一天变成一个好作家
在知识星球翻译过一篇很短很实用的写作建议，作者是斯科特·亚当斯——代表作呆伯特系列漫画，这篇短文在英文世界流传很广。
我经常翻出来看看，原文词句简单，你可直接看后面的英文。下面是我的翻译：
一天变成一个好作家
上了一天的「商务写作」课程后，我从一个糟糕的作家变成了一个好作家。我不敢相信这是多么简单。我会在这里告诉你主要技巧，让你不用在课堂上浪费一天的时间。
商务写作要求清晰和有说服力。主要技巧是保持简单。简洁的写作才有说服力。一个好的5句话的论点比一百句的精彩论点更能打动人。不要违背这一点。
简单意味着去掉多余的词。不要写“He was very happy”，而要写“He was happy”。你认为“very”这个词增加了意义。然而并不没有。修剪你的句子。
幽默写作跟商务写作很像。它要求简洁。主要区别在于选择用词上。为了幽默，当你可以说“swill（痛饮）”时，不要说“drink（喝水）”。
你的第一句话要抓住读者。回头看看我在这篇文章中的第一句话。我重写了十几遍。让你产生好奇。这才是关键。
要写短句子。避免把多个想法放在一个句子里。读者没有你想象的那么聪明。
学会大脑如何组织思想。读者理解「男孩击球」比「球被男孩击打」要快。这两句话的意思是一样的，但是在动作（击打）之前想象对象(男孩)更容易。所有的大脑都是这样工作的。（注意到我没有说 "这种方式是所有大脑的 "吗?）
就是这样，你刚刚学会了好写作规则的80%。不用谢我。
The Day You Became A Better Writer
I went from being a bad writer to a good writer after taking a one-day course in “business writing.” I couldn’t believe how simple it was. I’ll tell you the main tricks here so you don’t have to waste a day in class.
Business writing is about clarity and persuasion. The main technique is keeping things simple. Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences. Don’t fight it.
Simple means getting rid of extra words. Don’t write, “He was very happy” when you can write “He was happy.” You think the word “very” adds something. It doesn’t. Prune your sentences.
Humor writing is a lot like business writing. It needs to be simple. The main difference is in the choice of words. For humor, don’t say “drink” when you can say “swill.”
Your first sentence needs to grab the reader. Go back and read my first sentence to this post. I rewrote it a dozen times. It makes you curious. That’s the key.
Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you’d think.
Learn how brains organize ideas. Readers comprehend “the boy hit the ball” quicker than “the ball was hit by the boy.” Both sentences mean the same, but it’s easier to imagine the object (the boy) before the action (the hitting). All brains work that way. (Notice I didn’t say, “That is the way all brains work”?)
That’s it. You just learned 80% of the rules of good writing. You’re welcome.
参考资料：https://blog.dilbert.com/2015/08/22/the-day-you-became-a-better-writer-2nd-look/
明天我会写一篇文章，分享对我有启发的非虚构创作指南清单。也欢迎你加入知识星球，每天创作一张卡片，练习简洁、清晰的表达自己的想法。
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√ 公众号「行为设计学」
仰望星空，脚踏实地。通过营造数字环境，设计行为，发展和改善处理信息的方法，跟读者一起想到又做到。