write-well
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Original
English🇨🇳
Translation
ChineseWrite Well
写好文章
Overview
概述
Clear thinking becomes clear writing. Most prose fails not from missing ideas but from clutter, hedging, and corporate gloss layered over them.
Core principle: No word earns its keep just by being there. If removing it doesn't change the meaning, cut it.
清晰的思考成就清晰的写作。大多数散文类内容的问题不在于缺乏想法，而在于想法之上堆砌了杂乱的表述、含糊的措辞和官样文章的套话。
核心原则： 没有哪个词仅仅因为存在就有保留的价值。如果删掉它不改变原意，就删掉它。
When to Use
适用场景
Prose for humans: posts, essays, memos, announcements, release notes, post-mortems, narrative docs — and edits to the same. Skip for: code, API tables, syntax docs, verbatim quotes.
面向普通读者的散文类内容：博客文章、随笔、备忘录、公告、Release Notes、事后复盘文档（post-mortems）、叙事性文档——以及对这些内容的编辑。不适用于： 代码、API表格、语法文档、逐字引用内容。
The Four Cuts
四大删减技巧
Apply in order. These catch most failures.
按顺序应用这些技巧，它们能解决大部分问题。
1. Cut filler adverbs and qualifiers
1. 删除填充性副词和限定词
Most adverbs repeat the verb. Most qualifiers dilute it. Strike on sight: very, quite, rather, basically, essentially, actually, literally, slightly, simply, really, just, sort of, a bit, of course, surprisingly, carefully, thoughtfully (when not specifying how).
大多数副词只是重复动词的含义，大多数限定词会弱化表达。看到就删掉：very（非常）、quite（相当）、rather（颇为）、basically（基本上）、essentially（本质上）、actually（实际上）、literally（确实）、slightly（略微）、simply（简单地）、really（真正地）、just（只是）、sort of（有点）、a bit（些许）、of course（当然）、surprisingly（令人惊讶地）、carefully（小心地）、thoughtfully（深思熟虑地）（当未具体说明方式时）。
2. Break concept-noun stacks back into verbs
2. 将抽象名词堆叠转化为动词
Two or more abstract nouns chained → rewrite with a working verb.
| Stacked nouns | Working verb |
|---|---|
| "the implementation of authentication" | "we built authentication" |
| "the operational complexity of maintaining X" | "X was hard to maintain" |
| "an inflection point in our trajectory" | "we changed direction" |
两个或多个抽象名词串联时→用实义动词改写。
| 堆叠的名词 | 实义动词表达 |
|---|---|
| "the implementation of authentication" | "我们搭建了认证系统" |
| "the operational complexity of maintaining X" | "维护X难度很高" |
| "an inflection point in our trajectory" | "我们改变了方向" |
3. Delete throat-clearing
3. 删除铺垫性语句
Cut sentences that announce instead of acting: "This is not a confession of failure...", "What follows is an honest account of...", "I want to share a decision directly...", "It is important to note that..."
Just say the thing.
删掉那些只做宣告却不传递实质内容的句子：“这并非是对失败的忏悔……”、“以下是对……的如实陈述”、“我想直接分享一项决定……”、“需要注意的是……”
直接说正事。
4. Replace long words with short ones
4. 用短词替代长词
utilize → use · implement → build · prioritize → rank · consolidate → combine · heterogeneity → variety · demonstrate → show · facilitate → help · in order to → to
utilize → 使用 · implement → 搭建 · prioritize → 排序 · consolidate → 合并 · heterogeneity → 多样性 · demonstrate → 展示 · facilitate → 帮助 · in order to → 为了
Before / After
前后对比
51 words, abstract:
The cognitive overhead of tracing a single request through six hops, the operational complexity of maintaining schema compatibility across teams, and the slow erosion of our ability to refactor across boundaries began to outweigh the autonomy we had gained.
30 words, concrete, rhythmic:
Tracing a request through six services took hours. Schemas drifted. Refactoring across team boundaries became impossible. The autonomy we'd won no longer paid for what it cost.
Verbs replace noun-stacks. One sentence becomes four.
修改前：51词，抽象晦涩：
追踪单个请求经过六个节点的认知负担、跨团队维护Schema兼容性的运营复杂度，以及我们跨边界重构能力的缓慢弱化，开始超过我们获得的自主性价值。
修改后：30词，具体生动，节奏明快：
追踪一个请求经过六个服务要花数小时。Schema逐渐脱节。跨团队边界重构变得不可能。我们曾获得的自主性已得不偿失。
用动词替代了名词堆叠。一句话拆成四句。
Edit-Pass Checklist
编辑检查清单
Run in order after drafting:
- Read aloud. Stumbles → rewrite.
- Hunt clutter. Delete every word that, removed, doesn't change meaning.
- Test the lead. Does sentence one make you read sentence two?
- Test the close. Stop at the nearest exit. Don't summarize.
- Voice check. Does it sound like you, or a press release?
写完初稿后按顺序执行：
- 大声朗读。 读不顺的地方→重写。
- 清理冗余。 删除所有删掉后不改变原意的词。
- 测试开头。 第一句是否能吸引你读第二句？
- 测试结尾。 点到为止，不要总结。
- 语气检查。 这听起来像你自己的口吻，还是像新闻通稿？
Red Flags — STOP and rewrite
警示信号——立即重写
- "It is important to note..." / "In order to..." / "There is/are..." starts
- Generic adjectives ("important," "significant") without specifics
- Sentences over 30 words that aren't deliberate
- "Unfortunately," "Surprisingly," "Of course" (telling the reader how to feel)
- Em-dash chains — like this — piling — too many — asides
- Passive voice when the actor is known
- Wall-of-text paragraphs · summary closers
- 以“It is important to note...（需要注意的是……）” / “In order to...（为了……）” / “There is/are...（有……）”开头的句子
- 无具体内容的通用形容词（“重要的”、“显著的”）
- 非刻意为之的、超过30词的长句
- “Unfortunately（遗憾的是）”、“Surprisingly（令人惊讶的是）”、“Of course（当然）”（试图告诉读者该有什么感受）
- 过多使用破折号的语句——比如这样——堆砌——太多——题外话
- 已知动作执行者时仍使用被动语态
- 大段无分段的文字 · 总结式结尾
Common Rationalizations
常见自我辩解
| Excuse | Reality |
|---|---|
| "It needs to sound professional" | Professional ≠ corporate. Cut anyway. |
| "The reader needs context first" | They need the lead first. Throat-clearing loses them. |
| "Cutting feels like losing nuance" | Nuance lives in the surviving words. |
| "I'll fix it on the next pass" | The next pass is now. Run the checklist. |
| 借口 | 真相 |
|---|---|
| “这需要听起来专业” | 专业≠官样文章。照样删。 |
| “读者需要先了解背景” | 他们需要先看到核心内容。铺垫性语句会让他们失去兴趣。 |
| “删减会丢失细节” | 细节留存于保留下来的文字中。 |
| “我会在下一轮修改时搞定” | 下一轮就是现在。执行检查清单。 |
Going Deeper
深入学习
For the full 100-principle canon — including form-specific guidance (interview, memoir, science, business, sports, criticism, humor, travel) — see principles.md.
如需了解完整的100条写作原则——包括针对特定体裁的指导（访谈、回忆录、科学、商业、体育、评论、幽默、旅行）——请参阅principles.md。