As a closing statement, I definitely need to review the entire book and talk about the gains and losses in the creative process. Only then can I know what to maintain and what to improve. Well, I'll talk about it in conjunction with my own creative methodology. Of course, this is my own distillation and doesn't mean it will suit others or other platforms. It's good to gain insights from it, but blindly copying it is likely to lead to incompatibility. Even truth has absolute and relative truths, let alone such very personal insights. Those who learn from me will live, those who imitate me will die, right?
For me personally, the first and most important keyword in creative work is "expression".
The word "expression" is very broad. In a narrow sense, it can be equivalent to the theme or central idea of an article. In a broad sense, anything that we hope to convey to the reader belongs to the category of expression. We can express our own thoughts on human nature, our understanding of the world, or the satisfaction we gain, or, to put it more simply, "I feel great."
What is the message I hope to convey in the book "Mysteries"?
Firstly, it combines elements of Western occultism with the Cthulhu Mythos and the SCP Foundation to create a novel, interesting, and intriguing worldview that is worth exploring.
Secondly, it is a ray of light in the darkness and despair ("Yes, it is..." Amon was about to jump out when Little Klein covered his mouth, "It is I.") This ray of light is both the compassion of humanity and the hymn to human courage. The darkness and despair are both the plight of workers and farmers during the First Industrial Revolution and the Great Old One, evil gods, the unknown, the unbearable, the chaotic madness and despair brought by the elements of the Cthulhu Mythos.
Thirdly, there is the conflict and fusion of humanity and divinity. Why did I position Little Klein's path as " the Seer " and the end point as " the Fool "? On the one hand, it is necessary for the plot itself, and the Seer " path can naturally unfold many mystical elements in the early stages, introducing them in an interesting way. On Mysteries other hand, the main theme of this book, well, it's not really implicit, I've already written it in the synopsis: a legend of a the Fool.
In other words: a the Fool's journey.
The Tarot cards, a very important element of this book, are generally interpreted as depicting the journey of a the Fool, from the beginning of the Fool to the end of the world, ultimately leading to fulfillment.
Of course, I can't simply copy the interpretations and imagery of the Tarot cards. I will make certain modifications based on the book "Mysteries". Therefore, "The Fool's Journey" refers to the gradual transformation from man to god, and the spiritual Travel brought about by the confrontation and integration of humanity and divinity.
This is because I wanted Little Klein to always have a humane and warm side, so I didn't describe his psychological activities directly. Instead, I reflected it more indirectly through his interactions with others, the frequency and depth of his interactions with the world and the people around him.
Therefore, the later the story progresses, no matter how much Little Klein emphasizes his humanity, the feeling he gives is that he is becoming more and more detached from human society, more and more lonely, more and more abstract, and gradually losing his sense of flesh and blood. This is the journey of a the Fool.
This structural design is actually a bit of a clever trick, because my Spirit Intuition came from several of my previous books—well, excluding martial arts. Some people have said that the protagonist becomes more and more inhuman and detached from reality as the story progresses, losing any sense of being rooted in the world and society. So, I simply made this change conscious rather than unconscious. This Spirit Intuition came about after reading some tarot books.
Looking at it now, the first point was barely achieved, the second point about light was good, and the dark part was very good in the early stages, but faded as the power level increased later.
This is indeed a problem, and it's also a structural problem in the book "Mysteries," which is the fourth part of the methodology I'll discuss later. "Structure."
Returning to the main point, starting from Sequence 3, the book exhibits a certain stylistic disconnect between the occult section and the section on the fear of the unknown. Regarding Cthulhu elements, once the unknown is explained and truly takes center stage, it loses much of its appeal. Therefore, while the sense of chaos and madness is well maintained in the later parts, darkness, despair, mystery, and a feeling of insignificance are definitely lacking.
Before I started writing the book, I hesitated about whether to only write up to Sequence 3 and use the others as background. This way, the overall style of the mysterious world would be more consistent, and the captivating sense of exploration, accompanied by fear and trembling, and the sense of mystery would run through the entire text.
But in the end, I was still a bit greedy. I hoped that the book "Mysteries" could outline a general worldview, and then I could freely develop within that worldview.
