I will never give in to Miss Death

"Not even as good as stupid Momo! Where did you learn this way of naming from?!"

"The watermarks on the erotic pictures of girls posted by people in the group."

"Forget those names!"

I forcefully snatched the mouse away: "Let me do it, Nuo'er, Xia Mo... or how about just taking a character each, Xiao Xia Nuo."

"Xiao Shanuo?"

"It doesn't seem to work. It's too ordinary. We need to modify it."

I thought about it for a while and said, "I got it. I'll tell Xiao Xia Nuo not to hide in the cardboard box!"

"What kind of weird name is this?"

"Okay, that's it."

I entered "Xiao Xia Nuo Doesn't Hide from Cardboard Boxes" as the name on the new account registration page.

【Congratulations! This name is not registered and can be used! 】

"Well, this will be our jointly managed account from now on."

I filled in my phone number, email address, etc., and entered the password "Momo20031224".

"The password is your name, Momo, and my birthday. Is that okay?"

"what……"

Maybe because she heard the pronunciation of "Momo", the girl's face turned a little red.

"Okay... okay, this is it."

"..."

……

No. 096 Miss Death's Little Writer and Little Pet

Tongmeng.com used to be a small website that started out with 2D and ACG-related videos. After it grew bigger, it began to involve various fields - movies, TV series, life, cute pets, live broadcasts, and finally the novels and comics that I am currently working on.

When the website was first established, it was named "Tongmeng", which means "childhood dream". The main topics discussed are childhood movies, cartoons, toys, snacks, etc.

The childhood of that generation was relatively rich. There were classic IP anime such as "The Legend of Nezha", "The Lotus Lantern", "Journey to the West", as well as some foreign imports such as "Beyblade", "Digimon", "Saint Seiya", "Dragon Ball", "Light Messenger", etc. There were also many excellent special effects dramas such as "Ultraman Tiga".

As for movies and TV series, they are even richer. "Young and Dangerous", "Fight Back to School", "The Miraculous Doctor Xilaile" and "Young Justice Bao" are all from that period. There are also many toys, such as glass marbles, pebbles, four-wheel drive yo-yos. Snacks mainly discuss snacks, such as "Tang Monk Meat", "Big Roll", "Shrimp Strips" and "Ice Bags".

These are basically the childhood memories of those born in the 80s and 90s. At that time, few people knew about the website. Most of the people born in the 80s who had started working went there to reminisce about the past and their youth. As those born in the 90s entered society, the website was further developed and promoted. At that time, all animated movies could be watched directly on the website for free, and then countless clips and discussion groups were derived, which were somewhat similar to the current forums, with different discussion groups discussing the happiness of childhood.

Soon after, the post-00s joined the website's user group, and the anime discussed became "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf", "Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit", "Bald Qiang", etc. Childhood toys became transformation devices, Kamen Rider belts and roller skates. It was also from this period that the website's popularity skyrocketed. Because of the lack of copyright, many old anime in the website were taken off the shelves. In order to maintain the popularity, the website's boss bought a lot of new anime, including popular anime of the time such as "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", "Attack on Titan", "Fate", "Shakugan no Shana", etc.

As I bought more and more cartoons, the website became bigger and bigger, the fields it covered became wider and wider, and more and more places required payment - it was around this time that I learned about Tongmeng.com.

At that time, I was still a college student. After registering an account there, I mainly watched anime and popular science. When my favorite anchor started broadcasting, I would go to the snack bar opposite the boys’ dormitory building to buy some chicken feet or duck wings and eat snacks while watching the live broadcast.

When I was in college, I mainly relied on work-study programs and student loans to pay for tuition. I had very little free time to buy food and watch live broadcasts, so I didn’t know much about Tongmeng.com itself. I only knew that it was a place where I could watch anime and live broadcasts for free.

After I graduated from college and started working, I had even less time to watch anime. In addition, as Tongmeng.com grew bigger, it was subject to strict supervision from above. Many popular anime were either unavailable or had severe cuts. Normally, if I wanted to watch something, I would basically download it directly from the network disk, and my interest in this area decreased.

I never thought that I would come back here one day with the goal of "posting a video and getting 100,000 views".

"Noer, let's take a photo together and use it as the profile picture for this new account!"

I completed the entire account registration in front of the computer, bound my phone, filled in all the information, and when I was about to upload my profile picture, Yin Xiamo pulled me to the living room: "Right here, it's a good opportunity to try out the camera function of your phone."

"Eh?"

I was still confused when the girl next to me put her hand on my shoulder with her right hand and raised her phone with her left hand to take a lot of photos.

"Okay, let's use this one!"

After searching through the photo album on her mobile phone for a while, the girl ran back to the bedroom.

When I followed her back, Yin Xiamo had already set the avatar for the new account.

The me in the avatar took up almost two-thirds of the entire screen, looking confused and not knowing what to do. Yin Xiamo on the right only showed half of her face, and she was happily making a victory gesture to the camera.

