As much as I love the ‘just write’ motto, I have to say that there are times when it could be detrimental to your writing career.
I mean, it is good advice if you’re the type of writer that prefers dreaming over actual writing. Just write and you’re bound to pick something up along the way. That’s how I learned most things in life too.
That is why I feel ‘just write’ has its merits. Especially since most of us writers tend to err on the side of avoidance.
So why, then, does ‘just write’ not apply to your craft sometimes? Read on to find out.
1. You’ll end up with unusable words
The thing about ‘just write’ is that you can write anything and call it practice. This includes your journals, morning pages, tweets, and even texts.
And while this mantra does alleviate the stress we often associate with writing, it also lacks the actual content where craft is concerned.
I know this because if you factor in my morning pages, journals, and word ‘sketches’ I do every day, I easily put out 2,000 words on the daily. But do they ever make it into any of my official work? Nope.
There is a purpose to writing words you’ll never use, and that’s to get your first million words out before you can get to the good stuff.
But you know what they say: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. So sometimes you need to write with an end goal in mind.
2. You’ll end up with a false sense of security
Building upon the above point, it’s easy to ‘just write’ your way into a future of unpublished works.
After all, you can adopt the Murakami lifestyle of writing for hours and running 10 kilometres every day and still end up on your deathbed wondering where all your effort went.
This is because on paper, sticking to a writing routine would be the boss thing to do. Because who doesn’t love a disciplined writer? It doesn’t help that other wordsmiths tend to laud anyone who can put out a four-digit word count every day.
But that’s like drinking every night and telling yourself you’re not an alcoholic because you don’t drink during the day. It’s all just justifications.
So while ‘just writing’ may feel cool, it could actually be detracting you from your actual work.
3. You forget what it’s like to perform
When I dole out the ‘just write’ advice, I also like to include ‘write like no one’s reading’. And on the whole, I’ve found this to be a good way to get over the self-consciousness that comes with staring at a blank page.
But do you really want to spend your entire writing career just writing for yourself? Are you really okay with not sharing your work with anyone else?
Because writing is a performance, after all. And every performer needs an audience.
Thing is, ‘just write’ takes away the performance aspect of writing. When you write just for the sake of writing, you don’t typically have a reader in mind. And if you do that long enough, you’ll soon forget what it’s like to care about the reader’s experience.
Which is why you have to write for an audience and put out your work somehow. It doesn’t matter if you participate in short story competitions or write lengthy posts on LinkedIn.
What matters is that you try to find an audience every once in a while.
4. You won’t get to explore your true self
One other piece of writing advice that I swear by is to never take someone else’s word as set in stone. Especially if it’s from a famous author.
Don’t use adverbs. Write drunk. Conduct a goat sacrifice to the writing gods.
They might sound cool at first, and you might be tempted to follow other writers’ advice without giving them a second thought. But they all work best only for one person: the one giving the advice.
That’s what happens if you take ‘just write’ too seriously too. You don’t get to discover who you are as a writer.
Maybe you prefer binge-writing and locking yourself away on the weekends. Or maybe you can only write when surrounded by trees. You’ll never find out what routine fits you best if you only follow the top hacks you find on Google.
Writing is like cracking a safe for the wonderful words stored within, and it’s up to you to find the unique combination to yours.
Sure, you can give the top writing hacks a go to see if they suit you, but what’s more important is that you experiment with what your conscience tells you to do as well.
5. You’ll neglect actual training
How do you get better at free throws? You practise more free throws.
What about handstand push-ups? You practise handstand push-ups.
Drawing pentagrams with goat blood? You get the drill.
Nobody tells you to ‘just play basketball’, or ‘just work out’, or ‘just join the occult’ if you’re trying to improve in the above skills.
And while writing is a creative art, it’s also possible to pursue it from a logical standpoint.
So if you’re having problems with descriptions, you can hone in on that and spend an entire day just describing things from different POVs. Maybe your problem area is dialogues, or maybe it’s pacing.
Thing is, you won’t get better at those specific abilities if all you do is ‘just write’.
All the writers I know don’t like the idea of writing as a trainable skill. They want it to remain a mystical art. Because in art, everything is an expression of self. So there’s no need to practise.
But nobody climbs Mount Everest by accident (I love this saying). Just as how nobody improves their writing purely by chance.
