Chapter 40: Thoughts on Going Premium

It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve written one of these, so let’s do it. But after thinking about it, I don’t really know what to say. Let’s start with what everyone cares about the most: the update schedule.

In the beginning, I agreed with my editor on 2,000 words a day, with normal days off (I have four days off a month, my lords and ladies, I absolutely have to take them!). However, after the new book was published, my editor came to me and said the reader retention data was quite good, suggesting I push myself a bit... So, tempted by success, I couldn’t resist writing 4,000 words. You all know what happened next. Those good retention numbers were like a carrot dangling right in front of me. I wrote with such incredible enthusiasm every single day!

And that brings us to the present: the premium release is scheduled for the early hours of May 1st, 2024. During this holiday, I don’t know if any of you are traveling, but if you are, have a great time! However, if you’re still awake or find yourself with some free time during the day, please consider supporting the subscription. I would be incredibly grateful.

Another question is whether writing two books at the same time will cause my ideas to clash... It won’t. In my mind, they are simply Book A and Book B. They are completely different, and the images I conjure up for them are distinct, so naturally, they won’t overlap. The only problem is that writing is a bit exhausting. I won’t even bother mentioning my neck issues and all that. But that also has to do with my own laziness; I can’t blame it all on the work...

Last but not least. I am 31 this year! I started writing books in December 2015, and it has been almost nine years now. In these nine years, I’ve only taken two long breaks: one was a month off after finishing a book, and the other was a week in the hospital when I was sick. (Even though you guys joke that I’m a flake, I still struggle to write every day. Personally, I’m very chatty with people I like, so I simply can’t stop telling stories to my readers.)

Nine is the pinnacle of numbers. I like numbers like five, seven, and nine, and I want to write more and better works for everyone while I still have the energy. That way, ten years from now, if the name Song of Thorns is brought up, you won’t stare blankly and say, "I don’t really remember them." Or, "The writing was just okay, I can’t recall the details." —How depressing would that be? After all, I’ve been writing for so long, and I actually get secretly proud reading your comments every day.

So, in this new year, let’s make a new breakthrough. The new book is also a story that I like and want to read myself. It’s just that my personal style probably won’t change—it will still be rambling, slice-of-life daily affairs. The main goal is to keep things stress-free and bring people a touch of gentle joy. That is enough.

I sincerely hope everyone will like it.

April 30, 2024

Song of Thorns