"that……"

In front of the computer, I looked at this avatar and thought: "How about adjusting it a little bit? My face looks really big now..."

"It has to be round and plump like this to be cute."

Yin Xiamo clicked the "Confirm to modify profile picture" button: "Besides, you will be the main operator of this account from now on, so the profile picture will definitely be you."

Oh well.

I took out my phone, opened the Tongmeng.com app, and logged into the new account.

Xiao Xia Nuo doesn’t hide in cardboard boxes… I still feel like the name is a bit stupid.

"This week, the views of all videos on this account reached 100,000, and our previous debts were offset."

After closing the computer page, Yin Xiamo had an expression that said "I'm optimistic about you": "I look forward to the performance of my little pet!"

"Why am I called a little pet again? Last time I was a little cutie, and the time before that I was Little Nuoer. Can you please be more consistent in how you address me?"

"So you remember it so clearly?"

"..."

I returned to my bedroom angrily, checked the time, and took out my cell phone to set a few alarms.

This is the alarm clock when I wake up from a nap, this is the alarm clock for changing my sanitary napkin for the first time, this is the alarm clock when I go out to buy groceries at night, and this is the alarm clock for changing my sanitary napkin for the second time...

What do you usually eat for lunch here?

Thinking of this, I poked my head out of the bedroom again: "Xiaomo, what do you want to eat for lunch?"

"what?"

Miss Death on the other side seemed to be busy on the computer. When she heard my voice, she turned around quickly and said, "I like everything you cook."

"But I don't want to do it."

"Then I'll go out with you and see what to eat."

"You pay."

"Okay, okay, today is a special day, whatever my little pet says is what it is."

"It's not your pet!"

I subconsciously refuted and said, "Then let's go out for a walk at 12 o'clock. I will write and save the manuscript first."

"it is good."

Carefully closing the door, I sat back in front of the computer.

To be honest, in my current state, although my stomach doesn’t hurt anymore and my body isn’t as weak as before, as it’s approaching noon and the temperature around me is gradually getting hotter, I’ve also tried the “cardboard therapy”, but my mood still hasn’t fully recovered to its previous state.

But the novel... still needs to be updated.

Currently, Elodi is connecting with my previous relatively ordinary novel about another world. With the closure of the website, the loss of readers of this novel can be said to be very serious. Even if it has recovered now and the book has been merged into Miguabao, subscriptions and follow-up reading cannot be saved.

In Elodie’s words…you can keep writing, but it’s not recommended.

Because in this situation, no matter how hard I try, the number of readers and subscriptions will not increase, so it is better to start a new book.

[Your new book signing badge has been posted. I reviewed it again. The beginning and the first few chapters are barely acceptable, but the subsequent plot may be difficult to advance.]

[Has Elodie taught you to write this kind of traditional fantasy novel before? Or are you confident about this kind of writing? ]

I turned on my computer and logged into QQ. To my surprise, I received a message from “Rabbit”, the editor of Honey Melon Bag, who I hadn’t contacted for two or three days.

[Based on the plot development, this should be a relatively standard traditional thriller. Do you understand the basic thriller creation? 】

There is such an enthusiastic editor?

After reading these sentences sent by Rabbit over and over again, I was shocked, and at the same time I understood where the online saying that Rabbit was "responsible" came from.

She really... woooooo...

Elodie didn't care about me this much back then.

Generally speaking, the relationship between website editors and authors is somewhat similar to that between "workers" and "supervisors" on a construction site. The editor's daily task is to check new books among the newly published novels online, look for authors who have written "novels that can make money", and then sign contracts with them and handle their various affairs.

The key point here is "can make money". No matter how good an author's writing is, if his novel starts with all the scenery and worldview descriptions that make people confused, he will be classified as an author who "cannot make money" and the editor will not sign such a work.

An author may have poor literary skills, but he may start by writing something like "Don't bully the young and poor" or "Ding! I got a system for showing off", which creates a sense of anticipation and makes people want to continue reading. As long as the sentences are fluent, he will be eligible to sign a contract, because when this kind of book is put on the shelves, some people will subscribe to it, some will reward it, and some will vote for it on a monthly basis.

It doesn’t matter if there are routines. No matter how routine they are, people will still read them. The only thing to worry about is that some people don’t even have the idea of ​​“writing a routine”. When an editor signs a contract, he is signing this “attitude”.

Supervisors go to the job market to look for strong workers. They look for those who are in good health. It's useless to say that you know computers, painting, how to make nuclear bombs, or even how to use a particle collider. What others want is people who are strong and can move bricks.

The same goes for novels. The author is a waiter. If a waiter does not have the attitude and awareness of serving readers, and does not have the idea of ​​“creating a sense of excitement and anticipation” when writing a book, and does not have the belief of “I want to make money”, the editor will not sign such an author.

I understand all these principles, but the only thing I don’t understand is how to create this so-called “sense of anticipation”, how to retain readers, and how to keep the book’s rhythm so that readers don’t “abandon the book” or “keep reading it”.

