Chapter 533 Don't Move, I'm Coming
The writer interview column has existed since the birth of "Paris Review". Over the years, it has been the most popular column of the magazine. It has also become an indispensable material for many American readers to understand many writers, and enjoys a very high reputation in the European and American literary circles.
Christian Salmon is an editor and reporter of The Paris Review and has been in the industry for more than ten years. This interview program is not solely his responsibility. Roughly speaking, he has interviewed more than twenty literary masters over the years, but he has never met a writer like Lin Weimin.
When it comes to those famous writers, Christian Salmon has many impressions of them: taciturn, sensitive, irritable, sarcastic, humorous...
When it comes to the writers he interviewed, Christian Salmon has a lot to complain about.
Because of the filter, readers always think that these writers have noble character and are highly respected, but Christian Salmon is familiar with the virtues of this group of people, and naturally knows that they are actually ordinary people. Some of them even have character and personality that do not meet the average standard of the crowd.
Compared with so many writers he interviewed, Lin Weimin conquered everyone around him with his talent and character. While completing his own work, he always insisted on efficient creation and actively participated in charity activities.
Christian Salmon felt that he truly saw in Lin Weimin the ideal demeanor of a writer with both talent and moral character. After so many interviews, he no longer felt that this image was false, but instead felt it was becoming more and more real.
At the same time, after so many visits, Christian Salmon's curiosity about Lin Weimin did not diminish, but became even stronger. He was eager to learn more about Lin Weimin's life and more detailed creative experience.
At the Capital Airport, Christian Salmon was about to board the plane back to Milan. After hugging Lin Weimin, he said, "Lin, if you want to write a biography in the future, you must give this task to me!"
"My friend, I am less than 30 years old this year. Your idea is too advanced!" Lin Weimin laughed.
"It doesn't matter, this is called advance booking!" Christian Salmon said easily.
"Okay, no problem!"
"It's a deal!"
Christian Salmon held Lin Weimin's hand tightly.
After seeing Christian Salmon off, it was already late October. The weather in Yanjing was getting colder day by day, and winter would come in a few days.
That day, Lin Weimin received a call from Yu Hua.
After graduating from the National Academy of Literature, Yu Hua returned to Zhijiang and was first transferred to the editorial department of "Yanyulou" as an editor. After the publication of his first novel "Crying in the Drizzle", he had some outstanding long works in writing. Yu Hua was transferred to the JX City Literary Association and became a professional writer, devoting himself to writing full-time.
Today Yu Hua called Lin Weimin, mainly to tell him a good news.
He had just been allocated a house of more than 30 square meters this month. There were no commercial houses in those days and employees' housing was entirely allocated by the unit. It was a happy thing for Yu Huacai to be allocated a house not long after he was transferred to JX City Literature.
Yu Hua was full of excitement when he talked about this on the phone.
"Teacher Lin, when are you free to come and visit us? I haven't seen you for a long time and I miss you so much!" Yu Hua extended a warm invitation to Lin Weimin.
Lin Weimin said perfunctorily: "I will go when I have time."
Then he asked about the novel, and Yu Hua said cheerfully, "It's almost done, it's going very smoothly."
Lin Weimin would definitely not believe such nonsense, so he urged Yu Hua a few more times.
"Got it. Don't worry, I will finish it as soon as possible." Yu Hua promised, and then said, "Teacher Lin, the novel is finished. Shouldn't your editorial department send someone to pick it up?"
The editorial department sends someone to pick up the manuscript, which is a sign of appreciation and respect for the writer. In recent years, it has gradually become a way for writers to compete with each other.
"If you don't want to come to Yanjing, the editorial department can send someone to pick it up."
Lin Weimin's words made Yu Hua hesitate. He was just joking for the sake of conversation, but Lin Weimin's serious answer made him hesitate.
After the work is finished, it will be sent to Yenching. This is a good excuse for him to go out and have fun. If the editorial department sends someone to pick it up, won’t he have no chance to go out and have fun?
Just thinking about it makes me feel like I’m losing out. “Forget it, I’ll just give it to you guys.”
Yu Hua's answer was not unexpected to Lin Weimin. "Okay, write well!"
"knew!"
Today is the Frost Descent Festival. When I got off work in the evening, the sky outside was already gray. As the weather gets colder, the days are getting shorter.
Colleagues left the company on bicycles. There were a few motorcycles among the many bicycles, but Lin Weimin's black Mercedes-Benz was still the only one.
When I drove back home, Tao Huimin was cooking.
Since getting married, except for a few months in the United States, Tao Huimin has been staying steadily in the People's Art Theater, acting occasionally when there is a role.
While eating, Tao Huimin hesitated, as if she had something to say.
"Just say what you want to say. Isn't it uncomfortable to hold it in?" Lin Weimin said.
Seeing this, Tao Huimin said, "Weimin, a TV series has found me and wants me to play the leading female role."
"TV series? Which station produced it?"
