http://www.paulgraham.com/talk.html
2015 october
2015 Nian 10 Yue
Here's a simple trick for getting more people to read what you write: write in spoken language.
这里有一些简单的技巧用于让更多的人去阅读你所写的文章：用口语去写
Something comes over most people when they start writing. They write in a different language than they'd use if they were talking to a friend. The sentence structure and even the words are different. No one uses "pen" as a verb in spoken English. You'd feel like an idiot using "pen" instead of "write" in a conversation with a friend.
When most people start writing, there is always something to happen. They write in different languages, rather than talking with friends language to use when. Sentence structure and even the words are not the same. Speaking no English people use "pen" as a verb. You'll feel like an idiot, "pen" instead of "writing" in conversations with friends.
The last straw for me was a sentence I read a couple days ago:
The mercurial Spaniard himself declared: "After Altamira, all is decadence."
It's from Neil Oliver's A History of Ancient Britain. I feel bad making an example of this book, because it's no worse than lots of others. But just imagine calling Picasso "the mercurial Spaniard" when talking to a friend. Even one sentence of this would raise eyebrows in conversation. And yet people write whole books of it.
The last straw was a few days ago I read one sentence:
the mercurial Spaniard himself declared: "After Altamira, all fall."
This is "The History of Ancient Britain Neil Oliver "inner. I feel very sad for the book to do an example, because it is no worse than many other books. But imagine, when you and a friend to talk to, you'll Picasso called "mercurial Spaniard." This sentence even if one can cause discontent of the people in the conversation. But that they wrote a whole book.
Ok, so written and spoken language are different. Does that make written language worse?
好吧，所以书面语和口语是不同的。这会让书面语更糟吗？
If you want people to read and understand what you write, yes. Written language is more complex, which makes it more work to read. It's also more formal and distant, which gives the reader's attention permission to drift. But perhaps worst of all, the complex sentences and fancy words give you, the writer, the false impression that you're saying more than you actually are.
If you want people to read and understand what you write, yes. Written language is more complicated, which makes it easier to read. It is also more formal and distant, which makes the reader's attention to allow drift. But perhaps worst of all, complex sentences and fancy words to you, the writer, a false impression, you're actually said to be more than you.
You don't need complex sentences to express complex ideas. When specialists in some abstruse topic talk to one another about ideas in their field, they don't use sentences any more complex than they do when talking about what to have for lunch. They use different words, certainly. But even those they use no more than necessary. And in my experience, the harder the subject, the more informally experts speak. Partly, I think, because they have less to prove, and partly because the harder the ideas you're talking about, the less you can afford to let language get in the way.
You do not need complex sentences to express complex ideas. When experts talk about some esoteric topic ideas with each other in their respective fields, they will not use more complicated than talk about what to eat for lunch sentence. Of course, they used different words. But even those who only necessary that they use. In my experience, the more difficult the course, the experts put it more formal. I think, partly because they do not have much evidence, on the other hand is more difficult because you said the idea, the more you can not let language be an obstacle.
Informal language is the athletic clothing of ideas.
非正式语言是思想的运动服装。
I'm not saying spoken language always works best. Poetry is as much music as text, so you can say things you wouldn't say in conversation. And there are a handful of writers who can get away with using fancy language in prose. And then of course there are cases where writers don't want to make it easy to understand what they're saying—in corporate announcements of bad news, for example, or at the more bogus end of the humanities. But for nearly everyone else, spoken language is better.
I'm not saying spoken always the most effective. Like all poetry and writing music, so you can say something in the conversation that you do not say. Some writers can use fancy language in prose. Of course, there are some cases, such as the writer did not want people to easily understand what they say in the bad news the company released, or if more false end in the humanities said. But for almost everyone, the spoken language better.
It seems to be hard for most people to write in spoken language. So perhaps the best solution is to write your first draft the way you usually would, then afterward look at each sentence and ask "Is this the way I'd say this if I were talking to a friend?" If it isn't, imagine what you would say, and use that instead. After a while this filter will start to operate as you write. When you write something you wouldn't say, you'll hear the clank as it hits the page.
For most people, it seems difficult to use Speaking Writing. So, maybe the best solution is to write your first draft according to your usual way, and then look at every word, and then asked, "If my friends and I talk, I would say that right?" If not, imagine what you would say What, then use it instead. Over time, this filter will begin work at the time you write. When you write something you would not say something, you will hear the sound of Dangdang.
Before I publish a new essay, I read it out loud and fix everything that does not sound like conversation I even fix bits that are phonetically awkward;. I do not know if that's necessary, but it does not cost much.
Before I publish a new article, I read out loud, the conversation does not sound like all things are repaired. I even fixed some voice bad place; I do not know whether it is necessary, but it is not expensive.
This trick may not always be enough. I've seen writing so far removed from spoken language that it couldn't be fixed sentence by sentence. For cases like that there's a more drastic solution. After writing the first draft, try explaining to a friend what you just wrote. Then replace the draft with what you said to your friend.
This trick may not always be enough. I see a far cry from writing and speaking, can not be fixed sentence by sentence. For such cases, there is a more radical solution. After writing the first draft, try to explain what you just wrote to a friend. Then you say to a friend, then instead of draft.
People often tell me how much my essays sound like me talking. The fact that this seems worthy of comment shows how rarely people manage to write in spoken language. Otherwise everyone's writing would sound like them talking.
People often tell me how my article it sounds like I'm talking to. It seems worth mentioning, which shows that people rarely use Speaking Writing. Otherwise, everyone's writing sounds like talking.
If you simply manage to write in spoken language, you'll be ahead of 95% of writers And it's so easy to do:. Just do not let a sentence through unless it's the way you'd say it to a friend.
If you just try to use colloquial writing, you will be ahead of 95% of the writers. It's easy to do: Unless you say to a friend, do not let the word through.
Thanks to Jessica Livingston and Patrick Collison for Reading Drafts of the this.
Thank Patrick Collison and Jessica Livingston read this book drafts.
