Finding Your Own Words. Reading Log: 'Shoot in Three Lines' - Yasutaro Kondo

Once a month, I read a book on writing techniques and share what I have learned.
The first time was about how to write objective, science-oriented informational texts, and
the second time was about how to write emotional, essay-style texts.

This time, I will cover 'Shoot in Three Lines: A Writing School for Living Well,' a book renowned as a masterpiece in the field of writing.

Author Yasutaro Kondo is a unique writer who has made a name for himself as a prominent reporter for the Asahi Shimbun, and continues to work energetically as an author, critic, private school operator, and farmer.

Created with the concept of a 'crazy practical book,' this is both a writing guide and a philosophical work.
Composed of 25 chapters that gradually delve into the abyss of <writing>, this was a dense book that I could read and savor one line at a time.
I think it is a book worth having on hand for anyone interested in writing.

The Basics of Writing

Shoot in Three Lines

Writers: Journalists, columnists, reporters, copywriters, PR professionals, bloggers, and Instagrammers.
As writers, we cannot start writing slowly like in a novel. We need to hook the reader in three lines.
Readers today are looking for surprise. Readers are not interested in the writer. They don't care about the theme the writer wants to write about. They don't care about social issues or even the news. To turn the heads of such readers, to make them lean back in surprise, our first line—even if we aren't famous—should be a poignant cry.

Good Writing

Good writing is easy-to-understand writing.
The principles are the following three:Keep it short, keep modifiers close to the words they modify, and have only one subject and predicate per sentence.
However, 'good' writing (skillful) is not necessarily 'fine' writing. A blade that is too sharp makes people uneasy. Writers want to write skillful prose. But don't readers want to receive fine prose?
Fine prose is writing that makes people feel good. Writing that calms them down. Writing that makes the world a slightly better place to live in. Airy, breathable writing. Not flashy, but housed in a good scabbard, not too sharp—in other words, virtuous writing.
Writing is a carrier. A message only has meaning when it is delivered to the other party.

Smooth Writing

Writing that can be read smoothly without friction is good. This is what we aim for.
To reduce the coefficient of friction, keep the following in mind.

• Reduce proper nouns and numerals. Keep them to the absolute minimum

• Eradicate 'etc.' (and other excuses like 'various' or 'a variety of')

Know the Forbidden Moves

Clichés and 'As-You-Would-Expect' Expressions

Clichés are the enemy. Do not reproduce set phrases, clichés, or stock expressions.
Clichés create mundane writing and stop the reader's thinking.
In particular, avoid industry-specific stock openings or famous openings (the 'as-you-would-expect' expressions).
If you decide to write, do not sink into the rich linguistic world of your predecessors; aim for unprecedented expressions for the sake of the feeling right in front of you, right now.

Onomatopoeia, Mimetic Words, and Buzzwords

Onomatopoeia is also a cliché. And it is childish. Avoid this too.
If you are going to write it, you are better off creating your own.
Buzzwords are only 'emo' for that moment. Using buzzwords means entrusting your words to the public. It means entrusting your head and your soul to the public.
The reason we go to the trouble of writing is to avoid seeing what everyone else is seeing and to avoid feeling what everyone else is feeling. Becoming a minority in terms of sensibility is the essence of writing.

Kishōtenketsu (Introduction, Development, Twist, Conclusion)

Breaking the mold is fine, but having no mold is not. First, learn the structure of Kishōtenketsu.

• Introduction (Ki): The hook. Get them to stop and look.

• Development (Sho): Explanation of the introduction. The 5W1H. Many newspaper and magazine articles end here.

• Twist (Ten): Roll the text. In other words, surprise the reader with your perspective. Or, let yourself roll. Even with exceptional vocabulary or broken sentences. Show your craft. Only writers who can offer something unique and surprise the reader will survive from now on.

• Conclusion (Ketsu): If you can roll well, it will naturally stand up on its own.

The Technique of Empathy

We must not explain emotions in writing. Do not use logic; let the episode speak for itself. Find scenes that make it clear to the reader that you are angry or frustrated.
To find episodes, use your five senses. You must be able to capture the world through your five senses. Then, write exactly what you see just as it is. By doing so, your own writing will emerge, one that does not rely on clichés.
Do not delegate your sense of language to others. What a writer needs is a paranoid obsession with accuracy.

Four Tools for Writing

The Writer's Toolbox

Keep your most important tool, 'words,' well-stored, organized, and polished.
First is vocabulary, second is style, third is planning, and finally, narrative.
There is no way to carry such a toolbox other than through discipline. Continue your efforts as a habit. And discover your efforts. Make an effort to do what others do not.

Vocabulary - The First Level of the Toolbox

To increase your vocabulary, first read books. Then, consult a dictionary. In particular, a thesaurus is useful for changing your way of thinking.
It is also good to read all the works of your favorite author, possess yourself with them, and copy out passages. By possessing the other in this way, you create yourself.
And do not use convenient words. Words like 'something-ish' or 'something-ization.' 'Yabai' (crazy/bad/awesome) or 'cho' (super). By not using such words, new words will come into view.

