An apparatus configured to write input data on an optical recording medium using a write pulse waveform, the write pulse waveform including a first pulse, a last pulse and a multi-pulse train, is provided. The apparatus includes a discriminator configured to discriminate a magnitude of a present mark and a magnitude of a leading space from the input data, a write waveform controller configured to control the write pulse waveform to generate an adaptive write pulse waveform by varying a position of a rising edge of a first pulse of the present mark to be written according to the magnitude of the present mark and the magnitude of the leading space, and use a grouping table to control the write pulse waveform to generate the adaptive write pulse waveform, the grouping table being configured to store rising edge data of the first pulse of the write pulse waveform varying according to corresponding stored values of magnitudes of present marks and magnitudes of leading spaces, and a processor configured to process the input data on the optical recording medium using the adaptive write pulse waveform. The discriminator is further configured to apply the magnitude of the present mark and the magnitude of the leading space to the write waveform controller. The adaptive write pulse waveform is generated without regard for a trailing space of the present mark being written using the adaptive write pulse waveform. A width of the first pulse is varied by varying the position of the rising edge.