Chapter 298: Full of Vitality 1!

Chapter 298: Full of Vitality 1!

Chapter 298 Be more energetic!
"Writing a new book is very hard work and requires a lot of thought," Zhang Zhilu said. "So as people get older, their thinking is not as flexible as before. Xiao Gu, you should create more while you are young and have a strong desire to create."

Gu Lu, who was still pondering the three labels, came back to his senses and responded, "My current speed of publishing books should be considered fast."

Maintaining more than 400,000 words per year and creating different types of works is considered fast. After all, Gu Lu knows that he is still a student and many things cannot be too outrageous.

"It's too slow, still too slow," said Zhang Zhilu.

Really slow? Gu Lu still has a novel and several short story collections!
"He's just curious about your creative method." Dong Hao said, "Xiao Gu, don't be fooled by him. There is no fast or slow in creation, just adapt to your own rhythm."

There is no fast or slow in creation, except for online novels. Do you have the guts to tell your readers about this?
A very simple example is when someone says your work is short and fast, the first reaction is definitely to explain that you are slow to type, your work requires a lot of research, etc. Therefore, Zhang Zhilu just said that Gu Lu was slow, just to extend the discussion.

"Aren't you curious?" Zhang Zhilu asked back.

"I'm curious. Xiao Gu's creative method is so unique."

Shan Yuanfu, Dong Hao, and most of the people present looked over curiously, including Wang Xiacheng.

Wang Xiacheng has read The Little Prince and the New Interpretation of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio series published by People's Literature. Even if he is beaten to death, he cannot feel that they are the work of a single writer.

Facing so many famous writers, Gu Lu was really a little excited to brag.

Don't panic!
Gu Lu put down his chopsticks. "When I read a book, I like to read it thoroughly and think about why the author wrote it that way. If I think about it more often, I will naturally develop similar thoughts."

"Because you, Xiao Gu, have been reading books all the time, the writing style of your works changes every period of time." Shan Yuanfu took notes.

So, is it that easy to imitate a work?

But Gu Lu’s battle record can be checked.

The writers were speechless for a long time and could only attribute it to the fact that Gu Lu was gifted. What else could they say?

"Oh, yes, Xiao Gu, you know a lot about Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, right?" Alai suddenly said, "I watched the movie Brokeback Mountain directed by Ang Lee before, and it felt a bit similar to a story in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. What was it?"

There are nearly 500 stories in "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio", and most of the books published on the market only excerpt a part of them.

There are few complete versions, and it is normal not to remember them if you have only watched them once.

Therefore, Alai's casual question was a real inquiry, but it also contained a hint of a test.

Why is it vague? Because not everyone may have seen Brokeback Mountain.

"A Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio similar to Brokeback Mountain?" Gu Lu thought about it in his head. "There aren't many works in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio that depict homosexuality. Mr. Alai, you should be talking about Huang Jiulang, right?"

"The protagonist fell in love with Huang Jiulang at first sight, and afterwards lost his appetite. It's only similar to Brokeback Mountain in a few places. If I remember correctly, Huang Jiulang is a male vixen." Gu Lu said, and he had basically recalled the whole story.

"Yes, it's Huang Jiulang. The protagonist misses Huang Jiulang so much that he gets sick. I think the plot is similar." Alai praised, "No wonder Mr. Yu called him Wenhu. He can rewrite Liao Zhai. He is really familiar with it. His knowledge is also very broad."

In Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, female vixens are easily fooled by scholars. Male vixens are more love-minded. In short, it is a pity that they are not allowed to become spirits after the founding of the People's Republic of China...

Even Wang Xiacheng agreed with Alai's point of view, saying that it takes real talent to be hailed as a genius writer.

Gu Lu was not proud, but just felt lucky that his self-discipline in reading was not in vain. The work drawn by the golden finger was a delicious dish with good color, fragrance and taste. Gu Lu was the plate, and the utensil at least did not drag down the food.

After lunch, we entered the most important part of the day.

A group of people taking photos.

Taking photos is the core of West Lake tour.

Team leader Wang Xiacheng and deputy team leader Zhang Zhilu are in the middle, while Gu Lu is on the edge.

In the afternoon, free at your own leisure.

Many writers took a boat tour on West Lake, but Gu Lu didn’t go because he had other places he wanted to go!

Gu Lu ran to Qiantang River because of a line of poetry. More importantly, this poem is often quoted in the online literary circle. I believe you all know which line it is, so I won’t go into details.

You gotta tell me, seriously, the ancient poetry I learned when I was a student really added a lot of points.

Compared with West Lake, the scenery of West Lake is nice, but when the Qiantang River is not high tide, there is really nothing to see.

