Several principles for writers

1. Confidence.

　　 I believe confidence is crucial in any industry, especially for writers, whose work is physically and mentally demanding and highly competitive. Don't be envious or jealous. While many famous people occupy the top of the pyramid, the initial focus should be on developing your own style and

a cohesive writing system that you can sustain.

Learning and creating, constantly writing and experimenting, is arguably the fastest way to improve your writing skills and something you must do throughout your career.

　　When choosing a direction, don't be influenced by news or public opinion. Don't blindly trust reports and online discussions. Whether writing online or in media, choose based on your personality. In my opinion, traditional literature, online literature, and market literature will increasingly learn from each other, breaking the current three-way competition. Learn

from whomever you feel you should learn from. Read essential writing books, foundational Chinese texts, and study the writing techniques of seasoned veterans. Learn from their experiences and build a solid foundation. Most importantly, be adept at developing your own writing system. Keep it simple, pure, understandable, usable, and adaptable.

　　Ultimately, it's about enriching your system and writing methods through learning, maintaining a consistent daily writing output, and sticking to it day after day. For example, the requirement for online writers to write 10,000 words a day seems unattainable, but with a systematic approach, it's not difficult. Confidence comes from diligence, learning, a systematic approach, and a portfolio of work. Results are for adjustment; as a new writer, it's perfectly normal to have few achievements.

　　Aside from literature enthusiasts, and most people like you who lack sufficient experience at the grassroots level, everyone who advances has their own unique skills. Confidence comes from your own methods and level of practice.

2. Enduring Loneliness

　　If you're currently experiencing inner turmoil and yearning, constantly thinking about making money and women (men), wanting to improve your life and earn some pocket money through writing, thinking it's the easiest way,

are you being naive?

Earning money through writing requires at least a six-month turnaround period, whether for print or online media, and the probability of getting a manuscript accepted is likely lower than the contract signing rate. It's not easy at all; if you don't love writing, handing out flyers is definitely more profitable than writing.

　　To transition from a literature enthusiast to a professional writer, you need time, support, and especially family support. Otherwise, you'll need a job to support your hobby. Try to create a stable environment to reduce anxiety and distress. Don't hesitate, don't be afraid; brainstorm and then realize your ideas.

　　Once you start writing, being able to endure loneliness is crucial. Don't talk about your work with anyone; it's considered unlucky. A good writer doesn't try to gain false praise without effort and is indifferent to praise or criticism—this is essential character. Good ideas will fade away quickly, and you won't have the patience to refine your writing system. Why bother? One year, two years, then another year or two, then another. Decades will pass. If you feel this way, and think, "This is exactly what I want," then you might be perfectly suited for this job.

　　Writing requires a significant sacrifice: money, time, the guilt of not being able to spend time with family, and the inability to learn many technical skills. While others are taking driving tests, you might not even be able to afford a license plate. After paying these prices, please become a professional writer; otherwise, how can you justify your determination?

　　Loneliness can destroy most people, but it can also make a few people as profound and serene as the starry sky, silently powerful.

　　Loneliness is the most important thing for creating another world; many people are forced to write their first work by loneliness. What we need is a great solitude deep within our hearts. Never let this solitude be desecrated or broken by anything else.

　　Embrace solitude.

3. Rules and regular living

habits: Change the habit of eating chocolate while writing, as it's very bad for your health. Change the habit of smoking while writing. Do you think Lu Xun and Marx died young because of lung problems caused by worrying about the country and its people? Maybe. The biggest reason is that they liked to smoke, right? Don't drink too much coffee either. If you're really tired, sit quietly, close your eyes, and meditate. The best drinks are tea or water. Eat three meals a day on time; tell yourself they are your reward. Drinking water is the happiest thing.

　　Some famous writers get up at four in the morning, and some like to write at night. You can arrange it yourself. The most important thing is to follow your own rhythm. Don't push yourself too hard and then get depression, overwork, or write while getting IV drips in the hospital. Girls, please don't switch between day and night. Choose a few exercise methods like running, hiking, or sit-ups; writing is really physically demanding.

　　Keep your desk tidy and clean, organize your notebooks, and don't write your ideas in a mess that even you can't understand. Upgrade your computer software and input method if needed, fix anything broken immediately, and go to an internet cafe if there's a power outage.

　　Be sure to write at the designated time; don't procrastinate. Writing 10,000 words a day is just the right amount for a writer, ensuring quality.

　　Write a diary every day when you have time (yes, this is a diary). Don't add extra habits or hobbies; if you're used to relaxing with music, don't add other hobbies like chess. If

you don't eat late-night snacks, don't impulsively agree to or go out for a meal; it will disturb your rest and create unnecessary habits. Get

　　some rest early.

