Chapter 6

【Greed, anger, and delusion are the three poisons of life, and they must be guarded against.】

【In online literature creation, no one is a judge. Editors can only make initial selections, but the final decision is made by the readers, and this is commercialization.】

1. On the Success of Big Names

Someone sighed: "I really feel that many of the so-called new big names' books are unbearable to read."

Xue Chou asked: "Who doesn't have flaws?"

Regarding the disregard for newcomers, Xue Chou smiled and said: "Am I not used to it after more than ten years?"

Another newcomer sighed: "No matter when, luck always comes first. The first element of success in the world is luck."

"Instead of worrying about these things, it's better to do something practical."

"What you say is not important; what matters is what you do."

"Do you think the success of big names is just luck?"

"I'll give you an example that's not from 17K. You can listen. In 2004, I met a struggling author who you might all know now, but at that time, he hadn't even graduated and was living a very hard life in Beijing. His name is Chen Dong. I'll tell you three things about how he rose, all of which happened before 2006, when he wasn't yet famous. The first thing is that when he was writing 'Unbreakable and Immortal,' he got his first chance for a strong recommendation. He was about to leave town and couldn't go online. At that time, it was quite normal for a recommendation to be interrupted, but he cherished this opportunity and had prepared the manuscript a week in advance. He entrusted me to update it for him and reminded me twice. I updated it for two days, and on the second day, he came back himself because he was worried. From that moment on, I felt this guy had a future."

"His grasp of recommendations and opportunities, and his strictness with himself. That was nine years ago!"

"The second thing is the loneliness you didn't see. 'Unbreakable and Immortal' was his first book, and you might not know that it was cut short by a publisher due to poor performance. In the commercial world, there's no sentiment. Poor performance means being cut, which is very normal. But for a student with no income, the first book being cut was a heavy blow. He was very distressed, but his solution was to write another book called 'Tomb of the Gods' instead of living in pain."

"When he was writing 'Tomb of the Gods,' I had already left Qidian and founded 17K, but I knew how he got through it, which is the third thing I'll tell you."

"At Qidian, very few books over 500,000 words were serialized. 'Tomb of the Gods' was one of them. When writing 'Tomb of the Gods,' Chen Dong lived in a small room in Beijing, where it was very hot in summer without air conditioning. His typing speed wasn't fast, and his arms were soaked with sweat, making it hard to lift them, but he gritted his teeth and published over 500,000 words of the public version."

At this point, Xue Chou asked: "Can you do these three things?"

"I've never boasted about my relationship with big names. This time, I just didn't want to use 17K authors as examples. There are many such examples. I won't repeat the ones you've heard. Everything I've said is based on my own experiences and is unknown to others, but I can guarantee it's true."

"The path is chosen by yourself. Once you choose, just walk it. You can take your time choosing, but don't waste time walking."

"If you write pure literature, go to 'Contemporary' or 'October' early. I know dozens of people in the traditional literary circle, but we are writing commercial novels now."

"Think about it. Are you faster than the big names, or do you have better writing skills, or a more engaging story, or more fans? If you can't compare in any of these, how can you surpass the big names?"

2. On Writing Skills

Beian: Many people think their writing skills are better than the big names.

"Your writing skills aren't as good as Yan Yu Jiang Nan or Jiutu. If they were really good, they would have won the Lu Xun Literature Prize long ago. Good writing skills are an advantage, but not a decisive one. The market will eliminate them. That's why I say: greed, anger, and delusion are the three poisons, and new writers find it hard to avoid them. Seeing big names earn millions, they become greedy; seeing poor performance, they become resentful; not wanting to change careers is delusion."

"Baiyang's writing experience is quite unique. He made all the mistakes new writers make. He didn't just fail with three books. You can check the lecture records in 'Youth Training Camp' to see Baiyang's."

3. On Who the Website Values

"Actually, 99% of the authors in online literature are struggling. The website gets over 100,000 new authors each year, and those who stay are one in a thousand. Those who become big names are one in ten thousand. Those who can sign contracts are already one in a hundred."

"Commercial writing is very harsh. Like the 400 people in this group, they will be replaced soon, and many will leave for various reasons. For the website, anyone leaving is a loss, but you can't do anything about it. You don't have the energy or ability to maintain so many, so you take care of those who stay."

"Like Shilu Ye, who you all know. If I didn't say it, you might not know why it's Shilu Ye. It's because the online game genre took off. The reason is simple: in 2009, 17K's urban category was all yellow, and the fantasy category was a total failure. We couldn't find a single top book, so we chose the online game genre and Shilu Ye. I've always been grateful to the elite group of 2009. Ha ha. They are all doing well now~"

Beian joked: "That's not right, Boss Xue. I wasn't that bad, right? Ha ha, I get it, I wasn't elite enough."