Style - The Second Level of the Toolbox

Style. Manner. Habit. Routine. Dignity. In other words, a way of life.
A writer without a unique style will be replaced through metabolism.
The following attempts are effective as style exercises.

1. Change the first-person pronoun

2. Change the subject matter

3. Change your principles (you can always go back)

4. Change the subject (change your character)

You don't need to have only one style. Having a variety makes life more colorful.
Life is a phenomenon; just <being> the current 'me' is not enough. <Becoming> me. Acquiring a style. It is important not to remain stagnant.

Planning - The Third Level of the Toolbox

What should I write, and what can I write?
In an era where anyone can broadcast, what is it that only I can write? It is <emotion>.
My own unique joys, sorrows, and anger.

• Joy: Feeling joy from the bottom of your heart. Celebratory occasions. Things you can empathize with.

• Anger: Being driven by righteous indignation. Raising your voice to say, "That's not right."

• Sorrow: Tears streaming down your cheeks. Pity. A universal emotion possessed only by humans.

• Fun: Making others happy. (This is the most difficult one.)

They say if you fire a bad gun enough times, you'll hit something, but more accurately, even a bad gun will hit if there's a duck in the way.
Aim your project toward where the readers are, toward their areas of interest.
However, do not aim at the readers themselves, but at the space half a step ahead of them. One step is too far. Aim half a step ahead of what they "probably already know and think about." And to find that space,thinking about what not to writeis essential.
To read the trends, the book review section of the newspaper is effective. Keep an antenna out for keywords that catch your interest and collect book reviews that correspond to them. Once a week, order them all at once from the library and read the parts that interest you based on the summaries and reviews. Separate them into things that are unnecessary, things where you only need the information, and things that require time to read. By doing this, you will create a file that is uniquely yours.
A project is about surprising yourself. It is about discovering yourself. It is about knowing yourself.

Narrative - The Fourth Drawer of the Toolbox

Telling a story. What you were moved by, what was intense. Tell that "what" specifically, without letting the listener get bored.
A typical format is as follows.

1. The hook

2. A brief explanation of the situation or synopsis

3. Include a mystery that draws the listener in

4. The story develops in an unexpected direction that betrays the listener's expectations

5. The punchline

It is even better if there is some humor somewhere.
Stories are finite, but narratives exist in as many numbers as there are people.

The 3 Senses for Making People Read

Sense of Speed

Have a sense of speed. To do this, cut out redundancies. Omit subjects where appropriate.
If something can be divided into two lines, divide it into two lines. However, if it is always short, it becomes difficult to read. Create rhythm with slow, fast, slow, fast, slow, fast, fast, fast, slow, slow, slow.

Sense of Rhythm

To have a sense of rhythm, it is good to refer to masters of parole (spoken language) such as Rakugo performers. However, when converting to écriture (written language), use the following symbols effectively. Create rhythm with graphic effects such as punctuation, parentheses, and line breaks.

Sense of Groove

Adjectives are hard to read. As a beginner, try writing only the facts without using adjectives.
Metaphors are also hard to understand. As a beginner, try writing without metaphors as well. Metaphors often borrow other people's thoughts. Try writing the facts, and eliminate metaphors except for those that well up from your own heart.
Writing is a physical task.

Techniques for Self-Management

Opinions and Advice

Writing is about becoming a person of character. You can learn from even the most despicable people.
Think of yourself as the worst writer in the world and keep learning constantly.
Always accept requests, but do not follow them exactly as they are. Deliver something more.

Time Management and Writing Environment

Once you decide to write, you must not do it only when you are free or when you feel like it.
Set a time, organize your space, and make it a habit to sit at your desk and focus on writing for one or two hours.
And to write, you also need to read. Read Japanese literature, foreign literature, social sciences, natural sciences, and poetry collections in a balanced way.

Bookshelf Organization Techniques

If you are going to be a writer, you need at least 1,000 books. If you work with books, like a scholar or a critic, you probably need 10,000.
Collect books in this way, and for content you particularly like, make excerpts. By making excerpts, you come to understand yourself. It is a summons to the <you that is not you>.

*****

This book consists of 25 chapters, and I have picked out the chapters with concepts that are easy to extract.
The final chapter, which I did not cover in this article, is also highly recommended for its weight and powerful content.

Reading this book reminds me that writing must first be sensitive to <what you feel>.
What do I feel, what do I think, and what do I want to write?
I feel that beyond the challenge of exploring that, there will come a time when individual writing techniques will shine.

This year, I encountered note and experienced the joy of handling content on my own.
Next year, I will strive to heighten my sensibilities, weave <my own unique words> as described in this book, and produce writing that I am satisfied with.

Thank you for reading until the end!

I will continue to write articles once a week to broaden the world.
I would be happy if you could like and follow me so you don't forget!
See you next time.