Chapter 293 Shanxi Writers Special
The popularity of "The Story of Stealing an Official" resulted in many readers not only discussing it privately, but also publishing the results of their discussions in newspapers and magazines.
For example, there has been an article circulating in the Yanshi University Student Union's publication "Chuhang" recently, titled "A Brief Analysis of the Characters in "The Story of Stealing an Official"". The content of the article is not long, and judging from the tone, it should be published by an enthusiastic reader of the novel "The Story of Stealing an Official" in order to popularize the creative background of the novel to the general readers.
Within a few days, the article was reprinted by many famous Yenching universities' school magazines, student unions, and T committee publications, including Yenching University's "Wenming Lake" and Shuimu's "Tsinghua Garden", and was widely welcomed by students.
This type of reprinting continued to spread to other domestic universities. Many local media outlets noticed this trend and began to consciously publish this type of article, gradually forming a trend of analyzing the background of the characters in "The Story of Stealing Officials".
By late April, sweaters were no longer wearable.
Several figures playing basketball appeared on the basketball court between the front and back buildings of the Chinese Literature Society. The energetic shouts and the sound of basketballs hitting the backboard and the ground echoed between the two buildings.
Liu Yin closed the window that was originally open and complained, "These people, they don't even take a break after dinner, and they won't let me have a peaceful rest in the middle of the day."
Rong Shihui smiled and said, "Young people are full of energy, unlike us old guys."
After lunch, colleagues in the editorial department sat together and chatted.
Yao Shuzhi gave birth to a baby this month and is currently in confinement. Liu Yin is the only female comrade left in the editorial department, and she feels a bit bored.
"For the people!" Liu Yin shouted.
Lin Weimin asked, "What's wrong?"
"Have you read this article?" Liu Yin asked, pointing to an article in the newspaper.
Lin Weimin pretended to be serious and said, "I haven't read it. What does it say?"
"Really haven't seen it?" Liu Yin was a little suspicious.
There's something wrong with this kid's reaction.
"Of course I haven't seen it." Lin Weimin affirmed with a sincere look in his eyes.
"Really? I thought you knew for sure?"
"What's wrong? What's so special about this article?" Lin Weimin looked puzzled.
"Recently, many Yenching school magazines and newspapers have been reprinting it. It's about the character analysis of your novel. The article not only digs out the historical figures and events behind the novel, but also digs out the names of those people you wanted to criticize in the novel."
Lin Weimin was "surprised". "Is this true? So amazing? Who wrote this?"
The more Liu Yin looked at it, the more it seemed fake, so he said casually, "I heard he's a professor at Yan University, right?"
Lin Weimin looked slightly surprised, this time he was really surprised, "When did it become written by a professor from Yanda University?"
"It wasn't written by a professor from Yanda University. Could it be you who wrote it?"
Lin Weimin then realized Liu Yin's routine and kept silent. Liu Yin's expression was just as I expected.
"Still pretending to me! It turned out to be you who wrote it."
Lin Weimin argued: "I don't understand what you are saying. Isn't the signature of this article Ma Zouri? What does it have to do with me, Lin Weimin?"
The argument between the two had already attracted the attention of their colleagues. When they heard Lin Weimin say this, they laughed unkindly.
"Yes, yes, yes, this was written by Ma Zouri, and has nothing to do with you. The Story of Stealing an Official was also written by Zhang Muzhi, and has nothing to do with you either."
After Liu Yin said this, everyone burst into laughter and the atmosphere became cheerful.
Lin Weimin was like an old monk in meditation. I have told you many times, if it was not written by me, then it was not written by me. No matter what you say, I will not admit it.
After joking for a while, they started talking about other topics and everyone's attention shifted away from Lin Weimin.
Zhang Zhonge came over and talked to Lin Weimin about the Shanxi writer Zheng Yi.
Zheng Yi was originally a student of Shuimu High School, the school where Shi Tiesheng once studied. A few years ago, he went from Yenching University to the rural areas of Shanxi to work in the countryside, and later stayed in Shanxi.
He is currently an editor for a regional literary association publication and has previously published several short stories.
Last year, Zhang Zhonge went to Shanxi to collect manuscripts and met many Shanxi writers, Zheng Yi was one of them.
At that time, Zheng Yi gave Zhang Zhonge a novella "Distant Village", which tells the story of the marriage custom of "Labangtao" in a remote mountain village in Shanxi.
The abnormal marriage situation described in the novel is not uncommon in rural areas of poor areas. At that time, Zhang Zhonge was afraid that several leaders of the editorial department would not agree to publish it, so he specially wrote several thousand words of review opinions.
Fortunately, the quality of "Distant Village" impressed everyone, and it was successfully published and won this year's National Excellent Novella Award. This year's National Excellent Novella and Short Story Awards were held on the 19th of last month, and Zheng Yi also came to receive the award.
"He just sent me a manuscript, a novella, and it's pretty good."
"Let everyone take a look at it later, and publish it if it's appropriate," said Lin Weimin.
Zhang Zhonge pondered and said, "Last year, when I went to Shanxi, I met several writers who were quite talented, such as Li Rui, Cheng Yi, Luo Xueke..."
Lin Weimin smiled and said, "Old Zhang, don't beat around the bush. Just say what you want to say."
