Shimada: It is a rare opportunity to use the manuscript paper and pencils here to record our conversations.Please don't worry about it.Don't feel prudish. Q: I would like to ask you some terms for writing novels. What do "expression of words", "synopsis", "segmentation", "narrative", and "God's point of view" mean? Shimada: "Word expression" means expressing language in written form.Some expressions in spoken language will be changed when they are presented in writing. "Summary" is the context of the whole article.

"Segmentation" means that two spaces must be left at the beginning of each paragraph. Of course, this is in terms of "full-width" in Japanese. "Narrative" is the text other than the lines of the characters in the quotation marks. "God's point of view" means that when writing a novel, the writer is the creator of the world view of the whole work, and he must know where each character is and what they are doing, and he can manipulate them freely.To look down on the world in the work like a god.That is to say, you are not in the position of any one of the characters, but beyond them, in an omnipotent, controlling perspective.

Q: May I ask, when writing the synopsis, should the setting of the traps be clearly stated, or should the traps not be involved, but simply describe the suspenseful atmosphere?This is a very confusing thing, how to do it? Shimada: That depends on the purpose of the outline you wrote.If it is only used to remind yourself of the context, I think it is better to write it out; if you don't do this, it is easy to forget how you designed it before.You may feel a little silly when I say this, but it's absolutely true.If you have been engaged in professional creation for more than ten years, the ideas in your mind will become more and more.If you only see the text describing the phenomenon, it may be connected with other thoughts, and it will become a mess in the end.

If this synopsis is for others to read, like it is now, all the conversations between you and me will be recorded. If it involves the pitfalls of the work, then it is another matter.Many readers will see this content. In order to arouse their curiosity, don't talk too much about trap setting.That is to say, in a relatively public place, it is better to maintain a little mystery. There is another situation, that is, when you show it to the editor, you should try to write the outline as interesting as possible.Make people feel like seeing the original story, but don't write the trap.Many competitions or essay calls will require you to write a synopsis, which is to let reviewers and editors know the content of your book in advance.Even if he already has your original manuscript in his hand, he will still make this request.At this time, if the trap is written, it will affect the fun of reading the text.It is not necessary to be comprehensive in every aspect of creation, and of course it does not mean that you must be rebellious. The degree of mastery is very important.Treat the synopsis as a stand-alone work.To arouse people's interest in reading, there must be a certain degree of design.However, whenever possible, try not to touch the topic of pitfalls.

Q: Chapter division of long works.Sometimes it will be divided according to "chapter one" and "chapter two", and sometimes the numbers "1" and "2" will be directly marked.What's the difference between these two?Do you think there is any good division method?Can you teach us? Shimada: When it comes to the division of chapters, I think it is better not to generalize.There is also a line that is a work of a chapter, isn't it?After conception, divide the chapters according to the needs of the structure.Only in this way can we make the best use of the situation and achieve the best results.

Use "chapters" or "numbers" to express, this should be a simple relationship between superiors and subordinates, just like a pyramid structure diagram. "Chapter" is a relatively large concept, while "number" is subordinate to it and is a secondary representation.Otherwise, it will feel very awkward. Regarding the establishment of chapters, it would be a bit too simple to simply arrange them with numbers like 1, 2, and 3.When writing a long work, if it is divided into too many paragraphs, it will give people a very fragmented feeling.At this time, you can use a higher-level segmentation method-"chapters".Set up 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, five small chapters in one chapter.This step-by-step construction method can not only avoid fragmented feelings, but also allow readers to grasp the context of the work more clearly.

At this time, someone asked, how many paragraphs are appropriate for the lower-level paragraphs?This is also inconclusive.However, if there are too many points, the meaning of the stepped structure method will be lost.Therefore, it should be adjusted according to the specific situation of each chapter, and specific issues should be analyzed in detail. The division of chapters should appear natural.For example, the work unfolds the plot according to the switching between the backgrounds of Sendai, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc., so it can be divided in this way, "Chapter 1, Sendai", "Chapter 2, Tokyo", "Chapter 3, Kyoto" ...and the paragraphs subdivided below can be divided according to the transformation of small scenes in the general environment.For example, "Chapter 1, Sendai" has only three short paragraphs, while "Chapter 2, Tokyo" has ten short paragraphs. This division will not give people an abrupt feeling, but will make the structure of the whole work give people a sense of Very logical feeling.

Another method is to use the overhead thinking of "starting", "inheriting", "turning" and "combining" to form chapters.For example, "Chapter A of Son" and "Chapter B of Man" are divided according to the transfer of the focus of the plot between the characters. There are also paragraphs divided simply because the length is too long and it is easier to read.There is no segmentation intent between chapters, and no headings are set.In the writing stage, there is no need to make timely adjustments, as long as the paragraphs are naturally divided according to a certain length.

