In many people's minds, martial arts novels are not literature, or even novels. For a person who writes martial arts novels, this is really a very sad thing. Fortunately, there is another fact that no one can deny-if something can exist, it must have its value.
Martial arts novels not only exist, but also exist for a long time!
There are different opinions about the origin of martial arts novels: "From the beginning of the biography of Tai Shi Gong Jian Xia, China had martial arts novels." Of course, this is the most magnificent one, but unfortunately not many people accept this statement.
Because martial arts novels are legendary, it would be a bit self-deception if we must compare them with Tai Shigong's serious biographical literature.
In the novel notes of the Tang Dynasty, only some stories are close to martial arts novels!
There is a story about "martial arts" in Volume V of Hui and Ear Catalogue in the Tang Dynasty.
"At the end of the Sui Dynasty, Zhuge Ang of China was a sex hero and was praised by the Bohai Sea. That's just to set up a chicken gizzard, which is very small for its purpose. There will be dozens of people in Guangfu tomorrow, and pigs and sheep will cook eight feet. The pancakes are wide and the stuffing is as thick as the pillars of the court. They make wine bowls and make their own vajra dances.
On the second day, hundreds of guests bowed in praise, set up a big shop, sold wine, roasted horses, smashed their spines, smashed garlic and sang lion dances.
Tomorrow, I'm going to cook a pair of teenage twins, show their heads and hands, and sit in their throats and vomit.
The queen's daily newspaper says that the beautiful concubine drinks. My concubine laughed for no reason and was indignant. After a while, she sat on a silver plate, still decorated with pink and gorgeous clothes. So she threw up with her legs in her arms and everyone covered their eyes. She was proud of the fat in the milk room until she was full.
You are ashamed and flee at night. "
This story describes the cruelty of Zhuge Ang and Gao Zan, which is incredible, and this description technique is close to the cruelty description in modern martial arts novels.
But this story is fragmentary, and its form is far from the novel.
At that time, there were many stories such as folk novels, legends, storytelling and silver characters, which were very "martial arts". For example, stealing the red line of the box, Kunlun slaves, clever hands and empty fists, wandering around, these characters are almost typical characters in modern martial arts novels.
The most important weapon in martial arts novels is the sword, and the description of swordsmanship is more magical than the modern martial arts novels since the Tang Dynasty.
Red line, Li, General ... These people's swordsmanship has been rendered into a myth. Du Fu's "Watching Gong Sundaniang's Disciple Dance Sword" describes the swordsmanship of Gong Sundaniang and her disciple Li Shierniang, which is of course more vivid and vivid!
The great calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, known as the "sage of grass", once said to himself, "At first, I heard that the princess was arguing with her husband, so I got the meaning of brushwork. Later, when I saw Gongsun's sword dancer, I had a spirit. "
Although "sword" is not a sword, its essence is undoubtedly the same as fencing. It can be seen that the description of swordsmanship and martial arts in martial arts novels is not completely unfounded.
These ancient legends and records, bit by bit, are the origin of martial arts novels, and then gradually evolved into this form through the changes of folk storytelling, storytelling and storytelling.
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Gong Peng Case, Shi Gong Case, Elvis Presley and Xiao Wuyi are all based on storytelling, which can be regarded as the earliest martial arts novels that our generation can come into contact with.
However, most of the heroes in this novel are not really exciting heroes, because in the social environment of the late Qing Dynasty, people are not encouraged to be heroes at all, and it is generally regarded as a self-disciplined gentleman who deserves praise.
This proves at least a little value of martial arts novels-from a martial arts novel, we can also see the author's background at that time.
What about modern martial arts novels?
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Modern martial arts novels can be roughly divided into three periods, starting with the biography of the swordsman by Bu Xiaosheng in Pingjiang.
The Huan Zhu Tower, which wrote the biography of the swordsman in Shushan, was the leader of the first era. Zhu Zhenmu, who wrote Seven Killing Monuments, and Wang Dulu, who wrote Iron Rider and Silverscreen, can be regarded as the representatives of the second era.
When Jin Yong wrote The Condor Heroes, he brought the martial arts novel into another situation.
This time is undoubtedly the most popular era of martial arts novels. At most, there were 300 people writing martial arts novels.
Just because there are too many martial arts novels written and too many readers read, many readers can already predict the ending after reading the first two books of a book. Best of all, the more bizarre the story is, the more readers can guess the ending.
Because the same "incredible" story has been written countless times. The kindest woman is "the devil wears Prada"-these traps are hard for readers to take the bait.
Therefore, the bizarre changes in the plot can no longer be regarded as the biggest point of view in martial arts novels.
But the conflict of human nature is always attractive.
Martial arts novels should stop writing about ghosts and gods, and start writing about people, living people, and people with flesh and blood!
The protagonist in martial arts novels should have the advantages, disadvantages and feelings of others.
Mr. Flaubert, a great writer who wrote Madame Bovary, once boasted about Haikou.
He said, "/kloc-there are no novels after the 9 th century."
Because he thinks that all the story lines and all the emotional changes are written by the great writers of19th century.
But he was wrong.
He overlooked one thing!
Even the same story, if you look at it from another angle, the novel written is completely different.
Human ideas and viewpoints are constantly changing! Keep pace with the times!
Although martial arts novels were written in ancient times, they cannot but inject the author's own new ideas.
Because a novel is a novel!
Writing a novel is not a historical biography. The biggest purpose of writing novels is to attract and touch readers.
If the plot of martial arts novels can't be changed, why not? Write about the conflict between human emotion and human nature, and create climax and action from the emotional conflict.
How to write action is really a big problem in martial arts novels.
I always think that "action" is not necessarily "blow"!
Both the action in the novel and the action in the movie screen can give people a vigorous stimulus, but the action described in the novel just doesn't have the distinct stimulating power in the movie screen.
The action description in the novel should be simple, short and powerful, lively and unconventional.
The action description in the novel should first create conflicts, emotional conflicts and event conflicts, and try to pile up all kinds of conflicts into a climax.
Then you create an atmosphere, a tense atmosphere, a cold atmosphere.
Use the atmosphere to set off the wonderful action.
Martial arts novels are not martial arts guidance after all.
Martial arts novels don't teach you how to hit and kill!
Although blood and violence are always attractive, too much blood and violence will make people sick.
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Recently, I have a bad stomach and a bad mood. I haven't written a new manuscript for a long time, except for maintaining the two consecutive stories of Seven Weapons and Lu Xiaofeng.
In recent months, The Robbery of Jianghu and Jin Jian's Broken Bone Order serialized in newspapers and periodicals are all old books fifteen years ago. I don't object to new and old books, because at least readers can see the change of a writer's writing route by revisiting old books!
Tianya Yueming Island is my latest manuscript. I wonder if I can give readers a little "new" feeling. I only know that I am trying to move in this direction!
Before writing a new draft, I always like to write my own views and feelings about martial arts novels. I have written a lot in bits and pieces, hoping that readers can write a little about their own feelings, so that the martial arts novel by going up one flight of stairs.
Take a big step.
1974,4, 17, night, late at night.