In August, we held an offline leader gathering.
We rented two villas, and forty-one leaders came to gather for three days and two nights. We talked about writing experiences, the plot, and our fate with Chixin...Many people came up with short essays and expressed their heartfelt feelings over wine, saying how much they loved this story. I was so moved. I have never smoked or drank, so I drank one glass after another.
This gathering was discussed at the beginning of the year. Everyone in the alliance group spent their own time together. In the end, most of them felt that August 12th was a good time.
A similar gathering had been held before, two years ago.
Knowing the speed at which I write, they expected me to take time off during the party. They all said they would help me take the blame and withstand the criticism from readers.
At that time, we never thought that Pure Heart Survey would actually get the first place, and it happened to be achieved in July before the party.
Taking first place and asking for leave will inevitably lead to the suspicion of being a big star...
In order to keep updating, I crazily saved manuscripts. During the party, they were singing, board games, five blacks, playing billiards... I looked for places everywhere to code and revise.
I stayed up until three or four in the middle of the night and still took out my notebook when I woke up in the morning.
Fortunately, I still accomplished my writing goal relatively satisfactorily.
During the party, everyone had a lot of thoughts and said things like hard work and joy, but they never thought that the results in August would be even better.
Throughout August, we were dominating the best-selling list.
On July 31, the average order was thirty-seven thousand. On August 31st, the average booking reached 44,000.
This August is a bit dreamy. The book with 6.8 million words has increased by 6,500 orders in one month.
This month, we are still number one in terms of monthly votes.
Frankly, it's a bit confusing.
I think that in addition to everyone’s support for this book and the monthly red envelope rewards for Five Star Glory works, it is also because the writing of the first 6.8 million words of this book was really written with care.
The emotions I poured into my words were felt by readers. In those unknown times in the past, my journey with some readers was seen by more readers.
Most of the recent dozens of new alliances are new readers. This shows that this book, which has been serialized for nearly four years, is still attracting new readers.
The writing level of me in 2019 is definitely not as good as that of me in 2023. I haven’t slacked off for a day in the past few years. If I don’t make progress, it would be too wasteful.
Therefore, it is reasonable for new readers to complain about certain plots. I hope that old readers will not be harsh - new readers have not yet entered this world, and old readers have been traveling in this world for a long time. The freshness that everyone feels is still a mirror image for the time being in the eyes of passers-by.
It's always the same sentence - if some readers don't like this book, it's definitely not their problem. Everyone is born with different preferences. Of course it's not my problem. I wrote so carefully and I've done everything I can. It can only be said that reading sometimes requires fate.
I am a very confident person, but the current results of "Heart of the Sky" do not mean that we can conclude what an excellent work it is.
At most, we can only say that the first 6.8 million words were indeed written with care, but how it will be written afterward remains to be seen.
I always believe that the most important part of a book is its ending.
Only by seeing the three words "Complete" can we comprehensively examine this book - does it start well and end well? Does it build a complete world? Does it live up to the expectations it has endured along the way?
When we read, we want to see the spirit and energy throughout, we want to see the stars in the sky form a bouquet of flowers, and the thousands of threads finally become a crown.
The ancients said the finishing touch was the finishing touch when painting. Without the last stroke, the dragon painting cannot be real.
I'm not sure I can do it well, but as I promised when I first started the book - I will try my best to do it.
The story has progressed to this point. Wangzi has raised his head and can see the stunning scenery. The hole in the Blood River Sect has almost been filled in. The handwriting of the saints has become known, and the veil of the modern era has been lifted.
Please help me remember how many holes I have yet to fill. Remember to remind me.
Okay, lunch has been eaten, digestion is over, and work begins.
Let's welcome September.
