I've been forced into this, at this time point... I don't dare to complain, only want to spit blood. Of course, I still have to thank the editor for arranging the recommendation. These inestimable virtual resources are being thrown at someone like me, who is destined not to make big money for the website. I can only secretly pray that I won't cause the website too heavy a loss... But it doesn't matter, if I really can't get over it in my heart when the time comes, at worst I'll just tip myself to pay off the debt.
Before I start my groundless moaning, let me mention something everyone is concerned about - a reader group. There isn't one temporarily, and I don't plan to build one for a while. The reason is simple: self-control.
Readers familiar with me know that I'm a guy who likes to 'drive' (write explicit content) whenever I feel like it, and I don't just 'drive', I also 'build cars'. If I had a group, I wouldn't be able to resist bragging with everyone, and once I got familiar, my hands would itch to release 'benefits'. Releasing others' is not as good as releasing my own, and to release my own, I would naturally have to write... What material would I use? Of course, it would be the protagonist and the female characters in the book. Once I write 'benefits', I write them in 'excruciating detail', extremely explicit.
Although I keep the main text and the explicit content completely separate, they can't be completely without influence on each other. For example, we all know that three points (nipples and pubic area) cannot be exposed, but can the neck, belly, and thighs be exposed? I think they can, but the website thinks they can't, and then, well, this book is finished. To put it in one sentence, I'd be driving and driving, and then drive into a ditch.
Every book that was 404'd before was in this situation. I want to be a good person with this book. As for a reader group, let's talk about it when the plot is ripe.
***
Actually, I really dislike writing this stuff. Wouldn't it be better to use this time to write the second chapter? But there are indeed some agreements that need to be clarified with everyone... First, an apology, because today is the last day of work before the New Year, so I forgot that yesterday was Friday and that the book was going on the shelves - I only hurried to write this note after discovering there were monthly votes. And I'm still sticking to one update, which is probably rare on the entire website, and I'm one of them.
Why am I so lazy and muddled? I need to clarify one thing: the purpose of my writing novels.
"To create a hobby for myself, to consume the roughly one or two hours a day that would otherwise be boring or where I wouldn't know what to do."
Yeah, writing for fun.
With this mindset, I am actually in a rather inert state - I don't jump around advertising everywhere, nor do I join author groups to exchange ideas with other authors and agree to recommend each other's books. I don't even browse Qidian's official forums or any other forums related to web novels to see what's popular and what to write to make money. I don't even read posts in the review section, add them to the 'essence' list, and reply... Even with the editor, I only said hello when I signed the contract, and haven't chatted a single word since. I don't know if, in the eyes of the great editor, an author like me is someone who saves them effort and trouble, or someone who is aloof and pretentious?
Also because it's a hobby, I only accept corrections, suggestions, and good ideas for my writing. I do not accept any criticism or attacks - of course, as long as I don't see them, I'll pretend they don't exist. If you decide to point out a problem with this book, please organize your language and include a feasible solution, otherwise it will be considered meaningless and deleted in one second. I fully understand that some people's time is worthless, but I cherish my own time.
After saying all this, the main point is one sentence: writing is my interest. To say I don't take this interest seriously, I write a little every day and even dream about the next plot development; to say I do take it seriously, I refuse to let this interest affect other things in my life that have higher priority, especially my mood. To live, one must first survive, and the next most important thing is to be happy.
Although it's an interest, there are also some plans and determination. The initial writing plan for this book was to spend two or three months writing a 200,000-word draft, and then, like other normal authors, update twice daily until completion - but I, who was immersed in work and games all day, after two months of struggling to produce 30,000 words, suddenly realized that if I didn't release it quickly, this book would likely never be finished in my lifetime. Only by releasing it, and having people read it, would the sense of responsibility create the urgency to force me to write something every day.
What you see now is not a book that updates slowly, but a premature book, released at least several months earlier than planned. Please don't make things difficult for a premature baby anymore.
***
Why is it written so slowly? It's not like I haven't updated two or three times a day before. This is related to what I want to write. If 'Game of Thrones' and the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' behind it are a grand meal, then what I want to do is not to imitate the original author and write something neither here nor there, or add some MSG and chili to it, have the protagonist save the good guys, kill the bad guys, and conquer the beauties, making everyone cheer and make a fortune - I want to carefully dissect this dish and take everyone to see what ingredients were used to make it, what cooking methods were employed, why it's so delicious, and what posture is best for eating it, etc...