When writing a long-form work, you must have a comprehensive grasp of the entire work and the awareness of separating chapters.If you can't grasp it well at the beginning, you can divide it into the first chapter, the middle chapter, and the last chapter.But you have to consciously cultivate your own ability, so that you can write a long novel.This is also a necessary condition for being a writer. Some friends think that when writing some non-length novels, because the plot is compact and the number of words is not so many, chapter awareness is not very important.I want to say that if the chapters are divided sloppily, the rhythm of the whole work will also drop.When writing short works, it doesn't mean that you don't need to consider this aspect at all.Clever use of the technique of dividing chapters can produce unexpected results.

Q: Are illustrations required in the manuscript? Shimada: It is also possible to add it during the printing process.It is not necessary to include illustrations in the original manuscript, and of course it must be analyzed according to the specific situation. Q: Do quotation marks also need to use full-width? Shimada: You mean, if there is a paragraph of dialogue, should the punctuation be used in full width like the text, right?It doesn't really matter.The actual writing process is complicated, and there is no need to spend too much effort on whether the punctuation is full-width. In fact, this is the work that the publishing house needs to do before printing in the factory.There is a job called "proofreading" that does just that.So no need to bother with this.

Speaking of this, I think of a problem that may make people feel troubled: there is a situation that requires further explanation of the dialogue. For example: "Good morning." A son said.Does this "good morning" take up one line?For the following "Said A", should I change it to another line, or should I continue writing it down? The actual situation is also inconclusive, just write according to the author's writing habits.Example: "Okay," she said.It would feel a little odd to move "she said" to the next line.However, it will be easier to read if you maintain this "break line" format throughout the text.Of course, some people think that reading like this is like reading a script, which feels bad.If you feel that your article is a little difficult to understand, you may wish to use the "new line" format to adjust the overall direction of the article to make it easier to read.You write a lot, accumulate experience, and gradually form a fixed style, and you will have some judgments on this point. Q: Sometimes there is a period at the end of the dialogue between the characters in the quotation marks in the works, and sometimes there is no period.Are there any rules in this? Shimada: In previous novels, there was always a period at the end of a sentence within quotation marks.But I don't know when it started, and it gradually stopped ordering. Take Xinchao Bunko as an example. In Osamu Dazai's "New Hamlet", there is a period at the end of the dialogue in the quotation marks.However, it is not in "Late Years", which is also his work. It is not known whether it was done by himself or later edited.I feel that the recent works of writers don't have a lot of periods.I read a novel called "Like a Crystal" the year before last, and I remember ordering it. Since then, I haven't seen a novel about it. The reason can be understood with an example. "Heaven will not create a superior person, but it will not create a inferior person" is Fukuzawa Yukichi's famous saying.If there is a period at the end of the sentence inside the quotation marks, plus the words and punctuation outside the quotation marks, it looks very cumbersome.It is for this reason that people gradually stop ordering. But because the past articles will be marked with a period, some authors now also punctuate within the quotation marks in order to pursue this retro feeling.Ayatsuji Xingren's "Murdering Fairy Tales in the Hall of Shock" uses this technique to achieve a very good effect. If there are no special considerations, there are actually no rules that must be followed. Q: Sometimes dashes are used in the novel, and sometimes ellipses are used, which makes it difficult to understand.What is the difference between these two punctuation marks? Shimada: One line is a dash, and the six dots are an ellipsis. These two punctuation points occupy two spaces.Sometimes only three dots occupy one space for ellipsis, but the marking method of six dots occupying two spaces is the mainstream now.It may be to echo the dash, which I personally think is quite good. Regarding the difference