Thirdly, my personal score is above passing, but not exceeding 80. The main problem is that I wasn't ruthless enough, and my actions weren't straightforward enough.
Having discussed "expression," my second set of keywords for creation is "interesting" and "meaningful."
In other words, once you've determined what you want to express, you need to examine whether your subject matter and possible modes of expression are appropriate.
It's not that some topics are off-limits for writing. Excluding external factors, whether a topic is worth writing about depends solely on whether you can write it in an interesting and engaging way.
Even home-cooked meals depend on who is cooking and how they are prepared.
Well, humans are inherently driven by a desire for novelty and the unusual. Of course, they also crave pleasure and emotional connection. I'll address the latter two in the "emotions" section; here, I'll only discuss novelty and the unusual.
"New" doesn't simply mean rare, and "strange" isn't merely about seeking novelty; it should be closer to being original and different from others.
The difference between "interesting" and "interesting" is quite significant. "Interesting" refers more to something fun and novel, while "interesting" can also imply something that is thought-provoking.
Something interesting isn't necessarily fun or funny, but it can immerse you in it, make you feel interested, give you something to think about, and allow you to let your imagination run wild.
What's interesting isn't necessarily meaningful. Nowadays, there are plenty of simple, lighthearted, funny videos that use memes, and those have a large market.
Of course, the two can also be combined. If something is interesting and engaging, it will make people want to think about it, study it, immerse themselves in it, and imagine it, which will double its appeal.
In addition to being interesting, if the writing style, character interactions, and details can also be engaging, it can serve as the finishing touch, making the audience more motivated to follow the story.
My goal for this book, "Mysteries," was to first make it interesting, and then pursue fun. Looking at it now, the system of twenty-two Sequence Pathway, 220 kinds of Potion, nine Sefirah, and Acting Method has indeed achieved novelty, wonder, fun, and interest.
In terms of behavior, interaction, and details, I also tried my best to avoid monotony and boredom, and most of the time I met the requirements.
Of course, there is still room for improvement in this area.
My third key word for creation is "immersion".
Don't immediately think of "identification" as just wishful thinking. In fact, there are many kinds of identification. Sure, many people identify with the protagonist, but some identify with the protagonist's father, mother, brother, girlfriend, supporting characters, Spectator members, readers, worldviews, the global community, the sacredness of science, classical culture, and so on.
Once an author has determined what they want to "express" and found an interesting and engaging angle in terms of subject matter and expression, the next question is to consider which perspective the main reader should take. This will determine the narrative techniques, article structure, and foreshadowing to employ.
I previously shared a three-chapter brainstorming post on my public WeChat account. It was actually an idea that came about from considering "immersion." I hoped that the main readers would immerse themselves in Earth knowledge and watch with a sense of amusement and pride as an indigenous person makes fools of themselves and grows with the help of Earth knowledge, experiencing a satisfying and enjoyable journey.
Beyond the common protagonist identification, the book "Mysteries" focuses more on the power system, Potion, Acting Method, and the overall worldview. Therefore, it makes extensive use of suspense and mystery-solving techniques, gradually planting hooks and unfolding the story to immerse the reader.
The fourth key word for creation is "structure".
After completing the first three steps and having a clear story outline, you need to develop the overall structure based on these.
Therefore, it's quite obvious that the ending of the Mysteries was planned from the beginning. The contrast between the beginning and the end, the cycle of fate, and the conclusion of the story all unfold within a larger structure, which, personally, gives it a unique aesthetic appeal.
Beyond the overall structure, there is also the structure of each individual part. I have already talked about the structure of the first part before, and I am very proud of it because I did a very good job. I have also talked about the structures of the second and third parts. After that, I rarely mention this term. This is mainly because the further I write, the greater the constraints and the less freedom I have. If I cannot think of a good structure or a good entry point, I would rather use the most common or already used story structure. There is nothing special to talk about.
