來源臉書：東默農的編劇實戰教室

在時間有限的情況下，應該多看重要？還是多寫重要？

In a limited time, should you prioritize reading more or writing more of what’s important?

越基礎的問題，越容易在面對瓶頸時在腦中冒出小聲音。這個問題乍看之下有點傻氣，你問十個老師，老師一定都會跟你說：「都重要。」那這樣問了就等於白問。

但這問題真的不值得被提出來討論嗎？其實不是。

The more fundamental the question, the more likely it is to pop up in your mind when facing a bottleneck. At first glance, this question may seem a bit naive, and if you ask ten teachers, they will all probably say, ‘Both are important.’ So, asking this question might seem futile.

But is this question really not worth discussing? Actually, it is.

任何問題都是有價值的，因為它反映出的是提問者的想法與困境，在這個問題中，我們可以看到三個層次的問題：

1. 提問者平日忙於工作，常覺得自己時間不夠。

2. 提問者試著讓自己多閱讀、多學習，但卻感覺不到進步。

3. 提問者寫了很長的時間，但總覺得無法突破。

我想就這3個面向各別做一些討論。

Every question has value because it reflects the thoughts and dilemmas of the asker. In this question, we can see three levels of issues:

1. The asker feels busy with work and often thinks there’s not enough time.

2. The asker tries to read and learn more but feels no progress.

3. The asker has been writing for a long time but feels unable to break through.

Let’s discuss each of these three aspects separately.

時間不足 Insufficient Time

這是我們生活中最容易有的錯覺。因為所有完成偉大事情的人，一樣都和我們享有24小時的時間。為什麼他們的時間足夠使他們成就卓越，而我們的時間卻似乎總是撥不出來？

This is a common misconception in our lives. All accomplished individuals have the same 24 hours as we do. Why is their time enough to achieve excellence while ours always seems insufficient?

每個人為了暖飽都需要工作，每個母親（或父親）都需要照顧年幼的孩子，但總有人能在時間稀缺的情況下，讀點什麼，寫點什麼。

我曾經焦慮的計算自己一天的時間究竟花去哪了？結果發現花費最多時間的，是「下定決心 」。

在下定決心看一本書、下定決心寫一點東西之前，我常花費時間在小遊戲、反覆打開社群軟體、排時間表、看漫畫等等事情上。

Everyone needs to work to make a living, and every parent needs to take care of their children. But some people can still find time to read and write even in time-scarce situations.

I once anxiously calculated where my time went each day and found that the most time-consuming activity was ‘making up my mind.’ Before deciding to read a book or write something, I would spend time playing games, repeatedly opening social media apps, planning schedules, reading comics, and more.

相較於逼自己下定決心坐在電腦前的時間，實際完成工作的時間其實還比較短。

我常覺得自己沒空讀書，但實際開始讀書後，發現就算是沒有劇情的工具書，讀個30-50頁也大概只要1小時，每天讀個1小時，一個星期就讀完了。

但因為感覺要花很多時間才讀得完，所以一拖再拖，書擺在書架上快一年了，連碰也沒有碰一下。

類似的例子層出不窮，無論是讀書、寫稿、運動、建立人際關係，「因為覺得難而不做」，實際上花費了更多時間。

這種「自我設限」其實是心理學上常見的人性，壞消息是要擺脫它不容易，好消息是你只要擺脫一點，你就比起別人更優秀很多。

而我們怎麼擺脫這種問題？

Compared to the time I spent in front of the computer with a determined mindset, the actual productive time was shorter. I often felt like I didn’t have time to read books, but when I started reading, even a toolbook without a plot, I realized that reading 30-50 pages would only take about an hour. Reading for an hour every day, I could finish a book in a week. However, because I felt like it would take a lot of time to finish, I kept postponing it, and the book sat on the shelf for nearly a year without being touched.

Similar examples abound, whether it’s reading, writing, exercising, building relationships, or anything else. Avoiding something because it seems difficult actually consumes more time.

This kind of “self-imposed limitation” is a common aspect of psychology. The bad news is that it’s not easy to overcome, but the good news is that even a small step toward overcoming it makes you much better than others.

How do we overcome this problem?