between the two kinds of punctuation, it should be distinguished according to the author's different usage habits.As far as my observation of the status quo is concerned, such irregular use will cause readers to feel confused.So I personally suggest using the following method to distinguish. For example, there is a line of a female character: "I suddenly want to go to the sea from time to time..." There is nothing wrong with using ellipses here.Leaving aside whether I like such lines or not, at least there are women who speak like this, don't they? However, if this passage is put in the narrative text, it becomes: A child, from time to time, I suddenly want to go to the sea....Such words give people a feeling of artificiality, which makes people get goosebumps.As a writer, if you know that this is intentional, it is a bit unreasonable. My personal suggestion is: ellipsis, it is best not to use it outside of quotation marks. As far as dashes are concerned, for example: son A, she belongs to the kind of girl who suddenly wants to see the sea——.Such words will have the effect of making people feel that the author himself is thinking.So my personal opinion is: use dashes in descriptive text, not in quotation marks.This will make a certain difference between the narrative text and the lines.I use it all the time, and it works pretty well. To sum up, dashes are a tool to reflect the author's thinking and are used in narrative text; while ellipses are used in the lines spoken by the characters on the scene. Q: Depending on the author or the work, some articles have no commas at all in a section.Not only do not point in short sentences, but also do not point in long sentences.There are also situations where a lot of commas are clicked in a sentence to divide a sentence into many small parts.Regarding the use of commas, it is quite different from the grammar we learned in Chinese classes at school.Can this be done arbitrarily according to the author's intention regardless of whether it is convenient for the reader to read it? Shimada: There should be no restrictions.No matter what kind of ideas the author himself has, it still has to go through the publisher.In the past, Saiichi Marutani wrote experimental articles in which "speaking style" and "writing style" were mixed together.This should be free to play. If you want to do an experimental text, the editor will comment on you, and the proofreading department of the publishing house will also ask you.The publishing house considers and makes a judgment based on the author's description and his past performance.If it's a young, fledgling writer, it's easy to dismiss. There are too many commas in the article of a popular author, but because the sales volume is very good, the publisher takes a laissez-faire attitude towards this situation in order to get his manuscript.Because this author is often a big seller, he will receive many manuscript offers from publishing houses, and he is so busy that he has no time to carefully study the article.The proofreaders know this, so they don't say anything.So this vicious circle continues, and this is reality.That is to say, as long as the book sells well, everything is tolerated, and money is the most important thing.But then again, for such a person, why his book still sells, this has to be said to be the responsibility of the readers themselves. Q: Specifically, what exactly is a "plot"? Shimada: Generally speaking, it is the "synopsis", which is the context of the whole book.Sometimes, we call the plot a list of events and traps before the story takes shape. Shimada: The difference between the two is that many of the reference materials have not been published as books.The usage between the two is exactly the same. If something has been of great help to your writing, it is polite to thank it at the end of the book.But because these contents have not been written, they cannot be called "references", but "reference materials". Q: Is there a limit to quoting some of the works published by other authors in my own work?If it is quoted, do you need to express it? Shimada: It also depends on the situation.Whether the cited book is a novel, essay, or scholarly book is treated differently depending on the classification.There are various situations depending on the amount and content of citations and the degree of "dependency".The first thing to do is to be sincere. If you have benefited from it, you should be grateful, right?However, given that books themselves have the property of disseminating information, and depending on the person, the same thing will be said differently, so it is understandable that there is no need to express gratitude.Therefore, specific