Learning and Inquiry

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.0

Word count: 179 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Years ago, when Sun Shenlao met Ouyang Xiu, he once took the opportunity to ask him about writing. Ouyang said: “There is no other trick. Only read diligently and write much, and you will naturally become skilled. The trouble with people today is that they write too little and are too lazy to read. Every time they produce a piece, they want it to surpass others at once; thus few ever reach the mark. Flaws need not wait for others to point them out; with much writing, one will see them for oneself.” This is what the master told people from his own experience, and so it is especially meaningful.

Editor's review

Short as it is, this passage is a piece of writing advice worth chewing over again and again. Answering Sun Shenlao’s question, Ouyang Xiu lays out no techniques; he reduces everything to “read diligently and write much,” and names two common failings: writing too little and being too lazy to read, plus the urge to outdo others with every piece. The final line—“Flaws need not wait for others to point them out; with much writing, one will see them for oneself”—is especially valuable, grounding the growth of revision skills in practice itself. This small simplified-character volume from Bashu Press is easy to keep on a desk for casual rereading. It offers no shortcuts to writing, but stresses accumulation and self-reflection—a sobering corrective for readers surrounded today by talk of quick success. Read it alongside an honest look at your own writing habits; it need not be finished in one sitting. Best read once before you begin writing and once after revising, to feel the weight of “with much writing, one will see them for oneself.”

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students learning to write who hope to build a long-term practice habit
Amateur writers with years of experience who struggle to revise their own work
Readers who enjoy brief classical aphorisms and like to savor them repeatedly
Language teachers looking for supplementary material for writing instruction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic writing course or concrete techniques
Researchers needing long theoretical exposition and case analysis
Readers impatient with short classical Chinese pieces who prefer long vernacular essays

Reading tips

Read the original through once, then go sentence by sentence with the notes to grasp the layers of Ouyang Xiu’s reply.
Read it before writing to remind yourself to read more and write more; read it again after revising to test your self-reflection.
Keep a notebook and record specific instances of your own “writing too little” and “being too lazy to read.”
Read it with friends and exchange one piece of writing each week to practice “with much writing, one will see them for oneself.”

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

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FAQ

What is the core argument of this passage?

The core is Ouyang Xiu’s two points on how to write well: read diligently and write much. He sees no other shortcut, and holds that people’s failing is writing too little and being too lazy to read, while wanting every piece to surpass others at once. He also stresses that flaws in writing need not wait for others to point them out; with enough writing, one will discover them oneself.

How should “Flaws need not wait for others to point them out; with much writing, one will see them for oneself” be understood?

It means that flaws in a piece need not rely entirely on others’ criticism; if one writes enough, one will gradually learn to see the problems oneself. This stresses the value of practice in developing self-revision, treating writing as a process of accumulation and self-reflection rather than one dependent on talent or others’ judgment.

Is this small volume suitable as a writing textbook?

It is more a piece of writing advice than a systematic textbook, suitable as supplementary reading or a desk reminder. It does not offer step-by-step methods; but if you want to build a long-term habit of reading and writing more, and to check yourself against it repeatedly, it can be very illuminating. Use it alongside concrete writing practice.

Why emphasize “writing much” rather than “revising much”?

The original centers on “writing much,” because only after producing enough text can you accumulate experience to examine yourself and then discover flaws. It does not oppose revision; it points out that revision skills come from the practice of continuous writing. For beginners, overcoming “writing too little” is more practical than talking about technique in the abstract.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.