The Pen God: My Mentor in the Film and Television Industry

The night seemed to last forever.

I stayed awake until dawn.

After revising the first chapter.

Following the approach taught by Arctic sweet shrimp, I struck while the iron was hot.

I also reviewed Chapters Two and Three.

Simplify, enhance conflict, and tighten the pace.

After revising each section.

I can feel it clearly.

My control over the story is gradually increasing.

Writing used to feel like groping in the dark.

I wandered around blindly, just going by instinct.

And now, it's as if someone is carrying a lamp in front of us.

I know exactly where to take each step.

After daybreak.

I quickly washed up and ate something.

But my mind was still on that new book.

I just can't calm down.

Occasionally, a few new comments will be added to the comment section.

Most of them are urging for more updates.

I read each and every one of them carefully.

My heart feels warm.

But the more this is the case, the more I look forward to noon.

According to the website's rules.

Once noon has passed, all the data from the previous day will be completely refreshed.

Collections, clicks, completion rate, number of readers following the story...

All the numbers that determine the fate of a book.

They will all reveal their true colors at that moment.

For me, this was tantamount to a verdict.

Is it still a flop, with nobody paying attention?

Or is it really as Arctic sweet shrimp said?

If the story is right, will the data respond accordingly?

I was restless.

I'll refresh the comments section in a bit.

I stared blankly at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen for a while.

Time marches on, second by second.

11 o'clock.

11:30.

11:50.

My palms, which were holding the mouse, were already slightly sweaty.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

My finger hovers over the backend data page.

Only a few minutes left.

The room was so quiet that only the ticking of the clock could be heard.

Every sound felt like a tap on my heart.

at last.

The time in the bottom right corner of the screen jumped to exactly twelve o'clock.

My fingers trembled.

I almost couldn't wait and refreshed the backend page.

next second.

A brand new line of data appeared clearly before my eyes.

My eyes immediately fell on the "Total Collections" section.

The original data remained at 168.

At this moment, the numbers have changed to—

295.

Overnight, a total of 127 new items were added to my favorites.

My eyes widened suddenly.

My breath caught in my throat for half a second.

One hundred and twenty-seven new additions?

I even doubted whether I was seeing things.

He blinked hard and looked at the screen again.

The numbers haven't changed.

295, crystal clear, perfectly clear.

To know.

Before this, I wrote one book from beginning to end.

If I can get ten new favorites per day, I'd be grateful.

Sometimes I'm not in the best condition.

There weren't a single new follower all day, and I even lost followers.

But that night...

Just by changing the opening, the number of favorites skyrocketed by over a hundred.

This was an outburst that completely exceeded my expectations.

My heart started pounding wildly.

I was so excited that my whole body was trembling.

I continued scrolling down to look at the data.

Click volume increased significantly.

The completion rate has significantly improved.

The number of readers who followed the story also saw a significant increase.

All the data points to the same result:

This time, I really got it right.

I leaned back in my chair and let out a long breath.

My eyes felt slightly warm uncontrollably.

Three years.

Three whole years.

From initial enthusiasm to repeated disappointments, and finally to near despair.

Never before have I felt this so clearly—

It seems I've finally grasped a bit of the knack for writing.

It took me a while to calm myself down.

He barely managed to calm himself down and continued browsing the backstage area.

There are no special markings.

There were no sudden pop-up private messages.

Everything was the same as usual, simple and real, without a trace of fantasy.

But the more this is the case, the more at ease I feel.

Data doesn't lie.

Readers cast their most genuine vote with their time, their dedication to reading, and their collections.

Just as I was staring blankly at the data...

A new message popped up in the corner of the page.

This is not a system notification.

It was a private message sent by a reader.

"Author, this chapter is absolutely brilliant! I've already recommended it to my friends, we're all following along!"

I looked at this private message.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

This is the most genuine form of recognition.

It is more powerful than any empty rhetoric.

I took a deep breath and felt my whole body filled with strength.

The confusion, depression, and self-doubt I felt a while ago.

At that moment, it was all swept away.

Almost instinctively, I opened the chat window with Arctic Shrimp.

My fingers trembled slightly as I typed out a line of text:

[Charcoal-roasted Tomato]: Senior, the data was updated at noon. The number of favorites increased by more than a hundred overnight, and readers have also started actively recommending it to their friends.

The message was sent.

I waited quietly with a sliver of hope for a reply.

The other party replied not long after.

[Arctic sweet shrimp]: As expected.

His tone remained calm and indifferent.

It all seemed perfectly normal.

I didn't think the other person was faking it at all.

After several previous exchanges.

I know it very well.

This senior's vision is far broader than I imagined.

[Grilled Tomato]: But... this is already quite an overreaction for me. I've never experienced anything like this before.

【Arctic Sweet Shrimp】: The story is solid, the pacing is good, and readers aren't stupid; they'll naturally vote with their feet.

[Charcoal-roasted Tomato]: So, what should I write next?

I humbly seek your guidance.

At this moment, I have completely regarded the other person as my guide on my writing journey.

[Arctic sweet shrimp]: Keep up the current pace.

Keep the characters' motivations consistent, build up the conflicts layer by layer, and leave a hook at the end of each chapter.

Also, don't get carried away just because the data is slightly better.

This is just the beginning; we are still a long way from being able to establish ourselves firmly.

I nodded quickly, even though the other person couldn't see me.

[Charcoal-roasted tomato]: Understood, senior, I will definitely hold on.

[Arctic sweet shrimp]: Hmm.

If you have time, please send me a draft of the outline for the next ten chapters, and I'll review it for you.

Seeing this sentence warmed my heart.

This senior spoke coldly.

Yet every word he spoke was grounded in reality.

They've been helping me avoid taking unnecessary detours in every way.

I became increasingly curious.

What kind of person is he?

How can one have such a thorough understanding of the story structure?

How can you grasp the reader's psychology so accurately?

Just pointing out a few things.

How can a book on the verge of being canceled be brought back to life?

From the film and television industry...

These words flashed through my mind.

A bold guess began to form in my mind.

The other party is likely not just an ordinary screenwriter.

Perhaps, at some unknown point in time, they stood at an extremely high position.

He chose to retire for some reason.

Occasionally, they'll offer some pointers to this struggling writer online.

Once the thought pops into your head, you can't suppress it anymore.

I looked at the ID "Arctic Sweet Shrimp" in the chat box.

My curiosity began to rise little by little.

However, I also know that the time is not yet right.

The most important thing now is to seize this hard-won opportunity and write the book well.

Repay their guidance with tangible updates and content.

I cleared my mind of distractions and looked at the document again.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the keyboard, bright and warm.

I gently tapped the keyboard, writing the beginning of a new chapter.

The data increased, readers came, and the direction was right.

From now on, we must take things one step at a time, steadily and practically.

[End of Chapter]