首先，認識它。你必須先意識到這個問題，你才能解決它。

再來，降低對這件事難度的想像。不要總是自己騙自己，要讀點什麼、寫點什麼，沒有你想得這麼難這麼辛苦，也沒有必須這麼認真，好像你非全力以赴似的。

如果你在創作上一下子腦中沒什麼想法，就先從邊邊角角開始，先解決一些你已經知道的問題（如先做角色設定、拉出故事線看看還缺什麼），或已經想到的一些碎片（不管有沒有前後，直接寫那個你有感覺的部分），或不解決問題，但把需要解決的問題一一列出來。

只要開始行動了，就勝過完全不動。

第三，不要苛求「絕不能中斷」。理想狀態中，我們要建立一個每天持續不斷的習慣，但中斷、害怕中斷這件事，常常使我們裹足不前。不是要你學會輕易放棄，而是因為你根本還沒開始呢。

第四，借助一些外力。讓其他人，無論是朋友、親人或網友，透過一些約束力推你一把。看你在乎的事情是什麼，是錢？是承諾？是面子？是一個假期？試著給自己一點小獎勵或逞罰。

第五，重新釐清這件事對你的意義，以及它能帶你去的地方。其實這應該擺在第一點或第二點，因為很多時候我們都只看到「當下」，而沒有望著「未來」。不要因為很多人跟你說「這件事應該做」，你就去做。你應該要想清楚做這件事最後累積而成的成果，到底是不是你要的？

如果是，緊緊抓著那個你要的未來，不要老想著討價還價。我今天可以怎樣嗎？不這樣也可以吧？我今天是有什麼特別的理由⋯⋯在你看著未來時，這些小聲音你才有力量去克服它們。

First, acknowledge it. You must first be aware of this problem to solve it.

Second, lower the imagined difficulty of the task. Don’t always deceive yourself into thinking that reading or writing something is incredibly difficult and arduous, as if you have to do it with all your might. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas for your creative work, start with small things. Resolve some known issues (e.g., character development, outlining the story to see what’s missing), work on fragments you’ve thought of (write the part that inspires you, whether or not it fits chronologically), or list the problems that need solving. Taking any action is better than doing nothing.

Third, don’t demand perfection or a complete lack of interruptions. Ideally, you would establish a daily habit without interruptions, but fearing interruptions often hinders progress. It’s not about giving up easily but recognizing that you haven’t even started yet.

Fourth, seek external motivation. Let others, whether friends, family, or online communities, provide some form of accountability. Identify what matters to you, whether it’s money, commitment, reputation, or a vacation, and use that as motivation or a reward.

Fifth, clarify the meaning of the task for you and where it can take you. Don’t do something just because others say you should. Consider what results the task will accumulate for you and whether it aligns with your goals.

不要試圖在一天內完成什麼驚天動地的大事，但要相信每天半小時累積出來的可能。台上一分鐘，台下十年功，不要老急著想擠上台，要想著自己的十年功，有沒有一天比一天有進展。等你開始減少逃避和猶豫的時間時，你會發現你的時間突然增加了，效率突然變好了。

但如果你沒有解決這個問題，就算你今天辭職全心創作，你也會花掉整整十二個小時在逃避和猶豫，還安慰自己說，我在累積啊，我在多看啊，我在找靈感啊。這些是很傷害自己的創作生命的，因為你磨損的不只是時間，還有對自己創作的信心。你等於是在告訴自己：我都全職寫作了還寫不出個名堂，我根本就不行。但事實並不是這樣的。把「你想累積的事」，當成一個「與別人有約」一樣重要、必須執行的行程，不要讓它可以被任何理由推遲、拖延。

解決完這個時間問題，我們才需要進一步來看另外兩個面向「多看」和「多寫」的比較。

If it does, hold onto the future you desire, and don’t constantly bargain with yourself about why you can’t do it today or why it’s not necessary. When you look at the future, you gain the strength to overcome those inner voices.

Don’t try to achieve something monumental in a day, but believe in the potential of half an hour’s daily accumulation. As they say, a minute on the stage takes ten years of practice backstage. When you start reducing the time spent on evasion and hesitation, you’ll find that your available time suddenly increases, and your efficiency improves.

However, if you don’t address this problem, even if you quit your job to focus on writing full-time, you’ll likely spend twelve hours a day avoiding and hesitating, while comforting yourself with the notion that you’re accumulating, reading more, and seeking inspiration. These habits harm your creative life because they erode not only your time but also your confidence in your creative abilities. It’s like telling yourself, ‘I’m writing full-time, but I can’t produce anything; I’m just not cut out for this.’ But that’s not the reality.

