写作方法2012lettersofnote.com编辑精选
C.S.刘易斯谈写作
C.S. Lewis on Writing
导读
这是 C.S. 刘易斯在回信中对写作者提出的具体建议：不要用形容词替读者下结论，也不要在小事上挥霍大词，本质上就是“展示，而非告知”。篇幅短、规则明确，适合写完后拿来逐条对照自己的稿子。
可以直接用的写作要点
- 01
与其写“很可怕”“很美妙”，不如把场景描写到让读者自己感到恐惧或说出“真美妙”——形容词不能代替描写。
- 02
别用与题材不相称的大词：想表达“很”时别说“无限”，否则真要谈无限时就没词可用了。
- 03
把最强烈的语言留给最需要它的时刻；在小事上滥用极端表达，会让语言贬值、失去力量。
HN 评论精选
形容词不能代替描写，要让读者自己得出结论，即“展示而非告知”。
刘易斯说：写作时别用那些只是告诉读者你希望他们产生什么感觉的形容词。也就是说，与其说某事“很可怕”，不如描写得让读者感到恐惧；与其说“很愉快”，不如让读者读完后自己说出“真愉快”。这些词（骇人、美妙、丑恶、精致）都像是在对读者说：“请你替我把活儿干了吧。”我高中新闻课老师把这叫作“展示，而非告知”，我希望所有写作课都花一周专门讲这条原则。
danso查看英文原文
>> In writing. Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was "terrible," describe it so that we'll be terrified. Don't say it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, "Please will you do my job for me." My high school journalism teacher (and I'm sure many others) phrased this as "Show, don't tell". I wish all writing/journalism classes devoted a week to this precept.
语言强度要留有余地：小事用大词，大事就没词可用了。
刘易斯第五条：别用与主题不相称的大词。想表达“很”时别说“无限”，否则真要谈无限时就没词可用了。这也是我反对写作中滥用脏话的原因：在平常小事上用最极端的语言，真需要极端表达时就没牌可打了。比如讨论日常工作时间时来一句“滚回家去”，实在可悲——它浪费并削弱了本该留给更合适场合的极端语言，比如形容肋骨被千斤顶撬开的感觉（我经历过，那种场合才配得上脏话）。
ctdonath查看英文原文
"5. Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite." This is why I object to most usage of cursing in writing (see recent threads on the subject). Using the most extreme language for relatively mundane situations leaves you nothing to work with when extreme language is warranted. Ex.: using the phrasing "go the f^@& home" (see thread of same name) in a mundane discussion about work hours really is pretty pathetic insofar as it wastes & deflates extreme language better used where more appropriate, such as describing the feeling of having your rib cage pried open with a car jack (been there, done that, f^@& applies). (Some of us suffer net-nannies, so pardon the veiling.)
推荐斯蒂芬·金《写作这回事》作为写作指南，前半讲作家生活，后半是实用建议。
这方面最好的书之一是斯蒂芬·金的《写作这回事》。第一部分是小自传，因为他说“要理解写作，就得理解作家生活中发生了什么”；第二部分满是聪明实用的建议，其中一些和这篇文章的观点相近。即使你不喜欢这位作者，只要你认真对待写作，就该读读这本书。
shin_lao查看英文原文
One of the best books you can find on the topic has been written by Stephen King and is called "On Writing". The first part is a small auto-biography as he states that "to understand writing you must understand what happens in the life of a writer". The second part is full of clever and useful advices, including ones close to the one in this article. Even if you don't like the author, you should really read this book if you're serious about writing. http://www.amazon.com/On-Writing-Stephen-King/dp/0743455967
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