"Haha!" Zhang Zhonge laughed when his thoughts were exposed. "I think our publication can try to publish a 'special issue on Shanxi writers'?"
Lin Weimin hesitated and said, "A special issue? Are there enough manuscripts? How is the quality?"
"I plan to ask Zheng Yi to revise The Old Well. Cheng Yi is currently writing a novel River in the Clouds..."
"How long will it take to collect all the manuscripts?" Lin Weimin asked.
Zhang Zhonge shook his head. "It's hard to say. The end of the year is as soon as possible. I plan to go to Shanxi next month."
"I'll go with you!"
"Isn't that necessary?"
Liu Yin then interrupted with a smile, "Old Zhang, I think you should let Weimin lead the team. Your manuscript collection efforts are not good enough, and you only get one or two manuscripts each time you go out. Look at Weimin, he not only brings back manuscripts, but also brings back people!"
The sarcasm in Liu Yin's words made his colleagues laugh.
Lin Weimin's style of compiling articles is unique not only in the editorial department of Contemporary Magazine, but also among his peers across the country.
When meeting an author, first ask if he has a manuscript. If he has a manuscript, check the quality. If it is good, take it away directly.
If the quality is not good, the person will be taken back to Yanjing and put in a small dark room, or put in a small dark room locally.
If there is no manuscript, it will be even simpler. Take the person back to Yanjing and put him in a small dark room, or put him in a small dark room locally.
Anyway, as long as he is not allowed to complete the manuscript collection task smoothly, the author has only one way out - to be locked up in a small dark room.
When it is finished, it will be released.
In the words of Rong Shihui, even the farmhands in the landlords' families in the old society were not so miserable, it was like walking through Zhazidong.
However, despite the joking, everyone still recognizes Lin Weimin's achievements in compiling manuscripts.
As long as this guy is determined to put an author in a small dark room, the quality of the work and the influence after publication will be extremely outstanding.
For example, "Emperor Kangxi: The Initial Reign after Seizing the Palace" published in the first issue this year.
The author Leng Jiefang was picked up by Lin Weimin in front of the gate of CCTV. This incident alone is legendary enough.
Have you ever heard of an editor running around the streets to pick up authors?
Anyway, Rong Shihui said that he had been an editor all his life and had never heard of such an outrageous thing.
Lin Weimin dared to bring the person back after just a few words, and directly let Leng Jiefang enjoy the treatment of a cadre who revised the manuscript.
Leng Jiefang was locked up in the guesthouse upstairs for almost three months through a combination of lies and deception. He was only released after he had finally finished writing the manuscript.
Finally, Leng Jiefang left with a look of gratitude on his face.
Just tell me whether it’s infuriating or not?
The most important thing is that Leng Jiefang's manuscript is really well written.
In recent years, when people talk about historical novels, the first one that comes to mind is of course Yao Xueying's "Li Zicheng".
My colleagues read "Emperor Kangxi: Seizing the Palace and Starting Government" and "Li Zicheng" and compared the two. If we only look at the content of the first volume of "Li Zicheng", "Li Zicheng" is a bit better than "Emperor Kangxi: Seizing the Palace and Starting Government".
But if we compare the contents of "Emperor Kangxi: Seizing the Palace and Starting to Reign" with those of the later volumes of "Li Zicheng", both have their merits.
You know, Yao Xueying won the first Yanbing Literature Award with "Li Zicheng".
This is indeed the case. When the first issue of Contemporary magazine was published this year, countless readers compared "Emperor Kangxi: Seizing the Palace and Starting to Reign" with "Li Zicheng".
"Li Zicheng" was published earlier and has won awards. Therefore, the public's overall evaluation of the novel "Kangxi Emperor: Seizing the Palace and Starting to Reign" is slightly lower.
But precisely because of this, countless readers are looking forward to the sequel of this novel.
Readers can tell from the title alone that this novel is very ambitious.
The author is Er Yue He, oh, this pen name was given by Lin Weimin, he wanted to present more than half a century of history from the accession to the throne to the death of Emperor Kangxi in a novel.
After reading this novel, many readers wrote to the editorial department, urging the second novel of "Emperor Kangxi" to be published as soon as possible.
Leng Jiefang, who writes under the pen name Er Yue He, was greatly encouraged after receiving a letter from a reader forwarded by the editorial department, and is now devoting all his efforts to writing his second novel.
Amidst the jokes, everyone was making fun of Lin Weimin, but more importantly, they were recognizing his achievements.
Readers' welcome cannot be faked.
Although Lin Weimin was too "cruel" to his authors when compiling manuscripts, he did take good care of everyone on a daily basis.
Just from what his colleagues know, Lin Weimin has extended a helping hand to his authors who were in financial difficulties more than once.
There are few editors as accomplished as Lin Weimin in the industry.
After agreeing with Zhang Zhonge to go to Shanxi together to collect manuscripts next month, Lin Weimin made a special trip to find Meng Weizai and Qin Chaoyang.
It would take them ten days or half a month to collect the manuscripts, and someone had to take over the work. In addition, there was the matter of the "Special Issue on Shanxi Writers". After the three of them sat together to discuss it, they felt that it was indeed worth a try.
(End of this chapter)
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