analysis of specific issues is particularly important. If you need to express something, you can write it directly in the text, or mark it at the end of the volume.If you want to express it in the text, you can write "the following is quoted from XX", and if you mark it at the end of the volume, you can write "references" or "reference materials", and write "XX content on page XX".This notation is just a convention, and there are no rules.Also, I have never heard of the word "application", and I always feel that this word is not used to describe the text carrier.To talk about the things in the book, it is better to use "reference" to describe it. Q: I heard that if the author is not a well-known author, the publishing house will not accept the manuscript written by hand. Is this true? Shimada: That is true to a certain extent.However, depending on the situation, it cannot be generalized.This will not happen if it is the original manuscript solicited for the literary award.However, the number of manuscripts that editors have to face is huge, and if you hand in the manuscript, you may be left behind.Moreover, the situation will vary depending on whether the person's handwriting is good or not.It is also reasonable that articles with extremely illegible handwriting will be read last.This is the same no matter who it is.If the person's handwriting is very bad, it is better to type the article. By the way, now that there are more and more special-format printed materials, this has become a bit troublesome.Because there are certain requirements for the rationality of the bytes, it is not popular to just use floppy disks as the carrier to submit manuscripts.Although electronic documents are very important, it is best to have a printed copy. Q: Is it okay to write the name of the real artist, the name of the work, and even the brand of the car in the work? Shimada: It depends on the author's talent.As for whether the real car name or the title of the work is used in the book, this should not be generalized, and should be adjusted according to the content of the work.If introducing the title of other people's works will achieve a good effect, then why not do it?For example, if you write "the woman in the tube top and miniskirt boarded a Ferrari sports car", in this way, the image of this woman will appear on the paper at once. However, when using text such as song lyrics, because there is also a fee to be paid to the Copyright Association, it is better not to use it if it is not necessary.And after citing it, if you forget to apply to the publisher, it will be bad, and you may be fined. In fact, the author is the creator in the universe he created, in which no matter what kind of things can be created by his own power.It may sound exaggerated to you, but what's wrong with being creative on a literal level?Even when quoting other people's words to enhance the tension of one's own work, it can only be done occasionally.You must not rely too much on other people's things, which is also a requirement of professional ethics. Sometimes, someone will want you to promote him in your work, which is the so-called soft advertisement.This kind of thing is reasonable to use in movies; it is better not to do it when writing books, at least I have not tried it once. Q: When dealing with real names or events, some books hide them, while others write them out directly.Writers should hope to be able to write; publishers hope to hide as much as possible.How to do it? Shimada: This question is really troublesome.As far as I am concerned, it is still according to my own judgment.If the editor-in-charge is a young man, maybe his understanding of this issue is not as deep as mine.There are people who are prosecuted for mentioning real events in their works.Therefore, there are still certain risks, and we have to use our brains.But with the accumulation of experience, what can be written, what can't be written, and what kind of consequences it will cause, these things can be done clearly. In order to save the author from unnecessary trouble, the editor will put forward such and such opinions.And his boss and consultant lawyers will also have some skills to avoid risks.The most important thing to pay attention to is the issue of human rights and defamation, and then the issue of copyright.These constraints have become more stringent as times have changed.In the era of Osamu Dazai, it was never heard of being troubled because of human rights.There are not so many things about copyright, and it will not cause any trouble to use diaries written by others in my own articles.Having said that, it was an open-minded era.As a suspense writer, there