"The Literary Giant 1879: Solo in France" has finally reached the point of being put on shelves.
I didn't want to make things complicated, nor did I deliberately create plot twists, but I did consolidate some of the overt and hidden clues from earlier, laying a good foundation for future developments.
This is my second book, and coincidentally, like last year, it's being put on shelves on August 1st, and both times during the Sanjiang period.
Recalling writing "Rebirth 2004: Solo in the Literary World" last year, I knew almost nothing about web novels, and just wrote with a brute force.
By this year's "The Literary Giant 1879: Solo in France," I seem to have matured a bit, yet I also seem no different from that newcomer last year.
Why do I say that?
Because my original plan wasn't to write about this "French literary giant" theme, but rather to waver between "era literary giant," "Hong Kong Island literary giant," and "Japanese literary giant" themes, and I even had the beginnings of two of them written a long time ago.
But when I finally decided to put pen to paper, it was this "French literary giant" one.
The main reason was that I saw Karamazov's "I'm a Literary Giant in Russia," and was immediately inspired, forming a very interesting and impactful image in my mind.
I almost started this book on this impulse—such emotionality doesn't seem like it should appear in an author who has already written a successful book and is seeking a breakthrough in achievements.
But I cherish this impulse; it's not easy for people my age to experience it anymore, so I still decided to write it.
However, the difficulty of writing this book indeed exceeded my imagination—although I am relatively familiar with 19th-century French literature, that was only limited to authors, works, and a general historical outline, but I was very vague about various details and the historical background of that time.
So before I started writing, I borrowed almost all books related to 19th-century French literature and life from the Shenzhen Library (the specific booklist is at the end).
But in fact, before writing the first chapter, I still couldn't grasp the main points.
It was almost on the day of our agreed time (June 25th) that I barely managed to write the prologue and the first chapter, and then hastily published the book.
However, it became much smoother afterward, and my thoughts became clearer and clearer, and many of the materials I had read seemed to come alive, slowly entering this story on their own.
So this is probably "everything is hard at the beginning"—once you get past the beginning, a long stretch of the road ahead might be smooth sailing.
If you also have the urge to write a book, you should open Word and type the first line of text immediately, without needing to ask anyone "Can I write?".
Of course, this also made me miss a wonderful beginning—a beginning that I might use in my next book.
Alright, I've said so much, it's time for the thank-you section.
This book has a niche theme, and being able to make it to Sanjiang, the recommendations from the big shots and the strategic planning of my operations officer are indispensable, giving it a very bright start.
Special thanks to:
Karamazov, his "I'm a Literary Giant in Russia," is the source of my inspiration; its professionalism and engaging quality can be glimpsed from the title.
Qingshan Tieshan, his "Father of France," is wonderfully written; anyone interested in France and World War II can read it, and it's still in its new book period.
Flame Star, my operations officer, not only diligently helped me find big-shot chapter recommendations but also found me a lot of useful information.
Also, many big shots who recommended my new book, thank you all here!
And also our Fifth Group's editor-in-chief Shuimo and editor Zheyu; without their tolerance, help, and support, this book might have been unrecognizable.
(In a while, I'll post an extra, to show everyone what the first chapter of this book looked like when it was first shown to the editor)
Of course, the most important thanks go to all the readers, it is your support that has brought me to today, to being put on shelves.
Among them are old readers who have accompanied me since the last book "Solo in the Literary World," and new readers who joined through different channels; I sincerely thank you for your support of this book!
During my most anxious period in the new book phase, it was your comments, your monthly and recommendation tickets, and your donations that gave me courage and confidence.
I hope this book can accompany everyone through a wonderful time.
Finally, let's talk about the update plan:
The update time on the first day of being put on shelves is 9 PM, and both the first and second days will have 4 updates, released consecutively.
Starting from the third day, normal updates will resume, with 3 updates daily, approximately 6-7 thousand words per day.
Additional update rules:
One chapter for each Alliance Leader.
One chapter for every 1000 monthly votes this month.
All additional updates will be completed within one week of the conditions being met.
Finally, I ask for first subscriptions! I ask for monthly passes!
And finally, a dedication to a friend's new book, "Japanese Literary Giant 1992"
———
References:
"History of French Literature"
"Creating Europeans: The Birth of Modernity and the Shaping of European Culture"
"Paris: The Key Century: The Making of the City of Lights"
"The Great Cat Massacre: And Other Episodes in French Cultural History"
"Literary France"
"Balzac Eats in Paris"
"19th Century French Readers and Society: Workers, Women, and Peasants"
"From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life"
"Prostitutes: The History of Sexuality and Prostitution in 19th Century France"
"I Want to Buy a Carriage"
"Tomorrow is the Ball"