British writer

Lu Shi did not keep the writing of "The Skills of Writing - From Scratch" a secret.

Naturally, many authors started visiting.

It's been like this for a week.

Especially Bernard Shaw, who stayed directly in the guest room of Lu Shi's house.

At first, Lu Shi just regarded his brother as an outsider.

But as time went by, he really couldn't hold up any airs and couldn't care about etiquette. During the meeting, he just slumped down on the sofa and drank tea in a grand manner.

He couldn't help but complain: "Old Xiao, just wait for me at school. There is no need to stay here."

Bernard Shaw smiled "hehe\

,""No, no, in one week, the third part of "Harry Potter" will be serialized. You will be very busy by then, with interviews and advertisements, and I can't find anyone. "

Lu Shi shook his head,

"That's not true. I tell time very accurately."

Bernard Shaw said "Huh?" and then showed an expression of sudden realization.

The Nobel Prize dinner is about to begin.

At that time, Lu Shi should be in Stockholm.

Just like the second part of "Harry Potter", "Chamber of Secrets", it caused a huge sensation when it was serialized.

But Lu Shi was in the United States and escaped.

Bernard Shaw nodded at him,

"You are so lazy. Other writers are eager to be famous, but you... haha... you don't need that kind of fame anymore."

He changed the subject,

"What reasons do you think the Swedish Academy will use to award you the award?"

The so-called "reasons for winning" are actually a bit like singing praises.

For example, the evaluation of Tagore,

——

Because of his most sensitive, fresh and beautiful poetry;

This poem was produced with great skill and because he expressed it in English, his poetic thoughts have become a part of Western literature.

——

This evaluation is not inaccurate.

Of course, there is also some Eurocentric arrogance.

Lu Shi didn't care about this.

"I will take whatever they give me."

George Bernard Shaw laughed,

"You are in a good mood."

The two chatted about the Nobel Prize again, and then the topic returned to "The Skills of Writing - Starting from Scratch".

Bernard Shaw asked: "How many manuscripts did you write yesterday?"

Lu Shi replied: "It's just over two thousand words."

Because I have to look up information and speak three languages ​​simultaneously, I can’t write too fast.

Moreover, this kind of textbook-like reference book that introduces skills becomes more difficult as the progress progresses.

Bernard Shaw sighed,

"Only two thousand words?"

Lu Shi glared at the other party,

"Two thousand words is already a lot. I'm not an iron man! Besides, are you begging me to read my manuscript? Are you begging someone to show you this attitude? Be careful that I don't read it to you!"

"Don't!"

Bernard Shaw was panicked,

"Didn't you say? 'Write behind closed doors and revise with open doors'. Don't break your promise!"

After speaking, he didn't give Lu Shi a chance to refuse, and said directly: "Two thousand words is indeed a lot, hurry up! Show me."

He couldn't wait.

The two had a good relationship, so Lu Shi would not be embarrassed and handed over the manuscript.

The book "The Skills of Writing - Starting from Scratch" is just as its name suggests. It can really help inexperienced writers "start from scratch" and help them lay the foundation and then build tall buildings.

Interestingly, for writers who have been famous for a long time, this book can be regarded as a textbook or even a monograph.

As George Bernard Shaw read, he couldn't help but marvel.

"Well written."

He seemed quite emotional.

Lu Shi asked: "What?"

Bernard Shaw said: "I just feel that this work can...how does that word come from, 'a golden needle saves people', right?"

Lu Shi laughed loudly.

"You are so good, you even understand such words."

Of course, Bernard Shaw didn't understand why needles could "save people";

But he understood the extended meaning of the word.

He said: "Lu, in the eyes of many people, the career of a writer is unplanned and unorganized. Even some writers themselves think so. But this book tells the world that writing has skills and writers can be trained. .”

Lu Shi was a little confused.

"What does this have to do with golden needles saving people?"

Bernard Shaw said: "This book of yours can help countless writers."

Lu Shi did not deny this.

Some writers have written many reluctant articles to make money, while others will never consider writing essays based on the materials they may have on hand before finishing their novels;

Some insist that they cannot write for money, while others write for money as a matter of course;

Some became famous very early and never wrote better works after that; some became famous very late and their reputation gradually grew;

Some live solely as writers, others have numerous part-time jobs;

…

After all, eating this bowl of rice requires some "skills".

And "The Skills of Writing - Starting from Scratch" teaches exactly this "skill".

George Bernard Shaw laughed,

"Unfortunately, the reason for winning the Nobel Prize must have been determined. Otherwise, it must be this book."

The reason is simple,

If we were to judge the most powerful teacher in Chinese history, it must be Confucius.