should be very few cases involving real events in the works.I don't know if other authors are in the same situation as me. Being sued for defamation due to content mentioned in a work falls under the category of civil litigation.Sometimes people equate people who misbehave in books with people in real life, especially if the book describes a specific place.Some people could not live in the local area because of this, and were even chased and fled overnight.At this time, he had to file a lawsuit to restore his innocence with the help of the law, which is understandable. Conversely, if someone is particularly kind in your book, absolutely no one will check it out.The issue of privacy has really become more and more troublesome in recent years.The court also tends to rule in favor of the plaintiff.So at this point, do pay attention.At the same time, it is also to avoid unnecessary trouble for the publishing house. However, there are some weekly publications that can arouse public excitement if they lead to lawsuits.If it enters the trial stage, it can drive the sales of the entire publication.I think, instead of following this kind of heresy, it is better to use your brain to improve the quality of works, so as to increase sales. Q: If it is something you personally experienced, such as going to the World Expo, and you want to write about the things you saw, can you write the names of these things?For example, if the car you see is from Toyota, just write Toyota. Is this okay?Wouldn't that be good for Toyota?Will it still be sued? Shimada: This is also inconclusive, it depends on the author's own judgment.If you want to describe the Expo, then write it well, but if the content may cause damage to the reputation of the people related to the Expo, you must pay special attention.Of course, I have never experienced such a situation, so I can't answer it. There are different opinions on whether to write the names of things that represent a certain period of time.I heard that in order to make his works sustainable, Yukio Mishima almost nervously excluded the language of the times.In order to make his works have a sense of the times no matter when he looks at them, he abstracts the content with symbolic meaning.And some people, contrary to what he thought, believed that only works with a sense of a specific era can have long-term vitality. The same goes for the car.Take Toyota as an example, whether it is "MKII", "Chaser", or "Peak", it doesn't matter which one it is.These three cars are all Toyota cars, showing no personality.So I think it's okay not to write.But if you switch to Ferrari, it's completely different.When people see this name, they will have various associations.It also makes sense to put the name out if it can have that effect. In the 007 movie series, James Bond's car Aston Martin must appear.This can play a good role in the rendering of the British style.If you change to Citroen or Cadillac, it will completely change the taste.If the vehicle that appeared in the work of Haruhiko Ohyabu in 1962 is set as the "GTR" of "SKYLINE", it is obviously a bit inappropriate.Regarding the choice of vehicle, the most important thing is to match the author and his era.At the same time, due to the different ideology of the writers, different meanings are given to the vehicle itself.In fact, this question is still worth exploring. Speaking of this, it is quite similar to the situation of choosing words and making sentences.For example, for the word "shen", some writers will write it as "body", some will write it as "body", and some will write it as "torso".At this point, the proofreading staff will not be serious and require uniformity.This may have happened in the past, but it will never happen now.Because highlighting a writer's personality in terms of words and sentences is also a means of demonstrating his talent.In the same way, when it comes to cars, the proofreaders will basically take a laissez-faire attitude. Then again, the possibility of being sued by a big company like Toyota also exists.We can figure it out by thinking about it in another place.Obviously paid a considerable fee for the soft advertisement, but if it is written as a bad car, isn't it reasonable to file a lawsuit?In addition, if a popular work like "Harry Potter" is full of negative descriptions of Toyota, it will naturally be considered to have a serious impact on the corporate image, which will rise to the legal level. There are also criminals like Okubo Kiyoshi who use Mazda sports cars to abduct and kill women.They just calculated the psychology of young women-just imagine if they were driving a Mitsubishi truck, it would not be easy to trick them