Thank you, Brother Nuanyang, for the Golden Alliance!
Thank you, boss! Orz!
Actually, while I was writing my previous book, I talked with Brother Nuanyang about what genre would suit my next one. Xianxia was one of the options, mainly because of a personal obsession of mine.
After finishing my previous book, I posted a standalone chapter asking everyone what genre they wanted for the next book. Supernatural beast taming came first in the vote, and xianxia beast taming came second.
By rights, I should have chosen the more popular supernatural beast taming, but after turning it over in my mind, I ultimately chose xianxia. I wanted revenge. I really wanted it! Ghost taming could wait until the next book.
Longtime readers might know that "Courtyard Tree" wasn't my first book. My first was actually a xianxia novel, but even after writing more than 200,000 Chinese characters, I couldn't get a contract. It was a real blow to the head, and I almost gave up writing novels altogether.
I still remembered its two-character title. The protagonist was a powerful figure reborn against his will, weighed down by bitter suffering and deep grudges. You could say I'd crammed in every ingredient...
Looking back now, it was perfectly normal for a newcomer writing xianxia to flop right out of the gate...
Although I later succeeded in switching genres, xianxia had always lingered in my heart. With no more pressure from school or work, it seemed I could give it a try. That was how this book came into being.
Back to this book: once I started writing it, I really felt the difference from writing stories in modern urban settings.
Take the simplest example: worldbuilding. When writing an urban story, I could treat it as a parallel Earth and simply borrow Earth's history, politics, economy, and culture wholesale. Readers could easily immerse themselves, and I didn't need to consider anything else. All I had to do was open with a hook, deliver satisfying moments, and churn out extra chapters.
But that didn't work for xianxia set in an ancient-era continent in another world. Even if I wanted to write about a festival, I needed to design it to fit the historical and cultural background. Of course, I could leave it out, but then it always felt as though something was missing. As I kept writing, that began to hem me in. It was hard to move the plot forward, and I kept introducing the world instead. I still needed more practice at weaving the setting naturally into the story without making it bloated!
Still, although it felt different from my past work, writing it really was much more enjoyable. I'd rediscovered the joy I felt when I first started writing, and I had a lot of fun while doing it.
It might also have had something to do with finally getting into a relationship after twenty-five years of being single. In my previous book, I said I wouldn't start a new one until I was no longer single, and I really did only start after that happened. Still, I wasn't sure whether this book would have a female lead, haha... We'll see, we'll see. Don't ask, everyone-even I don't know whether there'll be one.
What troubled me most now was probably my health. Brother Nuanyang really was a wonderful person. Knowing I was overweight and had been writing for so long, he took the time to repeatedly remind me to lose weight. Only with a healthy body could I keep writing in a healthy way. I was only twenty-five; I couldn't let my body fall apart! He really lived up to his name, like a warm sun.
I've rambled on a bit. Sorry for taking up your time, everyone. In short, thank you so much, Brother Nuanyang, and thank you all for supporting the new book. I'd originally planned to take it slowly, but I'll be posting extra chapters over the next few days!
If anyone has any constructive suggestions, please leave a comment. A clasped-fist salute to you all!