This is the worst writing advice I’ve heard in 2025.
Can you guess it?
This is the worst writing advice I’ve ever heard.
It’s “just write.”
Why?
In sports, they have the concept of mastery through “deliberate practice,” and “just write” is the opposite of that.
I’m too lazy to go into all the details, so I’ll keep it short.
Time spent is the worst way to measure progress.
It just gives you an illusion of progress.
Picture this: you spend 10,000 hours lifting a toddler’s red dumbbell.
Do you think that will build your biceps?
Of course not.
The most important metric for mastering a skill isn’t time spent—it’s the intensity of the practice.
Writers who spend 2 hours deliberately studying writing are more likely to develop new skills than writers who spend 2 hours mindlessly writing.
That’s why “just write” is the worst writing advice.
Well, every rule has an exception.
“Just write” works only under two conditions:
- You’re naturally talented.
- You can’t maintain consistency.
I’m just an ordinary person, so let’s focus on condition #2.
When you lose consistency, you need to remove all the friction that’s pushing you away from writing.
- If showing up is hard, just write.
- If writing about new topics is hard, just write.
- If you feel unmotivated, just write.
This is when “just write” actually works.
If someone struggles with consistency, I’d recommend “just write” as a cure.
But if you want to get better, “just write” isn’t enough.
If “just write” isn’t enough, then how should you practice writing?
For me, I practice through copywork.
But, just like with any other practice, if you mindlessly copy what you’re reading, you’ll gain nothing.
If you want to get good at any skill, you have to practice deliberately.
The devil is in the details.
And only those who are focused can spot those details.
Oh, and one thing most people don’t realize: the right advice at the wrong time is the wrong advice.
P.S
I’ll be back after this Valentine. Thank you for understanding.