into the car.Works like this based on real events emerge in endlessly, and I have never heard of any lawsuits filed by Mazda.Of course, if this kind of work can really have the influence of "Harry Potter", I'm afraid it will be a different matter. Q: For the convenience of printing in the factory, the size and direction of the original paper, the number of words on a piece of paper, and whether it is better to type it horizontally or vertically are all very confusing. Shimada: Most Japanese books are vertically formatted, but no one told me that they can’t be horizontally formatted. Maybe the editor thinks it doesn’t matter.Books are generally made into the specifications that readers prefer, and the number of words per page is also related to the specifications.Some writers also have some special requirements. There are also writers who want horizontal typography.For example, when I use a foreign language frequently, I sometimes feel that it is better to arrange it horizontally. However, as far as I am concerned, I think that "square characters, which can be typed vertically, are the most suitable words in the world to be edited into books" - this is my biggest feeling after returning from the United States.There is no other script in the world that is more suitable for vertical reading than square characters.When other texts are marked on the spine, in order to be clearly visible, it takes a lot of thinking.At this time, the advantages of square characters are obvious. Take Japanese books as an example.In Japanese books, each line is written from right to left, and the pages are also turned from right to left.Although it is easy to get hands dirty when writing in this way, it is very suitable for reading. But when it is displayed on a computer, the advantages of symbolic text appear, because it is easier to convert into characters.Maybe one day in the future, the automatic translation system will be perfect, and you can read any web page in the world as you like.At that time, whether the text in vertical typesetting will really be replaced, I really dare not think about it.However, I am afraid that there will be more and more horizontal layouts in novels. Regarding the size of the printing paper and the number of words on each paper, I know very little about this aspect, and no one seems to have said that it should be unified, probably because it is difficult to achieve.Writers will vary according to their own situation, and the size of the manuscript will also vary.But probably the size of a weekly magazine is fine, not the size of a newspaper—of course no one will use it. According to my experience, as a literary award judge, I read manuscripts of different specifications and characters every day, and I have never heard of anyone being dissatisfied by this.Having said that, it will be depressing if you look at the originals with the same specifications and characters for decades.So, proceed from your own situation and use the most reasonable specifications and text volume, and that's it. Q: After deciding on the theme of a work, the work of collecting information is really hard.In order to write something, I have consulted a lot of materials and consulted people with specialized knowledge.At this time, I don't feel like a writer, but like a student.Sometimes in order to obtain information, some remuneration is also paid.I often encounter some knowledge that cannot be found even in books. At this time, I would think, is it really necessary to write such things in books?But I thought again, it would be better to involve some knowledge content.How can I be a qualified student and get the knowledge I want from others? Shimada: Yes, this is the most common question and the hardest to answer.Different methods should be used to speak according to each person's personality and standpoint.For example, you, I don't think you will be angry even if I say something rude to you, right? (laughs) I think women will be more favorable at this time.Regardless of identity and status, if you are a woman, it seems that you can communicate better with others. Maybe this is a certain characteristic that women are born with. It's not that you say that being famous makes it easier to communicate with others.For example, if you are the editor of K Tansha, if you report the name of the agency, if the other party is also an employee, it will be easy to accept you.Because they are both salaried workers, they place more emphasis on the company's credit.I heard that Mr. Seicho Matsumoto often entrusts his editor to collect materials. In the process of communicating with people, you will meet all kinds of people.Among them are dignified people, some