A method of writing data on a storage medium that takes into account a condition of the storage medium. The method includes receiving data to be written on a portion of a storage medium and encoding the data based on a condition of the portion of the storage medium. The encoded data is written on the portion of the storage medium. A data storage system that includes a storage medium having defects is also provided. The data storage system utilizes a coding scheme that comprises coding bit patterns configured to address the defects on the storage medium.