The fourth part is a progressive type that culminates in the explosion of foreshadowing; the fifth part is a vortex that grows larger and larger until a dramatic change occurs; the sixth part, as mentioned before, is a plain with peaks at the beginning and end; the seventh part is a sudden explosion during daily travels, and its overall structure is similar to the second part; the eighth part is a series of climaxes followed by a lingering ending.
In some cases, because the structural ideas were not clear enough when the volume was officially started to be written, or it was not clear how to achieve the desired effect, pacing problems occurred in the middle part, or some things had to be sacrificed for the sake of plot rationality.
These are all lessons learned. In the future, when starting a new volume, I need to make sure that I have a very clear understanding and grasp of the structure, rather than having a vague concept and then trying, exploring, and writing. If I'm lucky and in a good state, I might catch a glimpse of Spirit Intuition and have some surprises, but most of the time, many problems will arise.
The key words for the fifth group of creations are "reality" and "truth".
This actually evolved from the third keyword "immersion". I the Original thought that the most immersive environment was the most realistic one, and then on that basis, we could transcend reality. And the most realistic one is undoubtedly our daily life, which is the urban theme.
Given this premise, urban life is definitely the easiest genre to immerse oneself in. So, after finishing the first installment, I thought of blending fantasy into the urban setting, making it both realistic and transcendent. At the same time, I also wanted to practice my ability to write about everyday life and details. Thus, the book "Martial Arts" came about. Actually, the initial results were quite good. However, I later realized that I had underestimated a problem, which was the limitations of the urban setting itself. Because I didn't fully consider this point when setting it up, the story couldn't be developed in the later stages, resulting in repetition and a lack of variation.
My idea has been validated in some popular themes in recent years, which is quite gratifying. However, the focus of 404 (the website's search engine) on urban themes has prevented the major trend I imagined from emerging.
After finishing writing about martial arts, I have a deeper understanding of immersion and reality, and I believe that "authenticity" better reflects the essence than "reality".
As long as it is realistic enough to immerse the reader, it can achieve the same effect as reality, and even have a stronger sense of novelty.
Therefore, when I was writing about the Mysteries, I did a lot of research and enriched the details, just to make this world come alive and let everyone naturally immerse themselves in it, knowing what to eat, what to use, how much it costs, and what the customs are.
This is actually similar to the AAA games of recent years: an open, free, yet sufficiently realistic world.
Realism and immersion – this is an idea that gradually became clear to me after I finished writing about martial arts and during the process of writing about Mysteries. It was only at this point that I truly refined my own complete creative methodology.
Of course, this kind of writing is really tiring, extremely tiring.
This was done very well in the early and mid-stages of the Mysteries, but it weakened somewhat after the Sequence increased. The next thing I need to think about is how to create realism at high power levels.
The sixth keyword is "gentle".
I remember mentioning that in the previous summary, so I won't go into detail here—mainly because after writing so many words in one go, my thoughts started to wander, and I wanted to have fun and be lazy.
"Gentleness," as I understand it, means that the plot twists have sufficient groundwork, the emotional progression has a sufficient fermentation process, and there is a suitable release. If the former is not done well, and the twists are done for the sake of twists, and the climaxes are done for the sake of climaxes, it will only be abrupt and fail to reflect the impact. The latter is easy to become melodramatic and overly sentimental.
In this regard, I have always restrained myself. If it is not appropriate to stab someone, I will never stab them. I cannot stab for the sake of stabding. If a main character cannot die with value, with appropriateness, and with impact, then it is better for them to live. Trauma for the sake of trauma is not gentle enough.
Similarly, avoid being overly sentimental in inappropriate situations. When expressing emotions, it's crucial to distinguish between when to restrain oneself, when to let emotions out, and whether the overall atmosphere supports such expressions, etc.
Also, the film shouldn't be about slapping someone in the face for the sake of slapping someone in the face, or about providing instant gratification. As the plot unfolds, the moments of satisfaction will naturally arise in a gentler way, without making the audience feel awkward.
In this respect, I did a pretty good job with the Mysteries; the only time I surpassed it was in the chapter on self-questioning, but even that was traceable.
The seventh keyword is "people":
As I mentioned before, I prioritize the story over the characters, which is somewhat different from prioritizing the characters over the story. However, starting with martial arts, I've come to realize that characters are just as important.
