Priceless Writing Advice

The One Piece of Grad School Advice That Still Applies Today

Just WRITE!

“The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.” ~ Stephen King

It was the first meeting we had with the head of our graduate program at King’s College London. We were to receive critical information and advice on how to plan our dissertation.

And from that day, about eight years ago, I still remember one sentence. One piece of advice.

“Just write any ol’ shit down.”

He went on to explain that you need to start writing! Just write!

Start and continue writing! You edit along the way. You may get new ideas as you write. You may need to rewrite sections.

But you won’t get anywhere if you don’t write.

“If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.” ~ Dan Poynter.

As I read daily articles on writing, I realized they all have one common theme— consistency.

If you are to become a writer, you need to write. The more you write the more you learn, and the more you improve. The more you write, the more content you have.

Frequency is key according to top writers, whether it’s Seth Godin or Sinem Günel. The message is clear. Quantity matters.

It’s simple: writers write.

Of course, it’s not just about quantity. You need quality and quantity. But quality without quantity won’t get you anywhere, especially on Medium.

“Never, never, never, never give up.” ~Winston Churchill

Whatever you do, never give up. Never stop writing. Be consistent. Put in the work.