The first time I read Haruki Murakami's work was this autobiographical novel, My Profession is a Novelist.
Haruki Murakami's language is easy to understand and humorous, which can also be seen in his frank and free personality; and a happy and confident attitude when doing what he loves.
Now I'm going to share with you the 10-point takeaway from reading this book.
1: No matter what you do, someone will always hit you
Haruki Murakami's first novel, "Listen to the Wind", was rated as "that kind of thing" by his classmates, and in the end, unexpectedly, he won the Group Portrait Newcomer Literature Award.
When I wrote "And Listen to the Wind" and won the Newcomer Award for "Group Portrait", a classmate from high school came to the small shop I opened and said, "If that kind of thing works, I can write it."
In fact, no matter which line of work you are engaged in, there are always people who belittle your work as worthless and inferior to him.
But what you're more bullish than he is that you go and you do it and he doesn't, so the result doesn't matter, what matters is that you do it, you act.
Just like the thief who was lying on the beam of the house preparing to steal, hearing that Zeng Guofan had memorized the book 20 times, he said, I will have memorized it earlier, you still can't carry it, it's stupid.
But the thief is still a thief, and Zeng Guofan, who is not as smart as him, has become a perfect generation.
Therefore, when we do something, we must not be swayed by the words of others, and when others say that we cannot do it, we will doubt ourselves.
Of course, we must accept sincere opinions, but let the taunts go with the wind.
2: The so-called originality of the novel is free expression
When Haruki Murakami wrote his first novel, he did not understand the creation and writing skills of the novel at all, and was a complete layman.
As the saying goes, "Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers, but those who do not know are fearless." ”
He just writes by feeling, with an impulse in his heart, an idea to gush out, and then naturally write it on paper.
The so-called originality, intuitively speaking, is a natural desire and impulse to convey this free mood, this unfettered joy, to the people in its original form, and thus to bring about the final form, and nothing else.
It can be seen that as long as you dare to reveal your true feelings to the fullest, don't ask if there are readers, just write it.
Anyway, there are always some people who like it, there are always some people who don't like it, so it is better to express it naturally than to tangle.
3: Writing is a natural thing, you don't have to force yourself
Haruki Murakami never forced herself to write novels, and only when she had inspiration, the material in her heart accumulated to a certain extent, and naturally it was necessary to explode.
For thirty-five years, I have been writing novels, but I have never experienced the trough of not being able to write novels. I have never been able to write a situation where I want to write but can't write it.
When you can't write, do something else, instead of forcing yourself to write hard and never turn writing into a task.
In this way, it sounds like it is self-proclaimed "talented", but this is not the case. The reason is very simple, because I don't want to write a novel, or when the passion I don't want to write gushes out, I don't write at all. Only when I want to write will I decide to "okay, write" and pick up the pen and start working. Otherwise, I will generally do the translation work of doing English translation day.
This may also be the kind of freedom he advocates, expressed as he pleases.
As the old saying goes, "A twisted melon is not sweet."
4: Read a lot before you are ready to write a novel
Haruki Murakami's first novel won the Newcomer Award, thanks to the fact that he had been in college for four years and had read hundreds of books, at which point he was already taking root.
Without a lot of input, a newcomer is unlikely to write an award-winning work.
Reading in Haruki Murakami's heart is more important than anything else.
"When it comes to books, I'm like holding a shovel and shoveling it into a burning charcoal kiln, one after another, and I've read all kinds of books with hunger."
He believed that before writing a novel, he had to read it extensively.
Especially in youth, you should read as much as possible. Good novels, not very good novels, even very bad novels, are not a problem, in short, the more the merrier, to read a local book.
Only by reading more books, reading a large number of good articles, and encountering good articles can we remove its dross, take its essence, and let it become the flesh and blood of our words.
To be a good writer, you must first be a good reader.
5: Before writing a novel, pay attention to everything around you
As one netizen said: "Since learning to write, I have found that I have more eyes that find beauty." ”
The various characters who come and go around them, the ups and downs around them, do not ask three seven twenty-one, carefully observe, and think deeply and repeatedly. Although it is "repeated consideration", there is no need to rush to make judgments about the value of things.
Every writer is a porter of nature, bringing into his work all the beautiful, ugly, good, and evil things in the world.
We do not judge the results, but present them in an authentic way, objectively describe, do not make judgments about right and wrong, and let the reader experience and understand for himself.
6: How to find material for writing
We encounter different people and things every day in life, and perhaps inspiration and material come from them.
Because the so-called "nothing to write at hand" means "free to write anything".
Every flower and grass, one tree and one stone in life, are waiting for us to discover, capture and use.
People who feel that "they don't have the material to write a novel" don't have to be discouraged. If you change your perspective and think a little, you will definitely find that the material is everywhere around you.
Attentive observation, even a trivial action of others, may produce something interesting.
Even the most prosaic life, as long as the method is appropriate, you can write a good article, in short, let go to write, do not stick to the form.
7: No matter what others say, write it first and then talk about it
It's normal for someone to like you, someone to hate you, someone to appreciate you, someone to slander you.