You need your ‘why’
There’s a type of worm named the Pine Processionary Caterpillar. And thanks to smart people like Jean Henri-Fabre, we now have a perfect analogy to sum up this post.
You see, the Pine Processionary Caterpillars have a tendency to follow the leader without question. And they do this with such single-mindedness that when Fabre arranged them in a circle, they just continued tailing the one ahead of them—for eight entire days—before dying their gruesome death.
Of course, I’m leaving out the other nuances of this experiment to suit my purposes, but let’s just end on this note: Like the caterpillars, you could ‘just write’ for years and still get nowhere in the industry.
Which is why you need to be realistic with your writing sometimes.
What do you wish to achieve through words? Is it to finish a novel? Then find a way to put down 80,000 words in a single story.
Do you want to find work in the industry? Then figure out what your potential employers are looking for and strive to become that person.
Or do you simply want to change people’s lives? Then start by trying to affect just one person.
Because sometimes writing isn’t just something you do for fun. Sometimes it’s a matter of writing with purpose.
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I’m so glad I’ve ran across this post!! I can’t count how many people have told me to “just write” not understanding that writing is more than a passion of mine but a career I’m very interested in pursue.
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For a creative like me- I love writing without purpose! But sometimes I need the structure of the “why” in planning so I can put my words to paper. People think I’m insane because I loved writing papers in university. Researching a topic and figuring out how to write it all down is such a thrilling puzzle!
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Love this and love your voice, you have a great sense of humor in your writing! I’ve always loved writing, but never had a format that felt right until I found blogging! Now I struggle to balance my authentic, uncensored voice with my message. But in only 3 months I’ve already seen my voice evolve so much. Even though my early blog posts were a bit rough, I’m glad I “just started” because it allowed me to find my voice as a blogger more easily. Thanks for this great post!
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I can’t “just write.” I simply can’t force it. If I do, it ends as the least favorite part of my story, and most of the time, I scratch it out. Wasted effort.
Authors shouldn’t be disciplined. We are creative creatures, and we need inspiration, which you can’t force. Or you’re lucky if you can. I never could.
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Just write advice would work….if you’d add your closing thought…. Just write with purpose. Your end goal will determine what that purpose will be for you 💞
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Yes indeed. Purpose really does add another layer of possibilities to our daily pursuits. Sticking to it, though, is simultaneously much harder.
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I enjoyed reading your article and I agree with your points. I think “just write” is a vague and unhelpful advice that can lead to frustration and discouragement for many writers. Writing is a skill that requires practice, feedback, and revision not just quantity. I also like how you suggested some alternatives to “just write”, such as setting specific goals, reading more, and joining a writing community. These are much more concrete and actionable ways to improve one’s writing.
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Hemingway felt the same way, no adverbs, no five dollar words. He would sit for hours, sometimes days waiting for his inspiration to take hold and put those first words down, and his story or novel started with “one true sentence.” I do the same. Just writing for the sake of it, doesn’t work for me.
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To be fair, I do cycle back and forth between indulgent ‘pointless writing’ and targeted drills to improve. But lately I’ve been exploring the ways in which I can get better returns for my time. Either way, writing is amazing, lol. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
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You are so damn funny Stuart.
🤣🤣
“After all, you can adopt the Murakami lifestyle of writing for hours and running 10 kilometres every day and still end up on your deathbed wondering where all your effort went.”
Wait what… this works for me….🤣
“Don’t use adverbs. Write drunk. Conduct a goat sacrifice to the writing gods.”
Planning doesn’t always work for me but maybe it could if I planned and i wasn’t that busy. There is something about writing posts in the now.. You know the minute I have to get to a client and I can pound something out.. well then of course I’m back and forth for the next day editing errors thinking “damn girl, this could’ve been a fantabulous post but what the hey”. There is something about a posting schedule and writing on the fly that makes me feel like a “real writer” like I’m a paid newscaster or something… you know. the funny part is about it all I call it my real job and don’t make a dime for it.
🥹🤗🤣😂😘
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I totally get that part about making writing your real job but not earning from it. But sometimes we need to explore the reasons why too. Maybe there are certain holes to our game that we can easily improve on if we just take a closer look at them. For me, it’s marketing, lol. Here’s to constantly growing in writing!