Because he is a teacher’s teacher.

And "The Skills of Writing - Starting from Scratch" is exactly a book that teaches others how to write books.

Lu Shi smiled and said: "No chance~No chance~"

George Bernard Shaw refused to accept it;

"Why?"

Lu Shi said: "Literature awards must be awarded to literary works. This book "The Skills of Writing - Starting from Scratch" is at best a reference book. No matter how professional it is, it cannot be the reason for winning the award."

Bernard Shaw nodded slowly,

"That's right."

He took another look at the manuscript and muttered: "What a pity..."

As soon as he said this word, he shook his head,

"What's such a pity? This book doesn't need an award, word-of-mouth is enough."

Lu Shi said, "I feel embarrassed when you praise me so much."

Bernard Shaw complained: "You, don't pretend to be thin-skinned~"

…

Sweden,

Stockholm.

The weather has turned into late autumn, with the chill of early winter.

The sky was a deep gray, and the clouds were thick and low, as if they were carrying the coming snowflakes.

Swedish Academy.

In the office of the Permanent Secretary, Carl David Af Wilson is sorting out this year's two lists.

One is for the Nobel Prize dinner invitees,

The other is a draft list of this year’s winners.

After last year’s experience, the work of the Nobel Committee has gradually become more orderly.

Many things have been prepared in advance.

Hans Ludwig Fussell, the first chair of the Faculty of Arts, was sitting opposite, drinking black tea, and asked, "Have you read them all?"

"Well, I've finished reading."

Wilson stretched,

“To be honest, it’s a bit unexpected to have a female winner this year.”

This remark does not refer to Madame Curie;

But Berta von Suttner, a female writer from the Austro-Hungarian Empire,

His work "Lay Down Arms!" "very popular,

At the same time, she herself also made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to history, Suttner should have been born in 1905.

But now it’s ahead of schedule.

Fussell sighed helplessly,

"The people of the Nobel Committee are serious. Why do we even ask us to write the reasons for winning the Peace Prize? This is obviously administrative work, what does it have to do with literature!"

Wilson laughed,

"Stop complaining. It's just a small job, and it doesn't take much effort. Just praise your virtues~"

As writers, we all master this skill.

The two went over the list and drafted it roughly.

Like Hermann Fischer, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the synthesis of sugars and purines,

Because biochemistry requires a lot of experiments, Fisher's efforts are highlighted.

At the same time, he was praised for his organizational skills and his ability to lead seven groups of doctoral students to conduct experiments without causing any trouble.

Excellent in both administration and scientific research.

As for the winners of the Physics Prize, Hendrik Anton Lorenz and Peter Zeeman, their talents and spirit of exploration are highlighted.

Anyone who wins an award can always find a different angle to boast about it.

The two of them worked hard for a while, and finally arrived at the literary award.

They stared at the name——

Lu Shi.

The office fell into silence,

"..."

"..."

No one spoke.

After an unknown amount of time, Wilson whispered: "From the perspective of a permanent secretary, the reason I recommend for winning the award is 'great science fiction'."

Fussell pondered,

Both "Country Teacher" and "Chao Wen Tao" are both very good.

The imagination in it is so wild,

When Fussell was reading, he even felt that he was getting old and could not keep up with the ideas of young writers.

but……

"Lu's science fiction novels are all short stories and novellas."

He objected: "Moreover, except for "Animal Farm", they are all works from the previous award year. But this year's "Animal Farm" is more like a fable, and the concentration of science fiction is not high."

Wilson was quite helpless.

"That's why I said it was advice given 'from the perspective of the permanent secretary.'"

Fussell was stunned and understood.

Most of the people attending the Nobel Prize dinner were scientists.

Giving an award to Lu Shi on the grounds of his science fiction works would make those people happy.

Just like Einstein,

That young man was not well-known in the physics community, but because of his guest role in "Chao Wen Dao", he was invited by many scientific research institutions.

Lu Shi's appeal among scientists is evident.

Wilson smiled and said: “In the second year of the Nobel Prize, we still need to attract more big names to improve its authority. As Lu recently said in the United States, the important thing about a journal is not its impact factor, but its contributors and readers. "

Fussell couldn't help but sneer,

"Brother, how did you become his admirer?"

Wilson waved his hand,

"It's not admiration. Think about it, the purpose of his going to the United States was to promote the impact factor, but he ended up saying that, which shows his neutrality and objectivity. So, I just re-examined him and discovered his personality charm. Moreover, I I believe that all academicians have discovered his personality charm, and this is why you awarded him the Literature Award, right?"

Fussell was depressed;

If you don't award it to Lu Shi, who else can you award it to?