I started writing novels thirty-five years ago, and at that time I was often severely criticized by my predecessors: "This kind of thing is not a novel." "This kind of thing can't be called literature."
In the eyes of others, even if it is a piece of, write it out first and then say it.
Today's great writer Haruki Murakami was not also denied by others at the beginning, but what is valuable is that he did not become depressed, but persevered, and only then did he have today's achievements.
"Actually I can only write this, isn't that the only way to write?" What's wrong? "It's not perfect at the moment, but one day I can write decent and good works."
So instead of being afraid of other people's comments, it's better to ignore it.
Write as you want, don't think too much, write it out and talk about it, thinking in my heart that one day, I can write perfect works, and it is with these rotten works of the moment that I will grow.
As one song goes, "If you can't make everyone happy, won't you just be happy yourself?" ”
8: Looking down on fame and fortune, it is the works that flow for hundreds of years, not the prizes
Everyone's definition of success is different, and some people think that winning a grand prize and winning honors is success.
Hemingway, on the other hand, ended his life after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Although Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1954), he indulged in drinking alcohol and ended his life in 1961 at the height of his popularity.
Success has brought him honor and social affirmation, but he is not personally happy, and success must be the abundance and comfort of the heart, not the external brilliance.
As for whether the work can win the award, Haruki Murakami is also very plain.
If I had won the Wasagawa Prize, the iraq war would not have broken out — and if that were the case, I would naturally feel responsible, but such a thing would never have happened.
Just as Haruki Murakami said, the most important thing is to have a good reader, no matter what literary awards, medals or well-intentioned book reviews, it is more substantive than the readers who buy books out of their own pockets.
Never forget the original intention, a writer's mission is to write good articles for readers, as for winning awards, there are no awards, but only gifts.
Indeed, the gold cup and silver cup are not as good as the reader's reputation.
9: Always keep a clear understanding, away from the hustle and bustle and impetuousness
Always maintaining a clear cognition, being able to see oneself clearly, not being trapped by the noisy times, and always withdrawing from the disturbances of reality is the philosophy of Haruki Murakami.
In the midst of the best-selling "Norwegian Forest", he bravely retreated, gave up flowers and applause, far away from the hustle and bustle of life, and expanded his territory in the United States, which required both courage and wisdom to see the nature of things.
Staying in the booming Japan, as a best-selling author who wrote "Norwegian Forest", all kinds of contracts have followed, and it is not difficult to make a bowl.
There is a word called "floating in the human heart", which is it, the whole society is noisy, impetuous, and the opening of three sentences is inseparable from money, and it is not at all the atmosphere of being able to sit quietly and write a long novel with great care.
The protagonist of Maugham's "The Moon and Sixpence", in order to paint, is also willing to give up decent work, high-quality material enjoyment, and comes to a desert island to concentrate on painting.
"There were sixpence everywhere on the floor, but he looked up and saw the moon."
Only a truly wise person can understand what he wants, so that he will not be "fascinated by the flowers", and it is with this attempt that he has gained the harvest of the future, and his works have been translated into more than 50 languages.
10: Be friends with time
Whether it is writing or doing anything, it is impossible to achieve it overnight, even if Haruki Murakami won the Newcomer Award for his first work, it is not the cultivation of that moment, but the accumulation of reading over the years.
Whether it's before you write or after you write, it takes time.
Writing is like taking care of our little vegetable garden, first ploughing the ground, leveling, digging a ditch, dividing the furrows, then adding compound fertilizer, and finally spreading the rapeseed.
Before writing, you must first collect materials, and then brew the type of article (what kind of dish) in your mind, and when the ideas gush out, you will write naturally, then writing is not a boring thing, but enjoying the process of writing.
When an article is written, it must be put aside first, and then the pen and ink are dried, so that the text penetrates into the paper, so that the two can be integrated, and then modified and polished over and over again.
Just like planting vegetables, after growing small seedlings, there is also careful care, pulling out weeds, and watering frequently.
Of course, writing is like growing vegetables, not necessarily cultivating hard, the vegetable field must be rich.
But you have to believe that you can only reap the rewards if you give first.
Because I believe: "What is won by time, time will certainly testify for it." "And there are some things in the world that only time can prove." As long as there is a sense of "everything has been done and done", there is nothing to be afraid of. Leave the rest to the hand of time. Treating time with solemnity, prudence, courtesy and thoughtfulness is to make time your friend.
Always be friends with time, I believe that time can make you grow and help you harvest.
"In a person's life, it is always a wonderful thing to be able to hold a certain goal high as a banner. Don't ask about age, don't ask where you are. ”
Haruki Murakami, at a fortuitous point in time at the age of 29, suddenly flashed in his mind: "I can be a novelist", and then with the guidance of the heart, insisting on his love, free personality writing, no matter what others evaluate, all the way forward, and finally harvested what he deserved.
As he said, "If there were no books in the world, if I hadn't read so many books, my life would have been even colder and more barren than it is now." ”
So when we have a thought in our hearts, bravely try, don't wait a few years later, if I...
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