"Your speed wasn't fast enough. If you want to choose a new writer to push a genre, you must choose someone with fast speed. Yezi updated three times a day back then."

"Actually, for authors, writing a good story seriously is enough. And I'll point out: (Beian), you tend to get stuck when writing."

Regarding someone who said they could write 10,000 words a day on a phone, Xue Chou said: "That's impressive. Back then, Qiuyu wrote a few hundred words a day on a phone and it took him a few years to reach 200,000 words."

When talking about key cultivation targets, Xue Chou said: "Actually, 17K's focus is very clear: 1. New writers with drive; 2. Experienced authors who finish their books. Just these two!"

"Resources and energy are limited. By focusing on these two areas, both the website and the authors can benefit."

4. Bottlenecks for New Writers

"The first book, with average performance, has two key points around 600,000 and 1,300,000 words, with 1,300,000 being the main point. However, this is based on my previous statistics. Now, everyone writes more watered-down content, so it might be a bit later depending on each person's writing style."

4. How Long Should a Book Be?

"If the performance is good, you can write as long as you want. This is using the website's convenience to challenge your limits."

5. Can Writers Without Outlines Succeed?

"Those without outlines can also succeed, but they need a good brain and shouldn't forget what they've written. I'll tell you about a big name's approach without an outline, which might be helpful. First, think about what story you want to write and what theme you want to convey. For example, if you're writing a book called 'The Story of the Editorial Department,' you need to know the main characters and their outcomes. Set up the main, secondary, and tertiary male and female characters, and choose the main male character as the main perspective. Lay the groundwork for the secondary and tertiary male characters. If you follow the main character, you can write hundreds of thousands of words. When you get stuck or feel the content is thin, write about the secondary and tertiary male characters."

"Every writer has their own style."

6. On Writing Techniques

"Urban novels are different from fantasy and have their own characteristics, such as many subplots. So it's best to create a character setting chart and an outline. Many storylines are driven by relationships between characters. If you draw a large character template and hang it on the wall, when you get stuck, think about who can interact with whom and what can happen. This will open up your思路."

7. On the Main Characters in Online Novels

"All commercial online novels have only one male protagonist. The second male protagonist is just a stronger supporting character than the others but weaker than the main male protagonist. You can refer to my concept of the 'shadow protagonist.' [http://www.17k.com/chapter/2989/9244390.html]"

8. On Political Novels

"Political novels can be very innovative. Do you want me to give you a setting, or do you want to write your own? Let me ask you a few questions to see how you answer. First, what kind of official do readers like the most?"

Yi Chenzui answered: "An official who challenges the marriage law and cares for the people."

Someone else answered: "I think an official who is down-to-earth, ambitious, and resonates with the people."

"Yi Chenzui has a good insight, hitting the nail on the head. These two points are indeed what readers enjoy the most. But that's not enough. Readers like to see clean officials and emotional stories. For example, 'Joking with Emperor Qianlong' and 'Emperor Kangxi's Secret Visits.' If you understand these two shows, you can write political novels that have a market."

"Second, I won't ask, it's too late. I'll just say it. In political novels, the protagonist must not be a corrupt official and must stand up for the people. That's why I use 'Joking with Emperor Qianlong' and 'Emperor Kangxi's Secret Visits' as examples, because have you ever seen Emperor Qianlong or Emperor Kangxi be corrupt?"

"Second, there must be many women, and each story must have a civilian woman, an official woman, or a beautiful woman with a unique personality."

"Third, the protagonist must have the wisdom to fight and a strong backing. Of course, occasionally dealing with a few hooligans is fine, but don't have full-scale fights at the standing committee."

"Fourth, political novels are the best urban novels, capable of incorporating all urban elements. You should know that all urban elements can be used in political novels. Now, even non-fantasy novels like 'Official Immortal' borrow these elements."

"Fifth, the story must be engaging and unique. Don't just write about trivial matters; include some real, intense material."

"Sixth, don't promote too quickly. To write a good, long political novel, you must control the protagonist's rank. Don't make them a provincial standing committee member in 300,000 words. That would be pointless!"

9. Sensitive Issues in Political Novels

Regarding political content, Xue Chou warned: "If your account is blocked, it can happen in just a few updates. You should know that the most satisfying content for readers is at the city level and below. At the provincial level, every step is a minefield, and you'll make mistakes no matter what."

"OK, everyone, go to bed early."

Xue Chou added: "Write political novels like urban novels. There are plenty of stories."

"Good night, everyone. Discuss more about how to write novels when you have time. This is the most helpful. Idle chat... that's money."

Everyone looked at Boss Xue's broad figure, feeling very excited...

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