A book's world-building is its skeleton, its plot its flesh, and its characters its blood. Without good characters, the book will be lifeless and dull. It's difficult to make every part of a long novel interesting and engaging, and it's also difficult to create resonance, emotion, and a variety of feelings.
In terms of character development, aside from the layering of character settings, I've gradually come to understand the concept of "interaction."
The character's image is built upon their interactions. Individual psychological interactions and personal actions may be useful once or twice, but if repeated too often, they inevitably become monotonous, thin, and boring.
With interaction, the characters come to life, revealing different aspects of themselves in different interactions.
I won't go into details because I've already written too much and want to finish quickly.
Furthermore, exceptional characters inevitably stem from exceptional storylines, and exceptional storylines inevitably shape exceptional characters; the two are not entirely separate.
In the book "Mysteries," I went from having a vague understanding to applying it clearly, which can be considered a certain gain. I also created some good characters. Of course, due to the length of the book and the character growth curves, some characters could not keep up with Little Klein, so it can only be considered as completing the first half. I hope that the second book will portray them better.
Overall, although Amon is disliked by many, his character's overall completeness is the highest, second only to Little Klein.
Similarly, I had some issues with the character development of many villains. As mentioned in the seventh installment, I tended to make them too strong, lacking sufficient screen time, emotional build-up, and interaction. I need to change that in the future.
In addition, when considering the keyword "realism," the characters also need to be careful not to become unrealistic. Sometimes, excessive humor or overuse of memes can easily make the characters unrealistic, degenerating them into the kind of characters found in most anime. Of course, this doesn't mean that such characters won't be charming; whether they are unrealistic or not depends on the overall atmosphere of the story.
The eighth keyword is "change".
This is the point I mentioned most often in my summary: the worst thing a book can do is remain unchanged. Whether it's the main plot or the subplot, there must be some variation. Otherwise, it can't support a long length of the story. Even the simplest fantasy novel with a non-linear plot needs to bring changes by changing the map time and time again to eliminate the sense of repetition in the plot.
In the process of writing the Mysteries series, in the middle of the fourth part, the progression line was stretched too long, resulting in insufficient variation and a decrease in plot tension. The later development of the martial arts arc became difficult, the plot started to repeat itself, and the fights became increasingly boring. These are things I've mentioned before, and I need to improve upon them in the future, always be mindful, have a clear understanding, and take preventative measures.
The ninth keyword is "details".
The Demon is in the details, and this is the key to making "immersion," "realism," "softness," and "character" truly effective.
Lacking detail, it will undoubtedly feel unrealistic, unimmersive, lacking in engaging interaction, and with abrupt plot twists.
This is a big topic, so please allow me to be lazy and skip it; after all, this isn't a writing class.
In short, the book "Mysteries" has many details, which gives it texture, characters, visuals, and emotional resonance, and I am very satisfied with that. However, the later battles are too abstract and Conceptualization, and gradually lack detail, which is indeed a significant problem.
I have some ideas on this point, Spirit Intuition by JoJo: give rules and limitations for abilities, as simple as possible but clear enough, and then work within that framework. This way, abilities have boundaries, and details are guaranteed.
This is an area that can be improved upon in the future.
The tenth keyword is "emotion".
I really don't want to write anymore now. I'm too tired, and I'm getting emotional.
Well, actually, many online Author have talked about emotions, and many even take it as the core of their creative method. The whole story is planned and laid out around how to arouse the reader's emotions.
I also value emotions, because a good climax, a good scene, a good character, will ultimately contain or bring emotions. Without emotions, the story is dry and lacks sufficient appeal.
I won't go into other methods of generating hatred, as I know a lot but use few. I prefer to use plot conflicts to drive the narrative forward.
However, when it comes to emotions, I always pay attention to whether the progression of emotions is natural and smooth, and whether there are too many interruptions in the middle, otherwise it is impossible to build up a climax and a sense of impact.
Furthermore, emotions should not be equated with hatred and venting. There is also love and Justice, no, there is also being moved, liking, satisfaction, and so on. A good author should try to enrich his arsenal and evoke a variety of emotions.
