is that simple<\/a>, then everyone who does it for a living should be bestselling authors by now, right?<\/p>\n

But the more I thought about it, and the more I wrote, the more it made sense to \u201cjust write\u201d. Over the course of my writing career so far, I realized:<\/p>\n

(Writing) Theory is Nothing without Application<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong. I\u2019m not suggesting that you completely ditch \u201cHow to Write\u201d books, articles, and the like in favor of mindlessly tapping away at your keyboard all day. Trying to write without a solid grasp of the basics is like trying to swim without knowing how to float and hold your breath underwater.<\/p>\n

Still, you can\u2019t spend time reading about writing without actually writing. Otherwise, what did you do all that reading for?<\/p>\n

Writing Rules Can Be Broken<\/h2>\n

To me, writing \u201crules\u201d are more guidelines than dogma<\/strong>. While it\u2019s true that the likes of the passive voice, long sentences, and adverbs can weaken your writing, there are written works that incorporate all of those into their prose, and still turn out great anyway. Case in point: Stephen King once chided J.K. Rowling for her overuse of adverbs<\/a>, but that never stopped her from becoming one of the world\u2019s most beloved and influential authors.<\/p>\n

Of course, in order to pull that off, you need to have a complete mastery over the \u201crules\u201d first before you even think about breaking them<\/strong>. And, in my opinion, that level of mastery is achievable only if you practice good writing habits on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Read Also: <\/strong>7 Insane Habits To Destroy Your Freelance Writing Career<\/a><\/p>\n

No Two Creative Processes Are Exactly the Same<\/h2>\n

I usually write first thing in the morning, after drinking a cup of coffee and taking a nice, warm bath. I consider these habits as part of my creative process, since they help prepare me for a long day of turning my jumbled thoughts into coherent prose.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019d never go out and tell any writer who cares to listen that \u201cHey, this is what I do before I write, so you should do it too!\u201d I recognize that what may work for me may not work for other<\/a> writers. Sure, there may be writers who also write in the morning after drinking a cup of coffee and taking a nice, warm bath, but I\u2019m also positive there are writers who do none of that, and still churn out great work anyway.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter whether your creative process resembles another writer\u2019s or not. What matters is that, regardless of how you prepare<\/strong> for the act of writing, you\u2019re still able to write, and able to write well<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Read Also: <\/strong>Freelancers: How To Harness Your Inner Creativity<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGood\u201d Writing is highly Subjective<\/h2>\n

Pick a book \u2013 any book \u2013 from sites like Amazon and Goodreads. Chances are it\u2019s rated 5-star, 4-star, 3-star, 2-star, and 1-star \u2013 all at the same time!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s ridiculous, right? How can one book be both above-par and sub-par<\/a>?<\/p>\n

The thing is, the concept of \u201cgood writing\u201d is subjective<\/strong>. Sure, there are universal criteria for \u201cbad writing\u201d, such as poor grammar and syntax, but for the most part, your readers\u2019 individual preferences will affect how they perceive your work<\/strong>. In other words, it\u2019s pointless to try to please everyone.<\/p>\n

Instead, think of a specific person who will benefit the most from your writing, <\/strong>and write only for that person<\/strong>. You\u2019ll be surprised at how your work will turn out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Starting Is the Hardest Part of Writing<\/h2>\n

Actually, starting is the hardest part of anything<\/em>.<\/p>\n

According to this article<\/a>, the human brain does a funny thing when confronted with a Jupiter-sized project: It automatically visualizes all the possible ways your project can go wrong, so it attempts to \u201csimulate\u201d productivity by filling (read: wasting) your time with small tasks. (\u201cOh, my first draft is due tomorrow? Wait, I need to check my email first\u2026\u201d)<\/p>\n

To avoid that, you need to plunge into your project from the get-go<\/strong>. Once you get going, you\u2019ll have this uncontrollable urge to finish no matter what, in accordance with the Zeigarnik effect<\/a>. As the Nike slogan goes: \u201cJust Do It\u201d.<\/p>\n

You Can\u2019t Be \u201cGood\u201d If you\u2019re Not \u201cBad\u201d First<\/h2>\n

You might say: \u201cBut what if I try to write, and all I come up with is a pile of crud?\u201d To that, I say this: \u201cWell, improving on a pile of crud is easier than improving on a pile of nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re writing the first draft, you\u2019re at the point where you\u2019re still trying to transform all your research and ideas into words. Naturally, you\u2019ll end up with something that may need some extra polishing, or even a whole rewrite. If you think about it, that\u2019s marginally better than trying to \u201cpolish\u201d a blank page.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: You can\u2019t learn to do something well, if you don\u2019t try to do it at all.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the best writing advice you\u2019ve ever received? Let us know in the comments section.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I first started out as a professional writer, I read every resource I could grab on the subject. As I read, read, and read some more, I noticed that one piece of advice kept cropping up: \u201cIf you want to become a writer, just write.\u201d At first, I thought, well, that\u2019s not very helpful.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3408],"tags":[2820,4593],"topic":[4523],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy "Just Write" Is the Best Writing Advice You'll Ever Get - Hongkiat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When I first started out as a professional writer, I read every resource I could grab on the subject. 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