"Meeting is not as good as imagined." Gu Lu found that he was not very disappointed.

There is a perfunctory feeling that one's dream will come true once they get to the place, and the scenery of the specific place is not important.

It's good to be a writer. No matter how famous you are, you won't be recognized on the street. Gu Lu walked along the river for a while. During this time, he scooped up river water and grabbed mud and sand, but failed to trigger the synthesis sequence.

It will definitely take multiple attempts.

Hey, is this guy selling goldfish? They say they are goldfish from Qiantang River, but I don't know if that's true or not.

"The Borrower is adapted from a novel, so is Ponyo on the Cliff adapted from a novel?" Gu Lu bought one.

The synth sequence is quiet as a chicken.

I am not disappointed, because similar actions have become a habit. I will play twice if there is a date or not! Gu Lu gave the ten-dollar goldfish to the child next to him.

"Thank you brother!"

Gu Lu waved his sleeves and took away not a cloud, but only a mineral water bottle, the garbage he had just seen.

In the past, Gu Lu could only ensure that he did not litter, but it was Zhao Juan who influenced him to protect the environment and pick up trash.

Of course, there is a prerequisite: there should be less garbage on the ground. If there is a lot, Gu Lu doesn’t want to become a sweeper.

Besides… the consumption level in this city is really high. In 13, even in Jiefangbei, the foggy city, the price of a goldfish was only five yuan at most.

It’s almost time, Gu Lu is going to pick up President Wang.

The hotel booked for the Writers Association event was the Junlan Hotel, and the party was held in the banquet hall on the third floor of the hotel.

The last time I saw President Wang was about a year ago, right? He hasn't changed much, but Gu Lu has grown taller.

"Xiao Gu is stronger than before, which is good." President Wang said, "A writer should have a good body, so that if the editor comes to press for the manuscript, he can run away."

"...President Wang, please don't say scary things." Gu Lu said, noticing that the other party's voice was a little dull.

"It's just a joke, but there are indeed authors who procrastinate and need editorial supervision." President Wang laughed, "But Xiao Gu, you are still a student, so students should still focus on their studies."

“……”I am really grateful for being a high school student.

President Wang may have caught a cold just after getting off the plane. Friends who often catch colds know that it is very uncomfortable to fly in this situation.

Therefore, Gu Lu did not talk about publishing right away and gave President Wang some rest time, which was quite considerate.

Take a taxi and head towards Narada Hotel.

It was already dinner time, and more than a dozen writers, plus local media, were all present.

Looking at the banner in the banquet hall [West Lake Impression·Writers Tour], below the huge signature wall are the Writers Association, Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles and other units, all of which are organizers.

"Is Xiao Gu not back yet?" Wang Xiacheng asked. "He must have gone to meet the publishing editor about the new book." Zhang Zhilu replied.

"What publishing house? We'll give Xiao Gu a little praise later," Wang Xiacheng hid half of the words. As a senior, he could still give certain support to such an obedient and teachable young man.

Zhang Zhilu has the same view, but he is used to helping capable juniors.

More than ten minutes later, a hotel staff member came over and whispered something in Wang Xiacheng's ear.

"No problem. Although he is not on the invitation list, he is one of us who invited you." Wang Xiacheng responded.

The banquet was quite formal, and you had to show your invitation at the door to get in. The hotel staff were also very dedicated to their duties.

Two people, an old man and a young boy, walked in. The old man was not that old, probably in his prime. The young boy was not that young either, also in his prime.

Yes, the people who came were Gu Lu and President Wang.

Wang Xiacheng felt that the other person's temperament was not simple...

"Why is President Wang here?" Shan Yuanfu recognized him. He had met President Wang several times before.

"Let me introduce you." Shan Yuanfu said immediately, "This is President Wang of the New Youth Publishing House, and also the secretary of the Heilongjiang Youth League."

Why Shan Yuanfu was familiar with him was clear from his words. He was also a writer from Xuecheng. In fact, even if he didn't say anything, there were other writers from the three northeastern provinces who knew President Wang.

After all, the status of New Youth Publishing House is quite high in the three northeastern provinces. Just look at its publications such as "Youth Digest", "Youth Literature", "Rainbow", "China Teachers", etc., they are full of style.

In any aspect, President Wang was the most important figure in today's event. Wang Xiacheng and Zhang Zhilu, the team leader and deputy team leader, had different reactions. The former's breathing became much faster, and the latter also put down his glass.

"I am sorry to disturb your party," said President Wang. "It is mainly because Xiao Gu's new book is being published at our publishing house. So the matter is quite urgent, so I came here uninvited."

He is relatively gentle when facing Gu Lu, but towards other people... his every word and action is like that of a president.