I want to interpret this story.
Without a doubt, the audience for this book is already determined. I will not tell readers who ask "Can I read this if I haven't watched the TV show or read the original book?" against my conscience that they can rest assured and read it. If you have never heard of the TV show or the original book, reading will definitely be difficult.
This is why there is a large amount of analysis and explanation in this book. It's not that I can't control myself and write too much, but that these contents are what I wanted to write in the first place. Perhaps they are not suitable for web novels, and are not friendly to people who haven't watched the show or read the original book, but I really want to write them. If you don't want to read them - then I'm sorry, please feel free to skip them. What I write is definitely not so amazing that you'll suffer a loss by not reading it.
Well, to be honest, this is purely an unrealistic ambition of an Ice and Fire enthusiast. If you don't just look at the publication date, the original book's 'age' might be older than mine. Its author started writing when even my parents were still cells. Is it my turn, this little rookie who is considered a grandchild by age, to appreciate such a veteran's concluding masterpiece? With my ability and experience, I absolutely cannot achieve this goal... I know my own limitations, so I'll settle for filling some gaps in the original work... Anyway, he probably won't be able to fill them in your lifetime.
...
This is not a curse. Martin is seventy years old, and judging by his writing speed in recent years and the extent of the original story's development so far (about two-thirds) - bad news, this 'pit god' really might not be able to finish 'A Song of Ice and Fire' in his lifetime.
He can't even finish the main text, let alone fill the gaps. Many things will probably forever be left for us to guess and deduce.
So I not only explain, but also write some content that is not in the original book, such as the truth of certain unsolved mysteries, the customs and current situation of certain places that haven't appeared, etc... The story will not be limited to Westeros, and may even go out later to show places outside this continent, all depending on how much I want to write. In case Martin writes the last third of the original book fast enough, the content in my book will likely be contradicted, the phenomenon of official works killing fanfiction always exists, and there's nothing that can be done about it.
Almost went off-topic. Why is it written so slowly? Writing fanfiction... it's both easy and not easy. To say it's not easy, it clearly provides you with the world framework and a large number of characters already modeled, so you just need to create your own characters and play around, right? But to say it's easy, this world framework is really too large and complete. For someone with OCD who doesn't want any bugs or deviations from the original work, the writing process is almost like researching ten words for every word written, a process that can only advance step by step and simply cannot be fast.
Not to mention this busiest year-end season.
Therefore, unfortunately, although this book has achieved good results so far, completely enough for me to earn some 'small pocket money' and even more, I can still only update a maximum of once a day, at least for the next two months - February is for celebrating the New Year, and March is for sorting out what needs to be done in the new year. The full attendance award is a reward for those who can get it, not a punishment for those who write slowly. If I have no financial difficulties but force myself to update twice daily just to get it, it would be putting the cart before the horse - it would not only disrupt my daily routine, but also likely result in content that pleases neither side... If I can't make both readers and the author happy, then at least satisfy myself.
It will be one update for this period.
But I also can't make readers feel that their support for the book has gone to waste. There must be a mechanism for extra updates, which is also a form of unconventional pressure on my extremely poor self-control: First, please use your monthly votes to grab red envelopes or cast them for authors who need them. I like recommendation tickets. These things are in the book after they are cast, and as long as the book is not 404'd, they will always decorate the book's facade. I really love this stuff.
For every 10,000 recommendation tickets, I will add one update, starting from 40,000 tickets; um... tips and subscriptions are real money, and even more so cannot be ignored. For every 'Helmsman' (a type of supporter) that appears in this book, I will add one update, regardless of whether this fan value is from free coins or RMB - I currently owe two updates.
The thresholds are set quite high because I'm lazy, and also because I'm lazy, the decision on when the extra updates appear, whether in the form of main text, side stories, or explicit content, rests solely with the author. Thank you for your understanding. In return, I promise again: this book will exceed one million words upon completion... Saying this is not gritting my teeth or making any huge determination, because both my own subconscious and old readers who know me well understand one thing - completion is destined from the moment I released the book. As long as I'm alive and the book is not banned, there will definitely be an ending.
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