出版与作家生涯2017theatlantic.com
那本他不该写的书
The Book He Wasn't Supposed to Write
导读
这篇《大西洋月刊》文章讲述一位作家的书稿在出版过程中被迫大改、几乎重写的经历，揭开写作与编辑的真实过程。对写作者来说，它让人看到作品如何在外力（编辑、读者反馈）下被重塑，以及诚实批评为何珍贵。
可以直接用的写作要点
- 01
作品的价值不取决于你自认为写得多好，而取决于它如何打动别人，所以要主动找人试读。
- 02
要找敢直言、甚至"刻薄"的读者，比找只会夸奖的人更能帮你改进。
- 03
把叙事当作帮读者理解故事的工具，而不是操纵读者接受某个观点的工具。
- 04
每本书的写作都伴随崩溃、压力和情绪起伏，这是常态而非失败。
HN 评论精选
找人试读、接受尖锐批评是改进的关键；作品打动别人才算数。
我有过类似经历，更简短，对我也更具变革性。我的建筑师职业已无法满足人生目标，我需要真正学点金融、创新理论和管理，于是决定去牛津读MBA。这很有挑战：没钱、学术成绩也不亮眼，入学论文必须一鸣惊人。我写了一篇自认很棒的东西，正要提交时意识到需要更多人审视。我环顾咖啡馆，那里有个常客，来历不明的哲学学生，聊过几次，看起来挺聪明。我请他读四页纸并给反馈，他欣然同意……然后他讨厌它，几乎对每部分猛烈批评，完全没领会我想表达的重点，明确说这篇论文几乎在每个层面都失败了。这话听着不舒服，但他是对的。重要的不是我对所写东西的印象，而是它如何打动别人。于是我从头重写，把他的批评放在最前面。
nkoren查看英文原文
I had a similar experience, which was more concise and, for me personally, more transformative. My career as an architect had reached a point where I knew it wasn't going to satisfy my life goals. I needed to understand more about finance, innovation theory, management, etc. I needed an MBA -- not a bullshit one for the title, but to actually learn things. I decided I'd go to Oxford. This was going to be challenging: I had neither the funds to pay for it nor the shiniest academic record. Good GMAT scores, but not much else. The admissions essay had to be a knock-out. So I wrote something I thought was amazing, and was preparing to submit it, when I realised: wait a second, I need some more eyeballs on this. I looked around the coffeehouse where I sat. There was a guy there -- I wasn't sure of his name, but he was a regular. A philosophy student (part time? dropout?) of uncertain provenance. We'd had a few conversations occasionally, and he seemed bright. So I asked him, somewhat rhetorically, whether he had the time to read 4 pages and give me his feedback. He happily agreed... ...and he hated it. Tore into almost every part of it. Didn't remotely grok the point I was trying to make. Made it clear that the essay failed on pretty much every level. That was unpleasant to hear, but he was right. What mattered wasn't _my_ impression of what I'd done -- it was how it impressed other people. So I rewrote the essay from the ground up, keeping his criticism at the forefront of my mind. Oxford ended up giving me the largest scholarship they had. Afterwards I stayed in the UK and built a life there. Don't even know that guy's name, but damn am I glad he was that asshole.
坦诚的负面反馈虽难开口，却是帮作者进步的必要之举。
"有时候我的工作就是当个混蛋，"他解释道……要给出坦诚、负面的反馈而不显得像个混蛋，实在太难了，但有时这是必要的。"建设性"反馈作用有限。有时人们需要被告知作品很糟，才能进步。为避免伤害感情而接受平庸，长远看是在害他们。
jackgavigan查看英文原文
> “Sometimes my job is to be an asshole,” he explained... It's so difficult to give frank, negative feedback without coming across as an asshole but, sometimes, it's necessary. "Constructive" feedback only goes so far. Sometimes people need to be told that their work is bad, so that they can improve. Accepting mediocrity in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings is doing them a disservice in the long run.
写作每本书都伴随精神崩溃与压力，作者第六本书才首次经历大改，令人意外。
这篇文章对不熟悉出版业的人很棒，但对已有基本了解的人缺乏有趣材料。最让我惊讶的是作者直到第六本书才有这种经历。你是说这家伙写了五本书都没经历过大改，从没遇到每本书带来的精神崩溃、巨大压力和情绪起伏？我不知道该佩服他还是该幻灭。
voidhorse查看英文原文
This is a great article for those unfamiliar with publishing, but rather sparse on any interesting material for anyone with a basic knowledge as to how it works. To be honest the most surprising thing in this piece is the fact that the author didn't have this experience until his sixth book--you mean to tell me this guy wrote five books without ever having to do a major revamp--without ever running into the knowledge that each book often brings mental collapse, incredible stress, and emotive highs and lows with it? I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or disillusioned.
叙事应是服务读者、讲好故事的工具，而非操纵读者观点的工具。
看到人们把叙事当作讲好故事、帮助读者的工具，而不是让读者屈服于某种观点的工具，令人耳目一新。
ruytlm查看英文原文
Refreshing to see narrative discussed as a tool to get a good story out, and to help an audience, rather than as a tool to bend an audience to a particular view.
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