feel that asking others questions casually will make them look incompetent, some people can not speak without speaking, and some think carefully before asking questions and organize their words carefully.This is the customs of Japan. When I was working on the serial theme of "Journey to Japan at the End of the Century", when I learned that we were reporters, some people with a good temper would do scary things.Some people will make no secret of their malice towards you, and more people will show a feeling that you are controlled by him.If this topic continues, it may be enough to compile another book (laughs) Doctors, policemen, lawyers, these types of people have a characteristic, that is, they speak in unison.Maybe this is the norm in the industry.If the other party is a private businessman and is too bored to panic, it is easy to get the words out of his mouth. (laughs) In fact, as long as we grasp the characteristics of each person and ask them, there shouldn't be any problems.Even if you don't commission an editor, if you are a new female writer, many people will be willing to provide you with information regardless of the gain or loss. Q: Mr. Shimada, your works involve a lot of detailed academic knowledge. How do you collect information? Shimada: One of the first things to do is to discern whether such profound expertise is necessary or unnecessary.The fun of reading Benge mystery novels is based on reasoning contests with readers, rather than learning knowledge.Therefore, as long as there is a minimum description of professional knowledge, it is enough.This is the same as the fact that functional novels do not need to describe the function of DNA.If people really wanted to know about these things, they wouldn't buy them. In Japan, due to the general workplace temperament and cultural pride, there is such an attitude towards suspenseful works-if there is no ingenious arrangement in the work, it will not arouse readers' respect.Therefore, introducing some specialized knowledge in the book will arouse some people's interest in buying it. To a certain extent, speculative fiction can serve as a weather vane for the latest scientific research.Collecting fingerprints, blood types, body hair, and clothing fibers at the crime scene, these things at the forensic level, were written in "Moore Street Murder".These were described as state-of-the-art science in the nineteenth century.It is precisely because of this scientific atmosphere that makes this work different from traditional surprise novels, thus forming a school of its own.Reading "The Murder on Moore Street" now, I can still feel the freshness and high standard.Although you can find some mistakes if you look carefully, it doesn't matter, the flaws do not hide the advantages. Moreover, no matter how professional the field is, we should adopt an inclusive attitude towards some remarks made by laymen.For example, the jury system can well explain what I said.This has to be said to be the wealth left to us by Anglo-Saxon.The works of reasoning, in the form of fiction, record the history of the transformation of public consciousness. It is arrogant to speak without a deep understanding of a thing.This proposition is false from a historical and deconstructive perspective. In the era when "Moore Street" was produced, if the society hadn't held a tolerant attitude, there might not be the current suspenseful mystery novels.Today in the 21st century, the introduction of the latest technological concepts in the works is not to write another epoch-making work like "Moore Street", but if this is not done, such works will not continue to radiate vitality ——I am writing with this belief.Having said that, I don't think I'm necessarily right to make everyone do what I do. In fact, writing is like baseball, there is a fixed rule, and at the same time, like F1, the latest materials must be constantly added to improve the performance of the car.The creation of reasoning works is no different.After "Moore Street", writers kept the original framework, but kept adding new scientific elements to it, making writing like sports.After the appearance of Van Dyne, all these were gradually recognized by people.This may not have been his original intention, but his ability to continue to write works completely deconstructed the traditional way of writing.This writing method is especially suitable in Japan, where the social attributes of the workplace are prominent.Because people in this kind of society don't like divergent thinking and hate change. In Japan, a person who acts innovatively will be suppressed by traditional morality.This stubborn style of work has not been well reflected on even today.The so-called "traditional" people are generally not interested in creative science.This can be seen from the development of suspense novels after the release of the "Van Dyne Criteria".Select materials within a certain range and create according to certain rules. This is original creation.