Hello, everyone. I'm Hundred Ghosts.
"Naruto: Starting from Minus One" is about to go premium.
Once six o'clock rolls around, I'll upload the first VIP chapter of "Minus One."
I ought to say something for the occasion, but "Minus One" is only the second webnovel I've written, and there really isn't much to say. I'm not great with words, either. After all, I can't just tell you what happens next (laughs).
I've seen plenty of authors talk about their journey writing their books when they go premium, but I really don't have anything special to share on that front. When I first started this book, all I wanted was to write fanfiction for a more popular franchise, picking from One Piece, Naruto, Pokémon, Douluo, and so on.
Then I rolled the dice, and Naruto won.
Next came the question of what kind of protagonist to write. I couldn't think of any particularly special hook, so I figured I'd make his life a little more miserable.
And that was how Xue Ge came to life under my pen. A lot of his initial characterization came from flashes of inspiration that I added as I went.
Some original characters, including Muzi and Iris Moon (with one more appearing later), were created alongside Xue Ge.
When I first planned Xue Ge's storyline, I laid out relationships, allegiances, interactions, and roles for a few placeholder characters, then worked them into the original story. Whenever I couldn't find a suitable character in the original cast to fill a role, I created a new one. That was how these original characters came about.
I actually cut most of the plotlines that couldn't fit into the original Naruto story, but I kept a few original characters. I'm sure you readers can guess that these characters carry some plotlines I consider quite important-no spoilers for now.
As for why I chose an opening without a system or some built-in cheat from transmigrating, it was mainly because the central premise of "Minus One" was a disabled protagonist-someone starting from rock bottom. Giving him a favorable start would have felt like a poor fit.
Ahem... I said there wasn't much to say, then ended up rambling this much before I knew it.
Let's get to what matters most, then. What I can tell you is that you don't need to worry about whether the later plotlines will come together.
I spent over half a year writing this book's outline (of course, that was largely because I was busy with other things during those six months; otherwise, I would have started the book much earlier). It runs to over thirty thousand Chinese characters, with setups and payoffs throughout, and the plot is already planned through the end of the original story's timeline (not including Boruto).
So every plot development I've already hinted at in the earlier chapters will happen later. It's only a matter of time.
My previous book was One Piece fanfiction. All I can say is that it was terribly written, and I didn't even qualify for the minimum guaranteed payment (lol). Even so, I stuck with it for over two million Chinese characters and finished the ending. So while I can't confidently promise that "Minus One" will turn out brilliantly, I can guarantee that I'll write this book all the way to its conclusion.
So please, dear readers, follow along without worrying!
This is my first time writing Naruto fanfiction (no kidding, this is only your second book, hey!), and "Minus One" is a brand-new challenge for me, too. Now, I'm ready for it.
At six this evening, "Minus One" will go premium. First-chapter subscriptions are very, very important to me! Please support the book! Subscribe!