"It is a great surprise that President Wang came to our event. It will definitely make our event shine." Wang Xiacheng said.

Don't blame Wang Xiacheng for not having a proud character, he has experienced too many beatings from society. Before he became famous, his first work was a news report about the misappropriation of money for building a road in the village.

As a result, not only did the book fail to be published, but my writing career was almost ruined. Very straightforward: "If Guangming Daily can report it, can you write about it? Do you understand the rules?"

"There's no need to give any instructions. Just follow the activity schedule." President Wang said, "I caught a cold in the rain yesterday and feel a little uncomfortable, so I won't say much."

He was blocked from speaking on stage.

After greeting everyone, President Wang found a quiet corner and started discussing publishing matters.

Seeing that the leader said so, no matter what little thoughts everyone had, they stopped disturbing him.

"Does it need to be so important?" Wang Xiacheng sighed. He even took a plane to talk about his new book even though he was sick!
Is Gu Lu's united front value so exaggerated? Wang Xiacheng couldn't figure it out, but he could understand one thing. Although Xiao Gu was a junior, he couldn't be taught a lesson casually.

On the other hand, deputy team leader Zhang Zhilu felt relieved. He had originally wanted to help young writers. Unexpectedly, the other publishing house paid more attention to him than he had imagined!

"It should be because of 'Young China', right?"

"Thinking carefully, I have seen official media praise Xiao Gu more than once as a role model for young people in the new era."

"This young man is really nice, his attitude is very good, and he has no arrogance at all."

And so on, discussing in low voice.

Little corner——

"The Japanese version is out, that's great news." President Wang said, "I seem to remember that your Little Prince sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Japan."

"We're lucky. Our sales just exceeded 110 million copies this month," Gu Lu said modestly.

Neon's physical publishing industry is well developed, and a book that can sell over a million copies is a bomb.

"Specific publicity and translation require specific discussions," said President Wang. If a book is also a bestseller abroad, then there is no doubt that it will definitely boost domestic sales.

Gu Lu nodded. It would definitely require further consultation, especially matters concerning foreign countries, which would have to be discussed with the agent Yao Xiaoju.

The result was good, and the two parties signed a contract. Gu Lu received an 18% royalty rate, and the publishing house signed a good book, a win-win situation.

President Wang was really busy, and he left early the next morning and returned to Ice City.

"I am really looking forward to your new work. President Wang values ​​it so much, it must be wonderful." Wang Xiacheng said.

"It's okay, just maintaining the standard of the previous work." Gu Lu responded.

Wang Xiacheng said, "Xiao Gu, I want to talk about you. Young people should be energetic and not too modest."

Okay, you've said it all.

The one-week trip to West Lake went smoothly.

After Gu Lu returned to the Fog City, he learned some bad news.

The second reunion of Class 5 of No. 37 Middle School was a difficult one!

The process of the birth was also tortuous. Chen Na had no time to organize the birth because her best friend was away in another province and she had to take extra classes.

Zhou Lin then took the initiative to step forward and worked for a while, but too many people couldn't come during the summer vacation. The girl with super strength was not as popular as Chen Na. To be more precise, Nana used to be the monitor of the junior high school. She was responsible for collecting class fees, organizing class parties, and other matters.

As a result, even after more than a year of graduation, she can still speak in front of most of her classmates. But it is difficult for Zhou Lin to do so, especially with male classmates...

"Don't worry, leave this to me!" Zhang Yudong popped up again. If there was no class reunion, how would he pretend to be cool when Gu Lu asked him to show his face in "Flat Country"? !

Do you know? When you are about to finish your meal, it feels like eating hot pot to lose weight, which is very uncomfortable.

The situations encountered by Zhang Yudong and Zhou Lin can be said to be exactly the opposite. The former has a lot of face in the eyes of boys.

also failed.

"In the past, it was Sister Nana who organized the event and I didn't feel anything. It was only when Sister Nana was gone and I had to do it myself that I felt the difficulty," Zhou Lin said.

Because of the failure of the class reunion, the class group became lively instead.

Gu Lu also popped up occasionally, and he was notified.

After discussion by the publishing house, it was decided that "Flowers for Algernon" will be released on September 3rd!
It’s around the time when high school students start school, and Fog City No. 8 Middle School starts on the 2nd.

After much discussion, the New Youth Publishing House came to the conclusion that “the sooner the better!”

More than a month is the shortest time for book promotion. No matter how urgent it is, the work must be well-known!
New Youth Publishing House will step up its publicity efforts.

Meanwhile, August is here! The latest issue of New Reading is now on sale.

Gu Lu's two newly published short stories, "The Possibility of Evil" and "Random Thoughts", are very controversial.

(End of this chapter)