Treat what you want to accumulate as an important commitment, just like you would with any other obligation, and don’t allow it to be postponed or delayed for any reason.

Once you’ve resolved the time issue, we can delve into the comparison between ‘reading more’ and ‘writing more’ in the context of ‘insufficient time.’

「多看」與「多寫」還是不見進步 ‘Reading More’ vs. ‘Writing More’: No Visible Progress

大腦不是靈感產生器，而是訊息提取機。沒有儲存訊息，就沒有東西提取。我們在討論創意生成時，專家將訊息分成兩種，一種是日常訊息，一種是專業訊息。

日常訊息指的是我們對一般事物的理解，像社會氛圍、價值觀、父子師長情侶如何相處、或是新聞時事、熱門話題、創作怎麼寫、文字怎麼運用等等，簡單來說，就是和你案子沒有直接相關的資訊。日常訊息是跨領域的，無論你做的是什麼案子，寫的是什麼故事，都有可能被運用上，這是你的基本修養和累積。我們學習文字技巧、編劇技巧等等，其實都是日常訊息。

專業訊息指的是我們對特定領域的理解，例如我們要寫醫療題材，我們要對醫生的日常、各個職稱的工作範圍、常見的醫療糾紛等等，也就是和你要寫的東西直接相關的資訊。專業訊息是依你做的案子、寫的故事決定重要性的，當你在寫餐廳愛情故事時，法院開庭流程這種資訊對你就派不上用場。但缺乏這些訊息，你的作品就容易寫不到位。

一般講師建議你「多看」，指的是累積你的日常訊息。因為他不知道你要寫什麼，所以建議你多看一點，什麼都看，反正看久了就會有點感覺。我把這種說法翻譯一下：想要文筆變好，就去看文筆好的人的作品，看多了，你寫起來筆法就會像他。

The brain is not a generator of inspiration; it’s an information extraction machine. Without stored information, there’s nothing to extract. When discussing creative generation, experts categorize information into two types: daily information and professional information.

Daily information refers to our understanding of general matters, such as social atmosphere, values, relationships between parents and children, or current events, popular topics, how to write creatively, and how to use language, among others. In simple terms, it’s information unrelated to your specific project. Daily information is cross-disciplinary, applicable regardless of your project, and it forms the foundation of your knowledge and experience. Learning about writing techniques, storytelling, and similar topics falls under daily information.

Professional information, on the other hand, pertains to your understanding of a specific field. For example, if you’re writing about medical topics, you need to understand the daily routine of doctors, the roles of various medical professionals, common medical disputes, and so on—information directly related to your project. The importance of professional information varies depending on your project, and lacking this information can result in your work falling short.

Many instructors recommend ‘reading more,’ which means accumulating daily information because they don’t know what you intend to write. So, they suggest reading a lot of different things, believing that exposure to diverse content will eventually inspire you.

多去參加不同類型的活動、看不同類型的心理、社會、科普書藉，增加你對世界的理解和想法，去談戀愛，去生活，去受傷，去經歷你沒經歷過的。這樣，你的日常訊息才會豐富，寫起東西才會有「你的」風格。

如果你有一個「目標」，例如文學獎，那你應該要去看看之前的得獎作品、評審的作品。去透過三、五部作品去養成「這種目標的腔調和筆法」，再動手寫會比較對味。如果你想寫言情，就去讀三五本言情，想寫懸疑，就去讀三五本懸疑。

所以多看和多寫，是不同狀態的人需要的功課。如果你看得很多，寫得很少，我就會建議你應該多寫，把你累積的東西實現成作品，並且在實現的過程中去驗證你的想法到底對不對，會不會只是空中樓閣。

反過來，如果你寫得很多，看得很少，我就會鼓勵你應該多看。不要把自己關在象牙塔裡，把自信累積成了自大。你看得越多，其實你會變得越謙虛，越明白創作這件事，還有很多可以努力的地方。