这种心态也是为什么日本会落后美国七十年的原因。 就我看，如果不进行变革的话，本格推理退出历史舞台是迟早的事情。一旦退出了的话，再想回来就难上加难了。曾经有一段时期，日本小说市场，百分之七、八十都是广义的悬疑类小说，其实这样也是会对出版文化自身产生危机的。日本和美国不同，传统出版物文化更为强势，这一点至今没有改变。如果你能正确理解我的想法，同时产生，哪怕是那么一丁点的共鸣的话，请尽量寻觅一条全新的本格创作之路吧。 说到对最新科学情报的收集，方法也是多种多样的。照着最合适你的方向去做，就没问题。你可以去询问专业人员，拜托编辑帮你收集，阅读参考书，当然也可以利用GOOGLE在网上查。而我最喜欢的就是守在电视机前，一看就是好长时间。直到现在，我的很多灵感都是来源于电视。 之前咱们提到过统一口径的话题，我想起了我曾经去NHK取材，那里工作人员的口径就是自上而下的统一。像我这种写书的人，他们基本不会透露给你什么情报的。但也正是因为这样，他们的教育类节目可以在第一时间提供最新的情报，所以才会这么好。他们的节目是世界级的，这一点毋庸置疑。 Q：关于警察的机构和法医学的知识，应该掌握到什么程度才是必要的呢？ 岛田：作品之中有关于警官的描写，确实需要一定量的相关知识。可以询问警官的友人，可以参加“警视厅观摩”，也可以买一些诸如“警视厅大研究”之类的书。但是就算这样，也具有局限性。 你问我究竟掌握到什么程度，这还真不好回答。根据我的经验，警察局内部的构成，诸如羁押所的位置、拘留所的位置、两者之间的关系，这些都是不重要的。而像《莫尔街》中虚构的鉴识班，科学搜查研究所之类的内容才是真正重要的。 再诸如逮捕、起诉、审判的手续，只要大概有所了解就可以了。就算是本格推理作家，对这些知识不甚了解，也是可以原谅的。就连范·达因对这些也不是很重视。 究竟要做到什么程度，用语言描述出来很困难，如果要是亲自动手做了，那就很容易理解了。其实只要有一些很基本的内容就足够了。比起这些知识，应该将注意力放在更重要的地方不是吗？ Q：请问，至今为止影响您最深的作家是哪位？您最喜欢他的什么作品呢？ 岛田：嗯，还真不好说。你突然这么一问，我还真是说不上来。 我小的时候，读过江户川乱步的书，我记得是他的代表作《恐怖的三角公馆》。我那时还热衷于在收音机上收听广播剧《少年侦探团》。我也受到了《一寸法师》的影响，这部作品真的很好看。在我初试写作的时候，柯南·道尔对我的影响非常大。而偏向于伦理类的书《月亮与手袋》《石榴之谜》《二钱铜货》，都是十分好看的作品。 这其中，对我影响最大的还是福尔摩斯。以前绫辻君还向我推荐过《黄色房间的秘密》，作者是法国小说家加斯通·勒鲁，我觉得那本书真是世间难得的上乘作品。其余的还有《Y的悲剧》，也是一部名著。其实我还看过好多作品，就是一时间想不起来了。 这些作家作品对我的影响都很大，我也是这样才走上了写作这条道路。对了，还有高木彬光先生，我真是非常喜欢他的作品。同时还有清张先生的小说，也是我的最爱，我非常喜欢那种独特的世界观，可能我读过最多的就是他的作品了。 其实我还读过很多推理小说以外的作品。像英国的幽默小说，J·K·杰罗姆的《三人同舟》。那部作品对我的影响非常大，可以说仅次于福尔摩斯对我的影响。 然后就是萨基，他对我的影响也很大。他的作品非常出色，我在读了他的短篇集以后，真的产生了一种写作的冲动。我的小说，就有他作品的烙印。 我去伦敦的时候，真的专门去了梅登黑德，那是《三人同舟》里描写的地方。当然也去了大名鼎鼎的贝克街。 我觉得英国的诙谐和讽刺，是一种骨子里散发出来的特有的幽默，真的很合我的胃口。所以，我总是想将这种幽默运用在我的作品之中。但是这种想法在日本，则被归结为叛逆，不合传统，和一直以来的名作的风格不符。我就奇怪了，埃尔维斯·普雷斯利的一代经典《摇滚监狱》就是这样的主题，同样立意的文学作品，在世界上也比比皆是，怎么到了我这里就变成大逆不道了？ Q：被誉为推理黄金时代的作者，范·达因、奎因、克里斯蒂、卡尔。岛田先生对这些人有什么样的评价呢？ 岛田：我很早的时候读过他们的作品，现在记得也不是很清楚了，可能会有所偏颇。我就结合推理小说的历史，大概地说一下吧。 从爱德咖·爱伦·坡开始，推理小说进入兴盛时期，其后的几十年间英美作家的争锋成为了主流。爱伦·坡、柯南·道尔、克里斯蒂、范·达因、卡尔、奎因都属于这个时代，真的可以说是巨匠辈出的年代啊。他们的全盛时期也可以根据这个顺序来排。爱伦·坡和柯南·道尔是十九世纪末同一时期的作家。克里斯蒂和范·达因，两个人的代表作均出版于1920年前后，所以可以把他们算在同一时代，只不过克里斯蒂出道要早一些。然后是卡尔和奎因，他们的全盛期都处在上世纪三十年代左右。 有趣的是，这些大人物当中，英国的作家只有柯南·道尔和克里斯蒂两个人。爱伦·坡、范·达因、卡尔、奎因都是美国人。也就是说这个流派的作品是产生于美国，完成于英国。实质上的霸权也是握在美国手上的。如果推理小说走向灭亡的话，也应该以在美国灭亡为标志。 纵观历史，我们可以从中归纳出一点——在美国“纯推理”的失势，归其原因是好莱坞引起的。福尔摩斯自不必说，费洛·范斯、哲瑞·雷恩这种类型的名侦探，偏重于文戏，呈现在大银幕上，难免表现力不足。于是诸如菲利普·马洛、麦克尔·哈默、刘亚契，这样的硬汉形象的侦探开始当道。随着时代的发展，特效技术日新月异。斯蒂芬·金这种灵异类悬疑作品也开始充斥荧屏。 不过相比之下，在英国情况则有所不同，那里的作家创作出了费洛·范斯和基甸·菲尔博士这样的人物。话说当时美英竞争推理界霸权的时候，美国人是把这种新兴的文学形式作为英国文学来看待的。那时的美国拥有一个超级利器，那就是好莱坞。好莱坞是在奎因所处的时代以后，极速抬头的。美国人将推理作品与伦理和娱乐绑定。可以说，侦探小说当时是搭上了这种新兴娱乐形式的顺风车了。 我对这几个作者再说一些我的看法。爱伦·坡笔下的杜平，浑身散发着学者气质，而作者本身也和太宰治类似。作为一个流派的开山鼻祖，他的功绩无需赘述。他具有科学家的精神，同时又可以看见一些虚无缥缈的东西。他像处在夜晚的一个诗人一样，充满了让人惊讶的幻视能力。他使我们看到了盎格鲁·萨克逊社会的最美妙的部分，从而创造出了一个新的文学体裁。单从这一点来看，他就不负奇才之名。更何况他的创作，还涉及社会类、诗歌，甚至有海洋冒险类小说，体裁之多让人咂舌，几乎让人感觉到有无限的可能性。 柯南·道尔，实际上与爱伦·坡一样。他的功绩，通过他的人物夏洛克·福尔摩斯传遍全球。福尔摩斯的魅力，是后世无数作家笔下的名侦探无法望其项背的。如果说没有爱伦·坡，这个流派无法诞生；那没了柯南·道尔，这个流派就无法最后形成。福尔摩斯的人格魅力，强大到了无以复加的程度。 如果让我描述一下这个魅力的话，应该是一种幽默，同时还有勇气和男子气概，谦逊，对未知事物探索的骑士精神，还有适当的怪癖。当然最主要的还是具备压倒性的推理能力。对了，还有一点也不能忘记的就是运动员一般的行动力和超强的运动神经。他可是很擅长拳击的。 归纳一下，福尔摩斯就是本格推理界的一个超级英雄，绝对不像好莱坞所描述的那样，是个白面书生。有人说他和钱德勒笔下的菲利普·马洛属于完全不同的英雄，就我来看，他只不过是对福尔摩斯的模仿而已。他浑身散发着大叔的臭味，窝在阴森昏暗的公馆深处，简直就跟范·达因一样。 我并不是在说范·达因的坏话，他的出现使得推理小说的理论上升到了一个高度。他的教养我们暂且不论，至少作品十分有趣。他的功利式写作法同样产生出了很多杰作，这一点是不能否认的。他处在爱伦·坡和克里斯蒂两个时代之间，起到了承上启下的作用。他凭借着一流的观察力将这个新生的文学形式分析、解构，将其中最精华的部分抽出来，以最有趣的形态进行再建构。 一个有舞台、有条件限制的游戏，才是最好玩的，这是范·达因对这个世界提出的准则。现在来看，他的存在是十分有价值的。其后的卡尔和奎因，就算他们极力否定，但是他们受到范·达因影响的事实是不可改变的。他们在追求“写出有趣的推理作品”的过程中，不知不觉地赞同了范·达因准则。拨开迷雾，将一个可重复的过程提升到理论高度，同时将其总结出来。范·达因准则具有压倒性的正确性与影响力。 说到这里，我们说一下“本格”。其实这个关于悬疑类作品的词是日本人发明的。当甲贺三郎构想这个词语的时候，他脑中浮现的一定是范·达因准则。所以他在提倡范·达因的理论的同时，制定了二十准则，将创作严格限定在一定的条件内，从而生成了“彻底的理论化小说”。只要我们能理解甲贺三郎理论至上的思想，就不难解读他的侦探小说了。 这种做法确实使得爱伦·坡创立的侦探类作品得到成长，同时降低了烂作的出现几率，培养了大量的后继者。但相对的，这样做又限制了人们思维奔放的跃动感，扼杀了可能性，使得爱伦·坡和柯南·道尔这样的幻视能力，得不到发展。而像《加勒比海盗》《侏罗纪公园》这样的作品，反而可能更接近爱伦·坡当时的创作状态。 而在范·达因之后，那种英国风的推理作品就渐渐消失了。作者缺少了爱伦·坡和柯南·道尔的素质。虽然经常摆出一副求索的样子，实际上已经对最新的科学失去了敬畏之情，慢慢地变得傲慢起来。不管用多少新鲜的情报来堆砌，也掩饰不住那种感觉。说他们是被范·达因的魔咒困住了也不为过。 马洛作为一个托生于福尔摩斯的人物，尽显极端之能事。放眼望去，当今的推理小说中，充斥着恰似影视作品之中的体力派人物，在塑造上给人一种苍白的感觉。 近年来，日本兴起了新本格浪潮，这一点我在后面还会有所提及，其产生的作品人物表现符号化，失去了日本文学对人的描写入木三分的传统，我觉得使整个文学创作进程倒退了至少七十年。范·达因准则的引入，多少会改变这一状况。但是近代自然主义的日本文学界的特性是——写作趋势根植于对战争与贫困的记忆之上。这会长期对范·达因准则的运用起到阻碍的作用。我对推理小说史上伟人的评价，大概就是这样。 Q：请问在着手写作之前，最少要读过哪些书呢？岛田先生有没有什么推荐的书目呢？ 岛田：其实没有什么必读的。你想，评论家们读过几百本的书，他也没有成为作家不是吗？所以说一册也不用读。写出你最想写的东西，那才是写作的最高境界。 Q：除推理以外，阅读一些纯文学或者纪实文学怎么样呢？ 岛田：我以前看过一个年轻人写得非常精彩的推理作品。于是，我跟他聊福尔摩斯的话题。他竟然问我，谁是福尔摩斯？那才是真正恐怖的强人呢。 如果你想了解一点本格写作技法的话，我之前提到过的一些作品都是可以读的。但是没有什么作品是必读的。

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