eurekapd Chapter 510 Author's Closing Remarks
Chapter 510 Author's Closing Remarks
Book Title: Cultivating Immortality and Keeping a Diary: The Emperor Was Astounded
Alternative title: My Diary of Low-Key Cultivation Was Seen by the Emperor
Category: Tomato Female-oriented Fantasy Romance (No Couple)
Author: Mu Baimeng
Rating: 6.0
连载时间：2024年6月21日～2025年2月15日
Total word count:
Total number of readers:
Total bookshelf:
Total comments: 2836
Reading time: 21.74% (100,000 words completed)
(The above data is as of February 15, 2025)
_______________________
It's over! QAQ!
I have fulfilled my initial vision before starting the book and have completed writing a story in its entirety.
Great!
I have so many thoughts. In the more than six months of serialization, in an unprecedented length of over a million words, I have learned a lot and also realized many of my own problems!
Standing at the finish line now, looking back, I am filled with emotion.
I started the book full of enthusiasm, then faced doubts and anxieties, and finally endured a long period of torment in the later stages.
Thank you to every reader who has accompanied this book; you are my motivation to keep going!
The following are various rambling thoughts, as well as many explanations and additions about supporting characters, plot, and world-building. Feel free to take a look.
——【Serialization History】——
I still vividly remember the process of opening the book.
Actually, I have to thank a friend of mine for the creation of this book.
If you've read my old books, you'll probably notice a significant difference in writing style compared to this one. (If you haven't read them, please don't; they're truly embarrassing from my past.)
This spring, a friend recommended some novels to me. After reading them, I had a question: Hmm, I can write in this style, is it popular? (Sorry, I've read very few female-oriented online novels.)
On the evening of June 15, 2024, as I was lying on the sofa enjoying the air conditioning, a sudden inspiration struck me: I had the idea for "Cultivation Diary".
I immediately wrote down the book's title, a brief introduction, and the initial outline of the five volumes.
The writing style then became the same as it was at the beginning of the first chapter.
In just a few days, I was bursting with inspiration and typing at full speed. I published the book on June 21 (the summer solstice), contacted the editor, and completed the signing process on June 24.
After that, it achieved some success in its debut, with 100,000 reads, entered the new book chart, and almost made it into the top three.
This might not seem like much to others, but it was truly my first time, and I was flattered and delighted!
The Tomato AI incident in July immediately disrupted my high spirits.
After struggling with the decision for a week, I decided to finish writing this story.
After August, I started to think about whether I should write this book to the point of having a million copies.
The original outline was five volumes totaling 75 words. However, during the writing process, I discovered inconsistencies in the setting due to my lack of experience. The novel's world-building is vast, and five volumes are definitely not enough to tell the whole story.
That's when I got the idea to write a million words.
Ultimately, one reason that prompted me to make this decision was: if I don't write this now, I'm afraid I'll never have a million-word work again!
I like long novels, but I have no experience with them. It takes time to accumulate experience, and I have to take the first step on this long journey.
I feel very guilty. This book has served too many "experimental," "pioneering," and "exploratory" purposes in my hands, and I changed course several times along the way.
I feel really sorry for it. I was too incompetent and weak to make it bloom with the most beautiful flowers and bear the sweetest fruit.
——【Thoughts on the Character】——
I like my protagonist, Chu Lengyu.
When I first created her persona, my assessment of her was: "Her nature is like white jade, burning yet still cool; even if she is heartless, she is still captivating."
Note: His character is like white jade, burning yet remaining cool; his writing is like a red string, the more it is struck, the deeper it becomes. —Su Zhe, "Sending Wang Shi to Xuzhou for the Imperial Examination"
Though there are some hateful aspects, and the heartlessness is undeniable, even this heartlessness is moving. — Qin Guan, "Nanxiangzi: A Masterful Handwriting of Huizhen"
The main anchors of one's character are the three words "purity, tranquility, and composure" in Taoism: to remain calm in the face of great events and to maintain one's composure in the face of gains and losses (from Su Shi).
However, due to her age, she also occasionally displays a playful and carefree side.
She has so many strengths that I won't go into detail about them all, but you can probably see the direction I'm trying to portray.
During the writing process, I realized the serious shortcomings of Chu Lengyu: I portrayed her too superficially, vaguely and unclearly, and the main character's role was not enough, with a very obvious lack of subjective status and initiative!
This is also related to my outline being too fragmented; the main storyline was flawed, which was the biggest problem.
I won't go into specifics, because I want to reflect on my progress and introspect, rather than criticize my role.
I don't write about her as a daughter or anything like that; she's more like my "friend" or "partner," and we're walking this path together.
When I can't write anymore, the thought that she's still waiting for me on the road gives me the strength to grit my teeth and set off again.
The world is in my pen, but she is not confined by it.
Even as the story comes to an end, Chu Lengyu will continue to move forward in her own "ending".
She is the vast river that never stops flowing.
……
Another character worth mentioning is the emperor.
Judging from the book title and the early plot development, he is second only to the female lead.
An emperor is an emperor; he has no specific name.
Regarding his character development, I had different ideas at different stages. Going into detail would be too long, so I'll just keep it brief.
Initially, the emperor was merely a plot device, responsible for driving the storyline and emotions, leading his own story, and assisting Chu Lengyu.
In the beginning, the emperor thought he could use Chu Lengyu to seize the opportunity to develop the Great Xia Dynasty and at the same time make himself famous for all time.