4. A Good Mindset

　　If you do the above three things, stop worrying about not being able to find a job or when you'll get paid. You'll definitely become a professional writer within six months.

Don't complain about not having enough manuscripts. Many writers envy you for having so many to write, making those of us who write solo feel quite inadequate.

It's said that writing is a high-pressure profession. First, don't worry about your future or whether you've chosen the wrong path. channel all your anxiety into developing a systematic approach, creating content, and learning.

　　Much of the pressure on writers stems from the fact that it's a freelance profession, and in many places, freelance work is seen as a waste of time. Therefore, rules and a structured life are crucial. If you constantly break down your own barriers of confidence, rules, and loneliness to build a system, you might still be a small-time writer with no output after ten years, earning only a few hundred yuan. Comfort yourself by treating writing as a hobby!

　　You need the determination of Dostoevsky, the resolve to turn the pain of losing money and incurring debt into the motivation to earn money and write good works. This transformative ability is vital for writers. You need to turn life's misfortunes into stories, and transform your thoughts and pain into plot points. You need this skill.

　　Don't worry about whether your writing is good or bad. No one can give an absolute evaluation. It's a craft; you just need to do it every day, think, conceive, and write. You need output, but you also need to be true to yourself. Don't deliberately ruin your reputation, and don't be pretentious, because you can't be pretentious forever. This is why I hate plagiarism. You say, even writing requires plagiarism? If you can't even reinvent the wheel, what's the point of doing this?

　　Ultimately, writers are storytelling artisans, the same kind of people as the old man making sugar figurines on the street. Selling stories means enduring wind and rain, being diligent, and setting up your stall every day. Once you become a writer, don't say that writing is just a hobby, something to do for fun and earn some pocket money. What if you don't have a job? Then just be an art enthusiast.

　　Don't look down on readers, thinking they're all idiots and you can fool them. Don't treat readers as your bread and butter, as gods. After all, you are responsible for what you've worked hard to build. Treat malicious comments as nothing, and absorb helpful opinions. Don't treat editors as saviors; they'll publish what's meant to be published, and if your writing is bad, even a miracle can't save it. But you should always seek their advice and learn from them. Be neither arrogant nor humble. Moving the reader is something every storyteller should always keep in mind, so understanding the reader's psychology and emotions is the most important thing.

　　Commercializing writing isn't inherently bad. A writer who never considers the reader's perspective isn't a good writer. The most important skill is understanding the reader's emotions—making them cry, laugh, worry, feel anxious, and experience heartache. Giving them an outlet for their feelings and time to reflect is crucial. As long as you don't mess things up, avoid misalignments, or rely on sensationalist headlines, erotic writing is a recipe for disaster. Fame can lead to a life sentence—congratulations! Commercializing writing allows for even greater mastery of this emotional manipulation than media, which is truly remarkable and reflects the abilities of some authors I admire most.

Don't be reserved. No one can claim that writing quickly makes you a word-coding machine, or that writing quickly necessarily results in lower quality. Generally, there's not much difference between what you write in a day and what you write in three days. Don't strive for perfection in the first draft; write in one go and then revise. Don't neglect the initial concept development, but there's no need to spend excessive time on it either.

　　Don't boast about your lofty ideals and set all sorts of standards for your writing: "I want to reveal the darkness of human nature, to express the noble sentiments and transcendent spirit of this character, to leave a classic character in the literary pantheon..." Such self-restraint often leaves you unable to write a single word for ages. It's so difficult! Forget it, your literary dream just fizzles out.

　　No one can decide whether they will become a classic. Usually, you only become a classic when you're old and gray, with one or two feet in your grave. After becoming a classic, fewer people will read your books. What's the point?!

　　As a young person, I've never finished reading a single novel by Mr. Jin Yong. Because he became a classic, a master, my desire to read instantly plummeted; it felt like completing homework.

　　Don't just talk the talk. Many people like to discuss writing, like to use it to talk about life. Even after others have published numerous novels, they're still talking about it, from middle school to university, from university to graduate school, their dream is to write their own novel, but they hesitate to put pen to paper. I understand that feeling of boundless awe and longing. When I did this myself, I was a little skeptical, a little surprised, and couldn't believe this happiness was real.

　　And then that happiness slipped away.

　　 Don't be afraid of difficulties. Writing a book, from initial skepticism to entering the field to completion, will encounter many challenges, but they are all solvable. Be quick and decisive; in the world of martial arts, speed is the ultimate weapon. Persevere, and you will eventually finish. After completion, you'll realize how terrible your writing was, and you'll gain a lot from that.

　　The difference between a writer and a writer is mass production versus qualitative change, persisting for three to five years versus persisting for ten, several decades, a lifetime. The gap starts as addition, then multiplication, and then geometric progression. Looking at your peers, those from the same era, those from the same period, those from the same batch, will you truly not regret it?