Started writing novels in junior high school, I've summarized three key secrets from years of experience. I recommend beginners to dive right in!

•   First, analyze the rankings and study the deconstructed literature
•   Second, one must know the secret of writing code
•   Thirdly, selecting the right platform is crucial.

Next, I will provide a 2k+ word guide on how to get started with the practical implementation. The article includes a mind map of the outline and a disassembly template. Additionally, a detailed platform submission tutorial is attached at the end.

I enjoy reading novels, and writing has been a hobby of mine since childhood, though I'm not naturally talented at it. In middle school, I used to write a lot of fan fiction, but my busy high school schedule left little time for writing.

Up until now, after several years of work, I resumed writing novels and wrote sporadically for over half a year. Initially, I approached it with unorthodox methods, but after taking advice from a Salt Selection producer, I dedicated myself to writing and eventually succeeded in getting the novel listed on the platform.

When writing novels, don't look for shortcuts. The more you read, write, and reflect, the more you will improve. Writing is essential for making progress.

  Learn to analyze the chart and break down the text

Writing a new novel always begins with imitation. What should you imitate? How do you imitate it? Start by learning to: scan popular works, analyze chapter outlines, and deconstruct and analyze. Once you master these skills, your writing ability will experience a significant improvement.

  1. Check the charts —— see what's trending lately

Chart sweeping involves monitoring market trends and reader preferences. What type of novels are readers on a particular platform currently favoring?

•   Before starting to sweep the charts, decide if you want to focus on long-form or short-form content.

If you want to focus on short stories, you can browse Zhihu. If you prefer long stories, you can explore Jinjiang Tomato. As a working person, I find it difficult to commit to long stories, so I choose the short story route.

•   Determine the theme by analyzing the charts

Newcomers should pick topics they are passionate about; otherwise, they might find it hard to follow the rankings and analyses in the beginning, and even harder to keep up when they start writing on their own.

But if you have a broad range of interests and are fascinated by various topics, focus on the most popular ones. For example, the trending themes on Zhihu currently include strong female leads,穿越 (time-travel or 穿越 book), and white moonlight substitute stories, etc.

Nowadays, every genre of web novels is highly competitive. If you don't write what's popular, nobody will read it. Following trends is the quickest way to success.

•   What chart are you referring to? The new book chart or the potential chart?

However, I don't really recommend studying the top 10 writers, as their works may not be very helpful for beginners to learn from.

Unless you have exceptional talent, aiming for the top 10 in the overall rankings is quite challenging. If you're looking to read, focus on newly signed works or those that have recently gained popularity. While the data for new sign-ups might not be stellar, they at least have the merit of being signed.

•   How to top the charts?

Checking the rankings isn't just about glancing at the list. I typically select 5-6 books based on my intuition (by looking at the titles) and then read the content of each one.

Study the rhythm and writing style of others, and understand the criteria for contract signing set by the major reviewers. By working towards these standards, you can get closer to signing a contract and monetizing your work.

  Everything is challenging at the start. When aiming to top the charts, it's crucial to learn from others' opening storylines.

What suspense does the author create at the beginning to keep readers engaged? How many words are used? What hook is placed at the end? The beginning doesn't necessarily refer to Chapter 1; it can differ for short stories, long stories, and novels on various platforms. For a long novel, the opening might span the first 3-10 chapters.

However, for short stories on Zhihu, in addition to the opening hook of around a thousand words, the first 50 words are particularly important.

Zhihu places a high importance on the opening of articles. As someone who regularly submits content to Zhihu, I can explain why a strong opening is crucial.

Zhihu's distribution mechanism gives higher weight to content with higher click-through rates, making it more likely to receive traffic. To achieve a high click-through rate, the first 50 characters of your content must be engaging, so it's crucial to grab the reader's attention right from the start.

  These are all the insights I gained from the Salt Selection producer.

By analyzing the charts, we can identify the unique features and preferred styles of each platform. Ignoring these characteristics and writing without any strategy will inevitably lead to failure.

If you want to write short stories, submitting to Zhihu is definitely the best option. I tried submitting to four or five platforms, but only got accepted and earned money through Zhihu's Salt Selection. Zhihu novels emphasize being concise and high-quality, so a short story typically needs to be around 1,000 to 1,500 words.

But being short doesn't mean it's easy to write; you still need to master the tricks of selected novels, which are the so-called "shortcuts". It's recommended to follow the official guidance directly.

  I started here; the official tutorial entry is below ↓↓↓

This is the official Zhihu writing camp, where the producer will guide you step-by-step in mastering popular opening techniques and conventional writing methods on Zhihu.

Everyone should pay attention to the live stream content on the second day, and there are writing knowledge material packages available for you to claim. Don't forget to add the assistant teacher's WeChat, as they will send the materials to you!

