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You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.（一个角色的可贵之处不在于他最后有多成功，更多在于这个过程中不断的努力和尝试）
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You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.（切实感受观众想要什么，而不是你想要表达什么）
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Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.（主题是非常重要的，但如果直到结局也无法表现主题，重新写故事吧）
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Once upon a time there was
__. Every day,__. One day__. Because of that,__. Because of that,__. Until finally__.（从前有个__。每天，__。有一天__。因此，__。因此，__。最后__） -
Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.（简化，突出重点：合并相似的人物，不要刻意绕弯子。你可能会觉得你丧失了宝贵的素材，但实际上，你的思想会因此解放）
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What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?（你的角色擅长什么，适应什么？给他们安排截然相反的情况。挑战他们。看看他们如何应对？）
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Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.（在构思中间部分之前，先想好结局。结局是最难写的，提前把它搞定）
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Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.（把你的故事写完，即便它不完美。完整和完美不可兼得，你只要在下次做得更好就好了）
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When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.（当你陷入困境时，列出接下来不可能发生的事情。很多时候，能让你摆脱困境的素材就会出现）
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Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.（摘录你喜欢的故事。你喜欢这些故事是因为自己和它们产生了共鸣。在你用到这些故事前，需要先认识它们）
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Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.（把想法写在纸上，并不断改进。如果你只是将它留存脑中，它依旧只是一个好点子，你永远无法讲给别人听）
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Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th — get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.（放弃首先想到的点子。还有第二个、第三个、第四个、第五个——不要将就于寻常的事物，惊艳自己）
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Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.（让你的人物有思想。也许你喜欢消极或者无所谓的态度，但它们对观众而言却是毒药）
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Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.（为什么你必须讲述这个故事？是什么信念在你内心燃烧，成为你故事的养分？这就是故事的核心）
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If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.（如果你是故事中的主人公，在此时此刻，你的真实感受会是怎样？真诚能让不可能的故事变得可信）
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What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.（主人公遇到了什么危险？告诉观众他们值得被支持的原因，如果他们没有成功会怎么样？）
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No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on — it’ll come back around to be useful later.（所有的功夫都不会白费。如果暂时没有成功，顺其自然，继续大步向前。它们总会在未来的某一天闪光）
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You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.（你需要认识自己，认识尽力而为和瞎忙一气的区别。故事是试出来的，不是提炼出来的）
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Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.（通过巧合让角色陷入麻烦很棒；但巧合让他们脱离麻烦则是作弊）
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Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?（练习：分析你不喜欢的电影，想想怎么编排才能让它成为你喜欢的样子？）
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You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?（要认清现在故事和主人公的发展情况，不能仅仅因为写作而写作，而是要知道你为什么选择让故事像这样上演）
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What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.（你知道你的故事的实质吗？你知道它最简洁的表达方法吗？如果你知道，现在就来创造属于自己的故事吧！）