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looking at holes and growing are so important you’re right/write Stuart.
ahhh the marketing game. My writing is shifting with time and marketing and I miss the flow focusing on that but it’s necessary and then time is a premium commodity❣️
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Hi. I find I can’t write fir no reason . I feel I always need something to write about. The best I can commit to is a blog post a week. At best, two a week
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That’s awesome. Always good to have a goal before writing. I have multiple modes of writing, and don’t prefer one over the other, but lately I’ve been wondering if I can get more returns with my craft. Thanks for your thoughts!
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Bravo Stuart for deploying this blog post that helps us see the need of writing with a purpose💯
I agree that the “Just Write” writing advice is not worth it sometimes because it is putting us on a wrong path and leading us astray to the actual target which is “TO WRITE WITH A PURPOSE”. Also, as usual I like the examples and subtopics that you wrote here such as the one about you forget what it is like to perform, man that one got to me because every performance needs an audience and in the field of writing it is the Readers📖📱
Lastly, indeed when you neglect actual training that helps a Writer be the best at their craft, you are bound to fall for the temptation of just write anyhow. Plus, the point of unusable words hits home because when you type and write anything that makes no sense it stems from the fact that the Writer lost his or her purpose in this article that makes no sense and it is as if the writer was drunk whilst in the process of writing📝
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Sometimes you gotta think about ROI too, amirite? It’s all fine and dandy to write 100,000 words per month, but then again, we also need to pause and think if spending all that time without trying to achieve something with our work is worth it.
Love your comments as always. Thanks for stopping by!
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Love the comment bro about the ROI , which according to business languages it is return on investment which is effective in writing too🙏
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Oh no! You just poured some ice cold water on my ‘daily pages’ practise and calling myself a writer lol.. however, that also means you’ve thrown in some truth bombs out there because all I’ve been doing in my daily pages is emotional vomit and pretending that will make me a published writer one day. Gahhh… it’s frustrating when you get advise that’s true 😊 Now I need to re-think my just write strategy 😁
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Lol, I love my morning pages, that’s for sure. It’s a liberating feeling, being able to throw down words without a care in the world. Then there are the works that I hope someone else reads, and those pieces make me realise how much work is involved in keeping the reader’s interest (because oftentimes, I lose interest in my own work). Anyway, thanks for your thoughts!
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I do sometimes enjoy writing just for the sake of putting words on the page– sometimes they make it into something else, like a poem or blogpost or part of a story. I probably don’t have as clear of a goal with some of my writing as I should being more of a pantser than a planner, but I appreciate the points you made here, especially about developing more discipline and discovering who you really are as a writer.
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I’m very much the same, and have often questioned my pursuits. Like, what’s the point of writing 100,000 words if only a fraction of them ever get used? Sometimes, the ROI thoughts do get me, lol. Other times, the artist emerges and thinks it’s okay. We’re never really just ‘one mode’ all the time, anyway, amirite? Great as always to see you, Sarah!
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When you write just for the sake of writing, you don’t typically have a reader in mind. – i like this part. Also the sports analogy. Thanks for this.
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Always great to have an audience in mind, even if it’s for one person. I find that I write better when it’s for somebody, rather than just putting words down on paper. Thanks for your comment!
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Hi Stuart!
I figured you didn’t check the email I sent to your newsletter 🤭
Anyway, I passed the theory exam just now. Yay!
Now I have to wait for a month before I can start learning with the driving teacher.
Thank you for your support Stuart!
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I actually did read your email and your comment on your blog, but just didn’t have the headspace to reply. Am glad you followed through, though! Once your driving lessons start, how many lessons do you need before sitting for the driving exam?
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Oh, I see. It’s okay. I kind of understand how you feel.
To answer that question.. I have to complete pratical lessons for a total of 15 and a half hours before I can take the exam. Which.. I haven’t even started yet. I’m planning to start by the end of August due to some reasons and nature of my work.
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I appreciate your nuanced approach. “Just write” can be great advice for us at certain points, but like most advice, you can take it too much to heart. I have writing outlets with different goals in mind. My journal is for just writing — spewing whatever comes to mind to combat my overthinking tendency. My newsletter and my fiction are for being more intentional and considering the audience. Thanks for this post; you clarified for me what those different outlets are for.
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With every other piece of advice out there, I certainly believe people can take things too literally and slow down their own progress. This applies to everything from fitness to religion too. Glad that we share the same viewpoint. And thank YOU for stopping by!
