August wrap-up

I don't really like writing individual chapters. A friend recently said that it's best to write individual chapters, as they serve as a way to communicate with readers, summarize my own experiences, and discuss the book, so that readers won't be confused.

Anyway, there was a whole bunch of stuff, and after thinking about it, I realized it made sense, so I wrote a separate chapter for it.

Volume Two, two-thirds of which have been written so far, consists mostly of daily life and character development, except for the opening case of Consort Fu. Therefore, the number of subscribers has fluctuated.

There was a very interesting phenomenon: when the first volume ended, readers were clamoring. "We want to see everyday life, not cases anymore. We want to see everyday life, not pretentious stuff. Pretentious stuff is boring."

However, the reality is that when I write about my daily life, subscriptions drop, but when I write about showing off, subscriptions skyrocket.

A man's words are like a devil's lies.

Pooh!

Let's talk about the differences between Volume 2 and Volume 1. Volume 1 mainly focuses on cases, so the pacing and layering of the plot are better.

The second volume lays the groundwork for what follows, requiring extensive writing about certain characters because they will be relevant to later plot developments. Many seemingly trivial everyday scenes actually serve as transitional sequences at the end of the second volume.

The overall pacing is weaker than the first volume, but the character development is definitely stronger.

Here's a little spoiler: there will be a major climax at the end of Volume 2, which will be the turning point of the entire book. Of course, I haven't figured out exactly how to write it yet.

The book has achieved unimaginable success so far, which makes me even more cautious. Sometimes, focusing too much on pacing and exciting moments has actually made me fall Lower Vehicle and lose the Spiritual Qi of the first volume.

For example, the opening scene with the diary of listening to music in a brothel, the Sea King's fish-raising envelope, and Xu Lingyin's foolish actions, etc.

These things don't contribute to the main plot, but they can make a book more substantial, more relatable, and elevate its sophistication. A lighthearted, entertaining book might be popular for a while, but years later, looking back, you'll find it's nothing special.

Books that focus on character development will remain in readers' hearts for many years to come.

That's their advantage; the downside is that you can't write too much.

If I were to devote too much space to characters and daily life, it would inevitably weaken the overall plot of the book; you can't have your cake and eat it too. We've all read plenty of books where the daily life and characters are well-written, but the plot is weak.

By the way, let me vent a little more. The subscription rate for the "Slaughtering a Thousand Miles" case dropped a bit. The main reason is that at the beginning, I hadn't figured out the details and structure of the whole case, so I dragged it out for several days, hahaha, it's my fault.

But there's no way around it; case-based books are different from other books. In other books, the plot has a general direction, and then you can just open Word and get started.

Investigating a case is different; you must think through every detail before you start writing. The reason is simple: you need to lay the groundwork.

Most authors will plant foreshadowing, which is nothing special, but most authors only plant long-term foreshadowing, the kind that they don't need to worry about afterward.

What's truly difficult is the dense foreshadowing within a short space. And the most difficult part is creating short stories after short stories, and short stories after short stories. This tests both writing skills and mental acuity, something most authors can't do. That's the troublesome aspect of the case-based genre.

Of course, I still have a long way to go.

Moreover, the high frequency of updates in online novels makes it difficult to have enough time to work on the plot. In the days leading up to the story, I was simultaneously working on detailed outlines and case concepts while also writing casually, which caused me to lose a lot of hair; I was quite bald. Although my outline, detailed outlines, world-building, character settings, and so on, totaled nearly 200,000 words.

Fortunately, the detailed outline for the Northern case is almost complete, and I have a clear idea of which foreshadowing elements need to be planted.

It's not a long piece; I can finish it this week, or even earlier.

Yes, this is still not a standalone case; it's connected to other cases and also serves as foreshadowing for later developments. In short, it's a case within a case, or a series of interconnected cases.

I've never written this type of book before, but I seem to have a knack for it? Actually, I have a set of insights and methods, which are kind of my own secrets. However, they're not perfect yet, and I hope that when this book is finished, I can elaborate and perfect these secrets.

This way, I can ensure the quality of my future books and avoid one book becoming a huge hit only to be replaced by another.

Of course, there are also downsides. Writing is too tiring, it drains my brain, and puts me under immense mental stress. Even my girlfriend doesn't seem so appealing anymore.

Exhausted from excessive indulgence all day, I can't be a happy pervert; I just want to be a lazy bum who does nothing.