Not to mention abandoning a book, behaviors like "raising a book" will cause a book's "following readers" to decrease on the editor's side. Then the weight of the editor's recommendation for this book will be reduced, and the recommendation position will be given to novels with higher follow-up reading rates. Slowly, novels with more "book-raising parties" will die.

In order to “prevent readers from spending money to read the book”, the author needs to know how to “create excitement” and “build a sense of anticipation”. To put it bluntly, it is still a question of the author’s ability.

Just like Elodie said, before, because I was a part-time worker, I only updated one chapter a day. I lay down and she lay down too. Apart from some necessary communication on weekdays, we hardly had much communication, and she basically never taught me how to write a novel.

Editors have the obligation to "teach authors how to write books", but it is only an obligation, not a responsibility. In my impression, most editors will not do such a thankless task - why should I teach you, you have ruined this book and you can think about starting a new book. If I have the time to teach you how to write a book, I might as well use the teaching time to type on other sites and dig up a great writer.

[I... am not sure]

After thinking for a while in front of the computer, I decided to tell the truth to "Rabbit": [Before, I wrote books part-time, and I didn't read many online novels. I wrote based on my feelings.]

Most authors are in the same situation as me - seeing others making a lot of money by writing novels, I think I can do the same, so I write a book according to my own ideas and upload it to the website. The difference is that I have a certain foundation compared to those new authors.

Anyway, it’s all about learning. You can keep learning as long as you live.

In the coffee shop, I made steamed chicken for the first time, wore a maid outfit for the first time, wore garters for the first time, and interacted with so many cats for the first time. I also had to comb their hair. I didn’t know how to do many things and learned everything on the spot.

I wouldn't mind learning how to write novels if the new editor, Bunny, is willing to teach.

In the future, I will probably need to learn how to operate an account, how to edit videos, how to take beautiful pictures, and how to beautify pictures...

[Is it similar to a novice author? ]

【Yes】

[Okay, I'll send you some files and the opening and climax plots of some popular novels on the website. You can learn from them first.]

The rabbit on the other side of the chat window quickly understood what I meant: [Just write according to the outline you sent me, don't mess up the rhythm, and remember these points in the document]

[Editor Rabbit of Honeydew Bag sends you a file: Shaping the sense of pleasure in novels.doc]

[Editor Rabbit of Honeydew Bag sends you a file: Stability and advancement of rhythm.doc]

[Editor Rabbit of Honeydew Bag sends you a file: Classic passages from the best-selling novels on the website.doc]

After receiving these files one by one, I saw that Rabbit had sent me another message: [Take a good look at it first, just use it as a reference, don’t believe it completely, it’s best to write in your own style. I’m going to take a lunch break, if you have any questions, please ask me in the afternoon]

[OK, thank you editor]

"..."

I took a deep breath in front of the computer and opened three documents.

[Numerical classification of novel pleasure, human psychology (1)]

[Which of the following two examples is more likely to stimulate the reader's sense of satisfaction? 1: The protagonist gains experience points and is promoted from level 1 to level 30 in one go, and his attributes soar wildly. 2: After some hard work, the protagonist gains experience points and is promoted from level 29 to level 30, gaining certain ability points and also meeting the conditions for opening the special dungeon mentioned earlier]

[Introduce the concept of "purpose" and lay the groundwork for the future, rather than simply "a lot of experience" or "a lot of improvement"]

Is there such analysis?

Just by reading the beginning of the file sent by Rabbit, I was deeply attracted by the content.

Does writing novels require knowledge of psychology?

[Numerical division of the sense of satisfaction in novels, math problem (1)]

[All of the following three examples involve obtaining 10 gold coins. Which of the following examples is more likely to make readers feel refreshed? 1: The protagonist finds out that there are 20 gold coins in a cave. He sets out to reach his destination and easily obtains 20 gold coins, but loses 10 gold coins along the way for some reason, and finally obtains 10 gold coins. 2: The protagonist finds out that there are 10 gold coins in a cave. After a hard fight, he finally obtains 10 gold coins perfectly. 3: The protagonist learns that there are 5 gold coins in a cave. After a hard fight, he obtains 5 gold coins, and learns from his enemy who also goes to the cave that there are 5 gold coins in a secret passage nearby. In the end, he is one step ahead of the villain, obtains 5 gold coins again, and finally obtains 10 gold coins.]

【Mathematical Problems (2) Theory of Multiples】

[An eraser costs 3 yuan, but an eraser of your favorite color costs 10 yuan. A car costs 30 yuan. If you want to change the car to your favorite color, it will cost 30 and 1000 yuan. Will people spend an extra 7 yuan to buy the eraser they like, or spend an extra 1000 yuan to buy the car color they like? ]

[Which protagonist is more powerful? Which one is more likely to give readers a sense of satisfaction? The protagonist has a strength of 3 and kills a villain with a strength of 10 by sneak attack or taking advantage of information asymmetry, or the protagonist has a strength of 30 and kills a villain with a strength of 30 and 1000.]