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“Don’t use adverbs” made me smile Stuart, mainly because I just finished reading the book by that famous author who gave that advice. I’m still shaking my head on some of his advice. LOL
I’ve always had an issue with what I call the “thou shalt and thou shalt nots”, mainly because you have to feel passionate about what you’re doing, and do what works for you. Following someone else’s rules rarely fuels that passion.
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Yeah. I believe that certain methods work only for certain people, and those who claim that there’s only one way to do things are wrong (and that’s my own version of black-and-white thinking, lol).
I’m glad I get to explore my own way of doing things though, as you seem to do. We need to spread this message out more!
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That is a valid post, Stuart. Though I would argue that when you are starting out, the advice is good because this gets rid of the jitters and hesitation which may stop you from writing entirely.
Once you are writing daily, then you can take it to the next level.
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I agree with that! It’s important to get started especially if you are a beginner but I wonder if the advice is also valid advanced writers. Sometimes when we write a few sentences, we can go back and expand and develop those ideas.
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Yeah, I’m actually a huge proponent for ‘just write’. I’m also in the ‘write every day’ camp. But then again, it’s always good to play devil’s advocate :P
Thanks for adding your thoughts!
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I’ve been thinking about these ideas. Perhaps the idea of ‘just write’ is useful for those who are new to blogging but in that case I do think it’s important to think about the reader. For me, I think the discipline of writing every day is helpful and it keeps me thinking about the language and about new ideas. So I do tell myself to ‘Just Write’ but I think carefully about what I’m writing and there’s some sense of achievement. I understand that you have a big future as an author and need more than this, but try not to be too hard on yourself. I suspect that what you write when you ‘Just write’ is probably amazing and the process is probably helping you to take positive steps to some great writing in the future.
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I actually think about this a lot too. Sometimes I feel like the work I put out under speed reads much better than the ones I take my time to artistically express. Which tips the argument in the favour of ‘just write’. But then again, sometimes plateaus can only be broken through targeted effort. So there’s always two sides to the coin, amirite? Thanks for your thoughts!
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Your first draft is suppose to be a hang loose kind of writing. Get your ideas out on paper. Perhaps many words will be cut, but they are not wasted. Editing, revising and final proof reading is where all the hard work comes in and many people can not handle this part of the writing which is the most important. Sometimes for many authors there are several draft rewrites. Others do just one or two and that is it. Writers us different approaches and not everybody use the same approach. What works for some does not work for others. Each of us must find our own system.
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I see both sides of this argument. I think it’s important to write consistently to develop self-discipline. Like most things, we get better when we practice a skill. That said, a critical part of writing is getting feedback from other writers, or we grow stagnant and hit the ceiling. Perhaps we may continue to repeat the same basic errors. Evaluation is a higher-level thinking skill. Bloom defines those as (1) analysis, (2) evaluation, and (3) synthesis.
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Yup. I feel the same about exercise too. For instance, I can do what I’ve been doing and just work out until I feel happy. Or, I could aim to increase my squat numbers or lap times so that I actually get better at certain pursuits.
I believe the true answer is always: it depends, and it’s up to us to find our unique solutions. Thanks for adding your thoughts, Pete!
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Good timing Stu. I waste a lot of time writing words without purpose. Possibly a lack of goats in my life.
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Lol, maybe mutton should be on the menu from now on. That’s a great secondary use once the sacrifice is complete.
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Hi Stuart!
There is something to be said for a post that invites commentary and discussion, as versus a simple mark of approval. I think the, “just write,” advice given — while helpful at the high school level where one may freeze up, and helpful on a process level after that (for the same reasons) — is also a massive oversimplification.
For instance, for months I’ve been doing this 15-minute a day free-write practice (or trying to), but the value there isn’t the content (which is mostly journal-type recording); it’s the practice of translating my thoughts into words. Clearing my head of everything I want to write down, simply so I don’t forget it, means I can enter into my Creative Writing (or writing while considering readers), without having that stuff trying to force its way to the front.
There are times when I’ve had to take a break from my own Creative Writing for the sake of my own balance, and I’m pretty far into one book (Anatomy of a Premise Line by Jeff Lyons…which is its own complicated/problematic thing) in which the author says to consider one’s story premise, before beginning to write it out.