我在寫推理徵文獎作品《刑》的時候，讀的都是卜洛克的作品，因為那是我目標要創造的腔調。你可以利用「多看」來影響你當下要進行的創作。經過多次這種養成，你其實也會在不知不覺中學會各種不同的筆法。我個人是很務實路線的，所以我的專業養成基本上和工作都脫離不了關係，都是因為工作需要所以才精進了某個部分，漸漸便形成一個比較廣的領域範圍。
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所以你如果希望「有效率」的「多看」，有一個養成目標會比較明確， 不然有時會不斷「打掉重練」。而要練出一點成果，靠的就是「多寫」。如果我們真要在「多看」與「多寫」之間分個高下，我會推薦多寫。
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你對什麼事情投入努力，你就會累積出什麼成果。就像我花了一些時間累積教學文章，我打出來的成果就在教學上，在多數人心中，比起創作者，我更像一個老師。
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所以如果你總是在看，你會漸漸變成一個鑒賞家。如果你總是在分析評論，你就漸漸變成評論家。你累積什麼，就成為什麼。這也是為什麼很多人會教不會寫，很多人會寫不會教的原因，因為這是兩種專業，兩種累積。

你想成為作家嗎？那你當然要累積作品才行。

When I was writing my detective essay “The Penal,” I immersed myself in Sherlock Holmes’ works because that was the tone I aimed to create. You can use “extensive reading” to influence your current creative endeavors. Through repeated cultivation like this, you’ll unknowingly acquire various writing techniques. Personally, I take a pragmatic approach, so my professional development is closely related to my work. I honed specific skills as needed for my job, gradually forming a broader expertise.

So, if you want to “efficiently read extensively,” having a clear cultivation goal is essential; otherwise, you might find yourself starting over frequently. To achieve some results, it all comes down to “writing extensively.” If we were to compare “extensive reading” and “extensive writing,” I would recommend the latter.

What you put effort into is what you’ll accumulate expertise in. Just like how I spent time accumulating teaching materials, my output is mainly in teaching. In most people’s eyes, I resemble a teacher more than an author.

So, do you want to become a writer? Then, you certainly need to accumulate works.

我曾聽一位好萊塢編劇分享，他認為你要完成過4部電影作品，才算知道怎麼寫電影。他一生（他大概40歲）中共完成30部電影劇本，其中只有12部有給別人看過，其他18部都只是他的「習作」。聽到這個標準，你只能讚嘆為什麼人家的影視產業這麼成熟，因為他們確實都是磨出來的硬功夫。
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所以多寫是絕對必要的。多寫可以幫你累積作品，也累積自信。如果你總是覺得創作者是「另外一種生物」，那只是代表你寫的還不夠多而已。
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但人一直做重覆的事，只會變熟練，不會進步。進步靠的是挑戰。所以「多看」能幫助你瞭解到更高的標準，讓你可以有更多的想法與可能性去嘗試。因此我覺得多看和多寫，是不同狀態的人需要的功課。
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如果你看得很多，寫得很少，我就會建議你應該多寫，把你累積的東西實現成作品，並且在實現的過程中去驗證你的想法到底對不對，會不會只是空中樓閣。這就好像看球賽和上場打球的差異，你或許可以當球評，但當選手？要實際打過才知道。
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反過來，如果你寫得很多，看得很少，我就會鼓勵你應該多看。不要把自己關在象牙塔裡，把自信累積成了自大。你看得越多，其實你會變得越謙虛，越明白創作這件事，還有很多可以努力的地方。

I once heard a Hollywood screenwriter share that you need to complete at least four movie scripts to truly understand how to write for film. Throughout his life (he was probably around 40 years old), he completed 30 movie scripts, of which only 12 were shown to others, the remaining 18 were just his “practice.” Hearing this standard, you can only admire why the film and television industry is so mature because they have truly honed their craft.

So, extensive writing is absolutely necessary. It can help you accumulate works and build confidence. If you always feel that authors are “a different species,” it just means you haven’t written enough yet.

But doing repetitive tasks will only make you proficient, not make you progress. Progress comes from challenges. So, “extensive reading” can help you understand higher standards, giving you more ideas and possibilities to try. Therefore, I believe that both extensive reading and extensive writing are necessary for different stages of a person’s development.

If you read a lot but write very little, I would suggest that you should write more. Turn what you’ve accumulated into actual works and verify your ideas during the realization process, to see if they hold up. This is like the difference between watching a game and playing in one – you might be a commentator, but can you be a player? You’ll only know when you’ve actually played.

Conversely, if you write a lot but read very little, I encourage you to read more. Don’t lock yourself in an ivory tower and let your confidence turn into arrogance. The more you read, the more humble you’ll become, understanding that there are many areas where you can still put in effort in the realm of creation.