Culture

Improving Writing Style: A Discussion for Everyone: The Beauty of Writing lies in its appropriateness

2025-05-12   

The so-called "writing style", also known as "article style", is formed by two important factors: one is the literary style, and the other is the author's temperament and endowment. In ancient times, different literary genres had different requirements for style. Cao Pi believed that "memorials should be elegant, literary discussions should be rational, inscriptions should be practical, and poetry and prose should be beautiful. In addition, each creator has their own unique talent and temperament. "The main focus of the text is on qi, and the clarity and turbidity of qi are embodied in the body, which cannot be caused by strong force." Even for father and son brothers, the difference in writing style is very obvious and cannot be forced. Times have changed, and today's "literature" generally includes poetry, novels, essays, and dramas. Broadly speaking, prose includes narrative writing, argumentative writing, applied writing, expository writing, communication, reportage, essays, etc. Compared to Liu Xie's "Wenxin Diaolong" which classified "wen" into 33 categories and Xiao Tong's "Wenxuan" which classified "wen" into 38 categories, the current classification of literary genres has greatly decreased. However, even so, when it comes to writing style, it is still difficult to have a unified standard. You suggest that Bai Xiaochang is better, while he suggests that ambiguity and subtlety are better; You said it's better to get straight to the point, but he said it's wonderful to have winding paths leading to secluded places; When you say that romantic relationships are good, it indicates a high level of insight... In my opinion, when it comes to writing style, it is necessary to separate "practical" writing from "aesthetic" writing. Practical articles, such as editorials, commentaries, expository texts, administrative documents, and even academic papers, should prioritize clarity, accuracy, rigor, and efficiency. It is important to avoid using obscure metaphors or suggestive rhetoric, and to avoid making things out of thin air, being vague, and confusing to avoid affecting people's correct understanding. Aesthetic articles, such as poetry, novels, narrow prose, etc., aim to nourish human hearts, enrich human knowledge, enhance human cognition, and strengthen human perception and creativity of beauty by depicting people, events, things, emotions, and reason. It requires the author to be sincere and well intentioned, to have sharp observation and deep thinking, to have a broad perspective and broad empathy. The emphasis of written expression is on excellence and vividness, and the requirements for writing style can be relaxed as long as it is suitable for the connotation expressed. Lu Xun's "Wild Grass" is cold and rugged, while Wang Zengqi's "Plants and Trees in the Human World" is fresh and elegant, with vastly different styles, but both are worth savoring repeatedly. In short, good writing style can be described in two words: appropriate. The combination of content and form is boundless, without artificiality or exaggeration, naturally flowing and effortless. (New Society)

Edit:Momo Responsible editor:Chen zhaozhao

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