In the Mysteries, I generally expressed emotions with great restraint, and I always kept the progression of emotions gentle. Therefore, so many creative keywords do not exist in isolation, but rather complement each other and form a natural whole.
Regarding the classic scenes of emotional expression in Mysteries, I can recall some even with my eyes closed, so I won't boast about them, mainly because I'm too lazy to write them down. In short, it's not bad. In the next installment, I hope to increase the intensity of emotional catharsis and organically combine it with other forms of emotional expression.
The eleventh keyword is to replace "impact" with "climax," and scenes like " Chernobyl " are examples of this. The twelfth keyword... well, never mind, I'm too tired, I've run out of ink. Anyway, they're all not very important.
I'm not afraid of others learning from my creative ideas; on the contrary, I quite hope that others will learn from them. This means I can read many books that suit my taste. But such creative work is bound to be tiring, though of course, it will also be very fulfilling.
Okay, let's report the numbers one last time. Mysteries currently has an average of 109,000 subscriptions. The follow-up subscriptions are quite high because of the bonus from the last book, and the overall number is even higher than the seventh book. Most of the time, it hovers between 61,000 and 63,000, with a minimum of 58,000. The highest number was the last three chapters, which all broke 70,000. The last chapter has now reached 90,000 in 24 hours.
Having finished writing the Mysteries work and summarized its successes and failures, let's talk about the new book.
Well, I won't start Mysteries 2 right away. I'm worried that it will repeat some things from this one. I hope to write something else first to clear my head and build up some experience.
As mentioned before regarding the new book, I'll be choosing between a wasteland setting and a fantasy/xianxia (fantasy/martial arts) genre. While writing Mystery of the Mysteries, I hoped my next book would have a lighter, more fun tone, so the Original I leaned towards fantasy/xianxia. Later, someone suggested that I could make the protagonist a bit more eccentric to dilute the wasteland theme, which seemed quite interesting.
In short, I'm in a better position now. After I rest for a while and clear my mind, I'll ask myself again which one I most want to write about.
The new book is tentatively scheduled for mid-November. I will announce the specific date on my WeChat official account. From now until then, I will first serialize a short side story of about 20,000 to 30,000 words here. Then, I will gradually release some Mysteries settings and write some short side stories on the official account from time to time. At the same time, I will announce the theme and some settings of the new book, and solicit extras. Search for "wuzei1985", the one with the anime avatar.
Finally, thank you all again, and thank you to all the friends who have subscribed to and enjoyed this book. It is you who have given me the opportunity to share my story.
Also, thank you to everyone who has been voting for us with monthly tickets. We broke the monthly ticket Record for male-oriented content on Qidian a couple of days ago. Let's celebrate ourselves! (laughs)
Thanks to everyone who voted for the characters, Little Klein, Audrey, Leonard, and Sharron were able to have their own birthday parties because of it.
Thank you to everyone who gave me a tip. My stance has always been that this shouldn't affect my life, my studies, or my other leisure activities. Given this, I can only say "No need, no need" while opening my pocket. Who doesn't love money? (Seriously)
Thank you to Mysteries the friends who have supported and promoted the game. Being liked and appreciated is a wonderful experience.
Thank you to my moderators and administrators, you've all worked so hard and taken such a huge, unjust blame.
Thank you to my advisors for taking up so much of your time to provide feedback on the cover and related merchandise.
Thank you to all the friends who commented on this chapter. You have mostly brought me joy. At the Original, I read every single one, but as the number of comments increased, I couldn't keep up, as that would interfere with my writing. So, I can only read a portion at a fixed time.
Thank you to all the readers who have accompanied Mysteries to its completion. It has been my good fortune to have you all with me these past two years, and I hope this will be a wonderful memory for you.
Finally, place your hand on your chest and bow in respect.
Finally, multiply by 3. The promised extra chapter will be updated around 12:30 PM on May 7th, in the form of chapter reflections, one chapter per day for seven to ten days.
After writing my reflections, I'm going to take a good rest and have a nice long sleep.
Looking forward to seeing you all again!