Tao Huimin said: "It's staged in Shanghai, but it was filmed in Yanjing."
Lin Weimin knew that Tao Huimin specifically emphasized that the TV series be filmed in Yanjing simply because she was afraid that he would disagree.
"If you want to take it, just take it. You've been free for a year since you finished filming Dream of the Red Chamber last year. It would be good to have this opportunity to film a movie."
Tao Huimin asked happily, "Do you agree to my filming?"
"This is your job! What's wrong with that?"
After hearing what he said, Tao Huimin let go of the burden in her heart and a smile spread across her face.
After dinner, Tao Huimin cleaned up the kitchen while Lin Weimin went to the study.
His efficiency in writing novels is now much slower than before, not because his level has dropped, but simply because his life is too perfect and he lacks motivation.
I have been writing this novel on and off for more than half a month, and I have just finished half of it.
The next day at work, Lin Weimin received a call from Roger Strauss, saying that the English version of "The Hunt" would be released in the United States in early November.
In addition to "The Hunt", Roger Strauss also chose "The Sound of the Wind" from Lin Weimin's spy war trilogy. However, because this novel needs to be translated by FSG itself, the publication speed will be much slower.
In terms of print run, Roger Strauss had high hopes for The Hunt, with an initial print run of 200,000 copies, while the print run for The Sound of the Wind was much more conservative, at only 50,000 copies.
If we simply compare it with the print run of The Hunt, this number seems very small.
But if we put this number into the context of the entire U.S. book market, it is actually not that small. Many novels with mediocre sales may not even sell 50,000 copies after several years.
Of course, this number is not that large. The sales volume at the end of the New York Times bestseller list each year is around 100,000 copies.
Lin Weimin had no objection to the print run, as the novel itself was published in a bundle, and Lao Mi was usually not very interested in the stories of World War II that took place in the Far East.
In other words, the sales prospects of this novel should not be very good. If more than one-third of the 50,000 copies printed are unsold, FSG Publishing will lose money.
The publication of "The Whistleblower" was a matter of mutual consent and was one of the key factors that enabled Roger Strauss to reach a cooperation with Lin Weimin.
The total print run of the two novels was 250,000 copies, bringing Lin Weimin a royalty income of over 300,000 yuan.
A few days later, it was already the end of October, and Lin Weimin received a call from Cheng Zhongshi in Shaanxi.
"Weimin, the novel is finished!" Lin Weimin felt that Cheng Zhongshi let out a long sigh when he said this.
He stood up in surprise, unable to control his excitement, and shouted loudly, "Finished? Great!"
From the time he first came up with the idea in 1983 to the completion of the first draft in 1988, and then spending nearly a year revising it, Cheng Zhongshi spent a full six years finally completing his first novel in his life, which was also his "brick to rest his head on."
Lin Weimin was also very clear that this would be the only novel in Cheng Zhongshi's life, but this did not affect the historical status of Cheng Zhongshi and his novel in the Chinese literary world.
"Are you still in your hometown of Xi'an?"
"exist."
"Okay, just stay home and don't move. Our editorial department will send someone to get the manuscript!"
"I'll take it to you!"
During the writing process of this novel, Cheng Zhongshi received a lot of help from Lin Weimin and the editorial department of Contemporary Magazine. He didn't feel comfortable asking them to come all the way to pick up the novel.
"It's okay, it's okay, just think of it as going to collect manuscripts, and by the way, you can meet some of your Shaanxi writers!"
Lin Weimin's tone was unquestionable, and contained a hint of joy.
"Well, I'll wait for you here!"
"good!"
After hanging up the phone, Lin Weimin hurried to the editorial department's large office.
"Old He, come with me to Shaanxi!" Lin Weimin said anxiously.
He Qizhi was a little surprised. "What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Good, Lao Cheng has finished writing that novel, I'm going to get the manuscript!" Lin Weimin said with a smile.
All the colleagues looked at Lin Weimin. Cheng Zhongshi had been writing a novel for five or six years, and Lin Weimin would show concern for it from time to time. Everyone naturally knew that he had high hopes for the novel.
"Finally it's finished!" He Qizhi exclaimed.
He expressed what his colleagues were thinking: a writer may not publish a work for five or six years, but to say that he only writes one work in five or six years is indeed a bit exaggerated.
Cheng Zhongshi has never written a long novel, and his colleagues occasionally worry about the quality of his novel during conversations.
However, due to trust in Lin Weimin, no one has ever expressed these words publicly. After all, Weimin is optimistic about him.
"Weimin, there's no need for you to go in person to pick up the manuscript!" He Qizhi said.
"It's okay. I'll go meet other writers in Shaanxi. The editorial department is short of good manuscripts, so I'll just collect manuscripts!"
Seeing that Lin Weimin was determined to go, He Qizhi stopped persuading him.
The next morning, the two boarded a train to Shaanxi.
(End of this chapter)
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