Cang's Ramblings

Chapter 387 383. Comment on Yun Dongliu
Hello everyone, I am Cang Yiwei.

The author I am going to visit today is Yun Dongliu, a level 5 author.

【About the Author】

Yun Dongliu is the author of six books: "Online Games: Chivalrous World," "Online Games: Escort Agency," "Zhutian Office," "The Reward of the Gods," "Marvel with BGM," and "I Can Extract Proficiency." He has written 1094 million characters and 2275 writing days.

Currently serializing, "I Can Extract Proficiency" boasts an average subscription of 9900, with 10 subscriptions just around the corner. The book launched on October 1, 2019, with an initial order of 2200, reaching top-tier status in just 11 days. It has 28 subscribers on Qidian, 6.85 on Bookstore, and 56 followers.

【Access details】

The interview was conducted in the form of questions and answers. Please see below how he answered the questions I carefully prepared.

Question 1: What is the origin of your pen name?
Yun Dongliu: Origin? There is no specific origin.

I created this account quite early. I used this account when I published my first novel "Online Game: The World of Heroes" in 06.

Back then, people were relatively conservative when it came to pen names, and many were unconsciously influenced by old-school martial arts novels. I was no exception. I was particularly fond of the Hong Kong comic book "Wind and Cloud," so I added the character "Yun" (cloud) to my pen name. The characters "Dongliu" (eastward flow) served to differentiate it from other pen names, and also to show off my elegance.

That's it.

Question 2: Who first drew you into the online literature world? Or who was your mentor?

Yun Dongliu: This, shouldn’t be the case?

I remember that a novel I was following at the time was cut short, and I felt extremely depressed. Later, I thought about writing one myself, and then I wrote it, and then I kept going.

Question 3: What motivated you to write this new book?
Yun Dongliu: I don't have any specific motivation. I just wanted to write, and since it could bring in some income, I just wrote... Since I don't have any other skills, of course I had to pursue my dream.

Question 4: What are the most memorable or touching points in the process of writing online articles?

Yun Dongliu: Speaking of this, it should be the human touch of the online literature circle, right?

Whether it is editors, colleagues or readers, I feel that everyone I come into contact with is very nice, especially during my creative period. Due to some practical reasons, there was a 6-year gap, and during these 6 years I completely disappeared from the online literature circle.

What does six years mean? It's roughly equivalent to the first year of high school to the third year of college...

When I came back, I found that the book club I had established was still sending me messages from book friends. When I contacted the editor from that year to submit my manuscript, he had already been promoted to editor-in-chief and no longer accepted manuscripts. However, he was still very enthusiastic in giving me some advice on keeping up with the times and enthusiastically helped introduce me to the editor-in-chief.

All these touched me deeply.

Question 5: Which of your characters do you particularly like and can’t let go of?
Yun Dongliu: Zhang Fang, Zhang Tianya, Ye Li, Hua Feixue... until now Ye Weiming, Daomei, Xiaoqiao, many important characters, I have put a lot of effort into them, and I like them all.

If I have to choose a favorite, it would probably be Ye Li, right?
Question 6: What advice do you have for new authors? What categories do you recommend for getting started?
Yun Dongliu: If you haven't gotten into online writing yet, I suggest you be cautious. Because the current way of writing is quite artificial, if you want to make a living, investing in online writing is not the best choice.

Moreover, the cycle of online literature is relatively long. It often takes several months for a book to go from the initial conception to being put on the shelves and seeing results.

It is also best for new authors not to hold on to the idea of ​​becoming a legend with one book. Nowadays, many senior and great authors cannot guarantee that their new books will achieve the desired results, so... enter the industry with caution.

If you really like novels, or can stick with it for a while even if you don't make any money, I think it's fine to just write what you like and what interests you.

Although there are hot and cold channels in different categories, unpopular channels have more resources and less competitive pressure, and vice versa.