  2. Analyze the structure —— get a rough feel for the flow of the article

While scanning through the charts, if you come across a piece that grabs your attention right from the start, you can choose this book to create a chapter outline. The key to the chapter outline is to understand what each (few) chapters cover and to list their structure.

For example: "Chapter 1: Returning Home", this time I will reclaim everything that is rightfully mine.

Seriously, how do you break it down? You can summarize the plot of a chapter in a few sentences, clarifying and noting the main storyline and key events of each chapter.

I typically summarize in 50-100 words or create a mind map. For instance, I analyze how the author sets up the plot, introduces twists, and includes satisfying elements.

Conflicts and contradictions begin to be created there (they must be reasonable and logical), with some parts described in detail and others touched upon briefly.

Pay attention to the highlights and plot twists the author has set up in this chapter. If you encounter any brilliant paragraphs or words, feel free to jot them down. The essence of web novels lies in being entertaining, satisfying, engaging, and creating anticipation, so the writing style and outline are secondary.

The goal of studying a story's structure is to learn how others pace their plot and create anticipation and satisfying moments for the readers.

Once the chapter outline is broken down, the basic structure of the entire work can be reconstructed. The work's structure primarily consists of three components: background elements, main plot summary, and character profiles.

You have analyzed the structure and outline of others' work, and you do the same when you write.

First, create the main outline, then develop the chapter outlines. The main outline establishes the tone and the primary storyline, primarily to keep the narrative on track.

Zhang Gang outlines the plot for each chapter, but it's not essential to complete every chapter's outline from the start. I typically plan the next 3-5 chapters at a time, allowing me to make adjustments based on the preceding narrative. Sometimes, inspiration strikes while writing, leading to changes in the originally planned plot for the following sections.

  3. Break down the text —— Closely examine the plot and characters

To further your studies and improve, you need to dissect the text, which involves breaking down the detailed outline. It's a tedious and time-consuming process, but carefully dissecting one book will significantly enhance your writing skills.

When breaking down text, you should read it with a specific goal in mind, not just for enjoyment as a reader. Additionally, you shouldn't rely on others' analyses; you must do it yourself.

  I've created a template for your reference.

  Consistently check in for coding

To be blunt, those who ask about shortcuts to writing novels are just being lazy. I'll put it out there: unless you're a naturally gifted genius, laziness won't help you write a good novel.

I set weekly goals and adjust the frequency of updates based on the dynamics of my job.

For instance, in the early stages, setting the outline and chapter framework will take one to two weeks, with two hours of work each day after finishing my regular tasks. In the later stages, the speed of filling in the details will be faster, and the daily word count will be adjusted as needed. To keep the ideas flowing smoothly, I will aim to add new content every day during the initial draft creation.

  Select the appropriate submission platform

Identify which area you excel in; if it's short articles, I recommend focusing on Zhihu. Typically, articles around 10,000 characters are suitable for submission.

If it's a long piece, you might try the pomodoro technique, but it demands a lot of focused time, which can be challenging and hard to maintain, especially for someone like me who writes novels while holding a job.

To get approved on Zhihu, content needs to be fast-paced and follow current trends. However, writing by imitating templates can also be quite efficient.

  There are three methods for submitting to Zhihu:

Hard version: Publish your short story on Zhihu by finding a relevant question and editing your answer. If readers approve and the performance is good, Zhihu's Salt Selection producers may reach out to you with a contract offer. (It's very challenging, not recommended to make it harder for yourself)

Classic version: Submit your short story to the "Yan Selection Platform". A Zhihu Yan Selection producer, acting as an editor, will review your work. If it passes the review, you can successfully submit and sign the contract. Note that the success rate is low and heavily depends on the quality of your submission.

Easy version: Enroll in Zhihu's writing course, learn their Salt Selection story techniques, and create a piece. Submit it through internal channels, and once it has been edited and approved by the producer, you can successfully submit and sign a contract. (This method is the simplest and could almost be considered a shortcut)

To promote the new writing program, Zhihu is offering a 1 yuan creative writing course. The instructors are the program managers and senior producers of the "Salt Selection Column," who are well-versed in the submission guidelines for the column.

If you're interested in submitting a novel to Zhihu, it's highly recommended to listen and try out. This will give you a more detailed understanding of Zhihu's submission requirements, creator experience guidelines, and story writing techniques. You can also claim a package of writing knowledge and practical materials. Click the card below to sign up now ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

In summary, there are no shortcuts to writing novels; to write good web novels, one must read more, write more, and gain deeper insights.

  Writing is something you enjoy, and happiness is the most important.

  Wishing everyone lots of popular articles and big earnings!