Should we still have a literary award?

Of course, this cannot be said out loud.

He said with a smile: "Yes, Lu is a great writer with a very charming personality. Haha...hahahaha..."

A burst of laughter.

The two of them stared at each other,

The atmosphere in the office became a little weird.

After a while, Fussell returned to the subject.

"Karl, regardless of identity, just from the perspective of a reader, what type of Lu's works do you prefer?"

Wilson mused,

"I like drama! Maybe because I am Swedish. We in Northern Europe generally like drama."

He picked up the pen and wrote two sentences,

——

With his unique personal style, he created rich and outstanding dramas,

These dramas have guided the direction of the world stage!

——

"If I were asked to write about the reasons for winning the award, I would write this."

Wilson said seriously.

Fussell said "hmm".

"yes! Prime Minister", "Roman Holiday", "Upside Down", "The Hunt", "Bigg Boss"...

There are humorous and popular works,

There are also works of serious art.

Especially the recent "Big Brother", which even used Cantonese.

The most outrageous thing is that the Cantonese shows in Chinatown are always full, and at least 30% of the audience are Americans.

Fussell couldn't help but sigh,

"Lu allows people to see that Chinese culture is both unique and can be integrated into the world."

I say this because drama in Northern Europe is very developed.

Whether it is Bjornson or Ibsen, many works have been translated into English and French.

Wilson was curious,

"And you?"

"What am I..."

Fussell reacted,

"What type of Lu's works do you think I like?"

He pulled the paper in front of his opponent and wrote two lines:

——

His brilliant achievement in novels lies in his compassionate humanity, elegant writing, and meticulous observation.

He depicts the real British life with his meticulous observation, unique imagination and vigorous spirit.

——

Fussell thought for a moment and added after Britain,

France, Russia, Denmark, Japan, China, Japan...

grass!

After writing this, I couldn't hold myself any longer.

Isn't this a god?

How can a normal person use so many countries as the background of a novel?

It just seems like what Lu writes,

I really want to open his head and study it.

Wilson didn’t think so much,

He said, "Well, you flatter me very well... I mean, you wrote this paragraph accurately."

Fussell shook his head.

"What exactly? Don't forget, Lu is still a historian. We wanted to award the award to Professor Monson last year~"

"Ah this..."

Wilson was speechless.

If the award can be given to Monson, then Lu Shi can indeed win the award for "Guns, Germs and Steel".

That kind of original, interdisciplinary research method is the first of its kind in history.

Fussell added: "There are also poems. 'The night gave me black eyes, but I used them to find light.' Listen, how well written it is! It's okay for people to win awards for their poetry."

Wilson couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend,

"I can finally see that you are Lu's true admirer."

Fussell was embarrassed;

"He has a charming personality, you said so~"

The two looked at each other,

Then, they looked away in a tacit understanding.

Fussell continued: "So, Mr. Permanent Secretary, have you decided which one to use as the reason for winning the award?"

Wilson shook his head like a rattle;

"Don't rush me with the title of 'permanent secretary'. I can't think of any. Look at the reasons why other winners won the award. They have only one achievement for their work in the synthesis of sugars and purines, the stuffing effect, malaria research... . Lu is good, novels, poetry, drama, history, everything."

Fussell spread his hands,

"I also heard that he is recently compiling a reference book for writing. It is widely rumored throughout the British literary world that when it is completed, the book will be a must-read for all writers."

Wilson was shocked;

"Wouldn't all the authors in the world become his students?"

Fussell said: "So, people have made an indelible contribution to the writing itself."

The office was quiet again,

"..."

"..."

After a while,

"How awesome!"×2

The two said in unison.

Wilson thought for a long time and whispered: "How about letting Lu think of the reason for winning the award?"

Fussell:? ? ?

“If we do this, won’t our Swedish Academy look like a puppet?”

Wilson shrugged.

"What you said is wrong. Why do you call it 'like a puppet'? It's clearly 'a puppet'!"

"..."

Fussell was speechless.

Wilson added: "Besides, don't other Nobel Prize award-winning institutions, such as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Karolinska Institute, also ask us to ghostwrite? This kind of thing is very normal."

Is that the same?

Lu wrote himself the reasons for winning the award, which is equivalent to the referee becoming an athlete.

However, Fussell is too lazy to complain about this kind of thing.

Anyway, after what happened last year, the Swedish Academy had its underwear taken off by Lu Shi, so it didn't matter anymore.

Fussell nodded.

"Okay. It happens that invitation letters will be sent out in batches in the past few days. We will attach a letter to the invitation letter to Lu to explain."