After that, I started to consider his change in mindset.
The emperor would be wary of Chu Lengyu and would keep his distance from her to ensure his imperial dignity and status.
Furthermore, he began to realize that he did not necessarily have to be a "wise ruler".
His ambition began to swell, and he began to break free from conventional thinking.
What does it matter if others call me a "tyrant" or a "foolish ruler" as long as I can achieve my goal?
Of course, Chu Lengyu was different to him, and the two reached a tacit understanding.
……
Let's talk about the other supporting characters.
Lüyun is an ordinary, even stereotypical, loyal maid.
I'm ashamed to say that I didn't put much effort into her character development. She was just a supporting character in the early stages, responsible for livening up the atmosphere and saying things that Chu Lengyu couldn't say herself.
I referenced Huanbi in the characterization of Lüyun. To some extent, she reflects another side of Chu Lengyu, representing her mistress and expressing her unrevealed emotions, as well as her liveliness and kindness.
In the early to mid-stages, I seriously considered twice whether to give Lü Yun a special bloodline or something similar to help her grow and become an assistant.
But I still wanted to uphold the idea that "Chu Lengyu is the only immortal," so I didn't make any arrangements for her, and I'm very sorry.
……
Lin Jiuxiao and Ji Lingchuan from Xuanzhen Temple are supporting characters who are considered family members.
I think I've mentioned the origin of their names before, so I won't go into detail here. They represent, in my mind, a rather idealized image of simple, unassuming Taoist priests.
I spent a little more time describing Ji Lingchuan, not so much to express the romantic storyline, but to subtly convey some emotions.
His core premise is the origin of his name.
The Master, standing by a river, said, “Time passes by like a flowing stream, it never stops day or night.”
……
As for Lin Li, that supporting character, sigh, I don't even want to mention him. Every time I think of him, I feel heartbroken.
The first volume laid a lot of groundwork, introducing this important supporting character. However, due to revisions to the outline, his key plot points were lost, and he was no longer written about in the later parts of the series.
From the capital, Zhenbei City, and his hometown in Jiangnan, to the surrounding countries, he has a purpose in many places. His roles include, but are not limited to, introducing other storylines, collecting resources, controlling public opinion, connecting countries through trade routes, and acting as Chu Lengyu's representative to mediate situations.
But I really can't keep writing about supporting characters, let's just pretend I've forgotten about them.
……
I hesitated about the character design of the Empress, a supporting character, and even considered whether to include her in the story. In the end, she became the character she appears in the main text.
In fact, she is a very one-dimensional virtuous empress, and is depicted in very few words.
Because if I add any more details, I won't be able to control my pen and I'll end up giving her more screen time, sob.
Let's talk about the Four Kings and Eight Dukes again.
I know my writing is absolutely terrible! (Kowtowing repeatedly!)
On the one hand, I set up the 48,000 Dukes to be extremely powerful, threatening the imperial power; on the other hand, I needed the emperor to be strong, unafraid of them, and able to carry out his decrees.
This is contradictory!
I quickly took them offline because I really can't write political intrigue (I'm terrible at it).
We have seriously realized our shortcomings!
……
Every supporting character who appears at the snow appreciation banquet actually has an ending, but it's not written in the main text.
For example, Rong Chun lost her appetite after witnessing Chu Lengyu's miraculous abilities, and eventually entered a Taoist temple, abandoning the beautiful clothes and gorgeous hairpins she cared about, and quietly cultivating her character.
For example, the Zheng family later regained its footing with the help of Zheng Xuan'er. However, the person in charge was no longer the former Duke, but Zheng Xuan'er.
There are many other characters that I'm too lazy to name, so I'll just use a title instead, such as the Emperor and Empress, the Night Guard Commander, Xiao Zhang, Lao Wu, Lady Lan, and Old Man Merlin.
However, I did give names to all the princes, because the original outline included scenes about the princes, but I deleted that part when it was actually serialized.
I know my problem. The supporting characters are very stereotypical, and the villains are also very stupid. The most typical example is the group of supporting characters from the Chu family.
Ugh.
……
A group of supporting characters appeared in Fog Hill, but I didn't intend to elaborate on them.
Let me tell you a few things you might not know.
The first supporting character I came up with was the old man Merlin. With him, it was only natural that the four lineages of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum came into being.
The reason I designed the old man Merlin is simply because I like the name "Merlin".
Lady Lan, actually, when I was designing her, the image I envisioned was that of the character from Cloud Feather.
However, to meet the needs of the plot, the character design was greatly changed, and details were added to create contrast. For example, she looks weak and gentle, but uses fierce palm techniques.
The Bamboo Clan's design was initially inspired by the Beggars' Sect, hence the Bamboo Elder's magical weapon is a bamboo staff (the Dog-Beating Stick). They are numerous and powerful, but their internal structure is quite loose.
The Chrysanthemum Clan was created with the intention of having something unique, so we came up with the dual cultivation concept. I spent a long time considering what to call the leader of the Chrysanthemum Clan, such as Protector Chrysanthemum, Lady Chrysanthemum, Ah Ju, Sister Chrysanthemum, and finally settled on Palace Master Chrysanthemum.
……
The later demon realm settings, apart from a large framework that I had conceived in advance, were all improvised, so each had its own interpretation.
In August, I came across "Eleven Ghost Plagues," which gave me the idea to expand on this concept.