Writing this wasn't just for form's sake. It was simply that, having come this far with this book, Xiao Ye had a lot of feelings to share.
First, this book flopped. What a brutally naked way to put it, but it was the truth, and it hurt. From starting the book in January to October, a full ten months, nearly 1.8 million words, close to 6,000 words a day, an average of over three hours of writing daily—every spare moment outside work had been thrown away. And in the end, this book's results...
But alongside the pain, there was even more anticipation! Xiao Ye wasn't the kind of writer blessed with every talent. It was like students at school: some students spent no less time playing than anyone else, yet their grades were still excellent. So infuriating. Xiao Ye's level was pretty poor, like those miserable kids in class who hugged their books all day long but still never stood out during exams.
But, however, yet still, after writing this book, Xiao Ye's improvement had been unprecedented. Digging holes, massive plot holes, suppression, buildup, outbursts—these were all handled terribly in this book. (A certain reader: "Damn, were they even there? How come I didn't see them?" —Xiao Ye: "Um, Zergling, bite him to death!") But at least now, Xiao Ye recognized these mistakes. And recently, Xiao Ye had been reading a lot, studying, and improving with clear goals in mind. That was progress!
Not being a genius meant there was no way to become famous overnight. But improving a little every day was fulfilling too.
Xiao Ye was about to start a new book. It would still be about StarCraft, but this time humans would be the protagonists. For that, Xiao Ye had already downloaded StarCraft II and was planning