Granted, he seems to have more of an Editor’s mindset than an Author’s, and the book is targeted to Screenwriters, and globally applies a culturally specific story model I’m not drawn to, and the author’s main message reads as a tautology: but it’s still the case that if a story’s premise is flawed at the outset, no amount of writing is going to undo the flaws, if the writing does not alter or offer insight into the premise of the story itself. But as writers, we know we can’t guarantee that the writing isn’t going to alter the planning.
Given that: it’s also far, far easier to write when one is already in the practice of writing. Approaching a blank page from a place of no practice at all, virtually guarantees that one is going to have to throw out or rephrase large portions of the text — to a greater degree than one would have to, were one still in the flow of things.
Then, there’s the entire issue of reading (other peoples’ works) while one is writing. I was told in Undergrad (I majored in Creative Writing) that this was essential…and maybe it is from a Literary standpoint, where the art of language is key…but most of the world is not in that Literary bubble. I still don’t know exactly what my relation is to that Literary bubble, to be honest…
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Wow, what a lovely comment!
First off, your daily 15-minute free-writing exercise sounds like the writer’s equivalent of morning yoga, which sounds like a great way to stay supple, literary-wise.
You’re also spot-on about the significance of maintaining a writing practice. I often liken it to building muscle – consistency is key and stopping can lead to a loss of momentum. Just as an athlete needs to maintain their regimen, a writer needs to keep in practice to keep their writing muscles warmed up.
Basically, I love the fact that you’re exploring what writing means to you, because it’s so much more than just the words, amirite? Thanks again for the lovely food for thought!
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I don’t want to get better at handstand pushups. Until a moment ago, I didn’t know there was such a thing as handstand pushups. I wish I could go back to not knowing. ;)
I want/need to get better at metaphors. Whenever a good one pops into my head (usually when I’m far away from the blog and have no place to use it), I think to myself, “I should start a notebook of good analogies/metaphors.” But then I don’t, and the next time I’m in need of a metaphor, I kick myself.
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Omg I’ve thought the same thing about metaphors! Oftentimes my examples are so irrelevant to anything I’ll ever write, but I still get that desire to record them down, then kick myself in the butt for not doing so lol. I really need to start this!
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We should make a shared Google Doc – haha!
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Writing with purpose and intention, while considering the quality of our words, is crucial. Connecting with an audience and exploring our true selves as writers are equally important. Deliberate practice and having a clear writing purpose empower us to grow and make an impact.
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The last bit is so key. Deliberate practice helps us grow in the exact way we need. Pointless practice is good to keep the gears oiled, but deliberate practice is what gets you places. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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I have been consistent with my writing. I have also found a bit of audience with my friends and family. There are days I write are just about practice and I don’t share on groups. But when there are things and points that need to be reached I share with them. Yesterday was one piece about various Indian treats that I shared with many groups. As a Mother raising an young autistic adult I had to convey my diffculties but I do not want that to be boring or one of self pity. So I have started playing with topics. I am feeling happy. You are right I do not want to be in my death bed and have regrets. 😀
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That’s so cool you have your own process down. And you have both modes of sharing and writing for yourself. Because I think the person that has a black and white approach to writing is definitely limiting themselves. Thanks for sharing!
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Hey Stu, you’re back with your ever-trustworthy writing tips! Been missing those. Actually, have you ever considered stand-up comedy? Cos simply based on your writing, I can totally see you on stage killing it with many of your excellent one-liners man! Keep on rocking out these tips for us Stu. Thanks as always!
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Love that you found it funny! Am definitely working on humour writing so you’ve definitely encouraged me to keep going. I’ve actually tried stand-up once too. Might give it a try sometime again. Always enjoy having you around, Kelvin!
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Great advice! I love the Mount Everest quote.
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Lol, I loved that quote too when I first saw it. Thanks so much for stopping by, Brad!
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I feel like the ‘just write’ approach is like telling people who need to be more active to take the stairs at work instead of the lift, or to fit in a ten minute walk before dinner. It’s not without benefit but it wouldn’t get you in shape for a triathlon or a marathon. Let what you do be shaped by what you’re aiming for.
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Oh wow I love your analogy! That’s definitely how I would look at it too! Spot on there. Narrowing your goals down is definitely more beneficial for sure. Thanks for your thoughts!
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