So, instead of worrying about which category is suitable for you to enter, you might as well ask yourself what you prefer.

Question 7: Do you have any favorite authors or works?

Yun Dongliu: As for the author, I prefer Tomato, one of the Five Whites. I eat tomatoes. I like every one of his books, whether it is the story structure or the wonderful conception of the cultivation system.

Speaking of my favorite work, when faced with this question, I really want to pick out a famous Chinese or foreign classic to show off my own style.

But to be honest, my favorite is "The King's Avatar".

Question 8: Do you have any plans for your next work?

Yun Dongliu: No, and I don’t dare to have one now.

This involves a little bit of my personal experience, that is, when writing a book, it is best not to think about it randomly. Otherwise, it is very likely that you will start to think about finishing the book quickly and fill in new ideas.

In fact, this is how many films are abandoned or have bad endings.

Therefore, when your current academic performance is good, try not to think about other things. The key is to do well in the present.

Question 9: Is there anything you'd like to brag about in your current work? Or could you share your plot ideas?

Yun Dongliu: Is this the one I really feel comfortable with? You can tell from the results. Before, it was terrible, but now it's showing some success.

As for the plot, well... I won't give away any spoilers.

Question 10: Do you have any new expectations about the future of online literature?

Yun Dongliu: In fact, the overall environment of online literature is also constantly changing with the times.

The changes in the overall environment of the times are both opportunities and challenges for every online writer. How to seize opportunities and meet challenges is also a problem that every online writer needs to face.

I feel that the overall environment is definitely getting better and better, but how to make one's work adapt to the times and the market is a question that every author needs to think about.

I can't say for sure what my future holds, whether I'll ride the wave or sink into the sand. Let alone say more.

In short, try your best to be yourself and keep up with the times.

【summary】

My connection with him began with the 24-book joint book review event. I had the honor of being a judge and helping him select outstanding reviews for the 24 books.

He is very gentle to others and not at all cold.

I always thought that level 5 authors would be more aloof because they are only one step away from becoming a god.

When we talked to him about the interview this time, he quickly agreed and seemed very happy.

In fact, I was happier because I had tried many operations managers but all failed.

I just had a sudden thought and wanted to do this. Actually, the effect may not be as good as if I had specifically recommended the book.

So I'm very grateful that he agreed.

Only by trying something can you know if it works. Even if it doesn't work, it's still a result.

There was another thing about him that touched me deeply.

I prepared ten questions, and he answered them all fully, with great sincerity and honesty. This is truly rare and exceeded my expectations.

Regarding interviews, some people prefer a chatty style, where they can increase the word count, add emoticons, and act cute.

I've thought about that too.

Later, considering that we are all authors, time is precious and it would be easy for the conversation to turn into awkwardness.

Therefore, since you are engaged in writing work, it is better to express yourself in the form of words, which may be more rational and comprehensive.

But it's hard to act cute.

Having said that, I really admire those who have been writing books for many years and still persist in writing. This road is very difficult to walk, and many people get lost as soon as they start.

Therefore, please support Yun Dongliu and his book "I Can Extract Proficiency". I hope to achieve 10,000 subscriptions soon.

Finally, I would like to thank him again for accepting my interview.

【to sum up】

Writing is not easy, so cherish every moment!

I’m Cang Yiwei, and I’m here to promote “Cang’s Ramblings”!
Welcome to the paradise of book reviews.

【Cang's Ramblings】

My short story received a beautiful blessing of 80 words from my writer's assistant yesterday, saying that I am one step closer to writing a million-word book.

Of course, I know this kind of thing best myself, so why do I need Him to remind me?
I was just wondering, when I reach the millionth word mark, will anyone come to interview me?

The topic of millions of book reviews is definitely an explosive topic, as long as we put aside the self-media.

Therefore, I must hide my identity and keep the opportunity for myself.

If my book becomes popular one day, I would like to do a live broadcast... let's leave it as a suspense.

(End of this chapter)