novelraw 76. What is it like to become a writer?
76. What is it like to become a writer?
"What? Wang Yushu placed an order with me, specifically asking me to write a pop song for him?"
On the morning of January 26th, as soon as Zheng Ning arrived at work, Minister Yang called him into his small office, where he heard this strange request.
"Yes, he didn't ask our Shuncheng composition department to write one for him, but he wanted you, Xiao Zheng, to write one for him."
Minister Yang stood up from his seat, took a disposable paper cup, poured a glass of hot water for Zheng Ning, and handed it to him, saying with a cheerful smile.
"Hehe, maybe it's because I saw the momentum of your four songs before that I developed a special trust in you!"
"I have to say, Xiao Wang has a good eye. After the last performance of 'Always with Me,' I think all your colleagues now look at you in a new light. You proved yourself with a song that no one else could handle."
"But... I haven't even gotten started on the songs I sing yet, how am I supposed to write one for him?"
Zheng Ning accepted the cup; he could accept the minister's sweet talk, but the bullets...
"Actually, there's no conflict. Let me tell you, Xiao Zheng, you should still have quite a bit of stock left, right?"
Old Yang patted him on the shoulder and kindly asked him to sit down and talk.
"Otherwise, it's truly unbelievable that you wrote four songs in just one month: 'Rice Fragrance,' 'Chengdu,' 'Seven Mile Fragrance,' and 'Tornado,' and even found time to write 'Always with Me' for Donghai Animation... Even I, in my prime at the time, couldn't have done that!"
Old Yang looked at Zheng Ning as if he were looking at a treasure.
"Hehe, Minister Yang, you really overestimate me..."
Zheng Ning held the water glass and smiled bitterly.
All I have is "Sha Po Lang" which I gave to Brother Jiang.
I'm still waiting for my two songs to get into the top 100 so I can complete the task and get the treasure chest. How can I have time to write songs for him?
but……
I vaguely remember that when Sister Zhao was introducing this person to him, she mentioned something about his singing style... what was it again?
Okay, anyway, I have three songs. Releasing two songs a month is already the limit the company can support me. Maybe they can spare one for him sometime...
After hesitating for a moment, Zheng Ning nodded reluctantly.
"Alright, Minister Yang, let me check my inventory. If I find anything suitable, I'll let you know. If not, then I'm really sorry."
"Hehe, of course, of course, there's no such thing as something that can be guaranteed to be suitable. Oh, by the way, Xiao Wang also asked me to tell you about it."
Minister Yang glanced up at the door of the small office, and seeing that no one came in, he turned back and whispered to Zheng Ning.
"Xiao Wang also asked me to tell you that if you can really write a good song for him, his sister is willing to promote both of your songs on her Weibo!"
"Huh? Wang Yushu's sister? She's helping me promote this on Weibo? Is she some kind of celebrity?"
Zheng Ning was now a little confused.
"Hehe, I'm telling you this, but don't tell anyone else! This Xiao Wang's sister is quite something! You've probably heard of Wang Zixia, the rising star female writer, right? Her major works include the ancient-style novels 'The Night Wanderer' and 'Walking with the Wind,' as well as the urban novels 'Night Policeman' and 'Wang Xiaodai's Happy Life'!"
"Oh? 'The Night Wanderer' and 'Wang Xiaodai' were written by Wang Yushu's sister?"
Upon hearing the name, Zheng Ning immediately formed a concrete impression.
My younger sister is a loyal reader of "Wang Xiaodai's Happy Life". She bought a whole set of genuine copies and kept them at home.
My mom is a huge fan of "The Night Walker," and she used to read it for half an hour every night before going to sleep!
This is a famous author who reportedly has two million readers and fans!
"Hehe, you know her? That's good. So, what do you think? Are you interested?"
Old Yang could tell from his stunned expression that he must have heard of this person.
After all, while it's rare for singers within the company to personally place orders with the composing department, it's not unprecedented. Although the songs allocated by the company are free, their quality varies greatly.
However, if the singer is willing to pay for it themselves, the company is happy to make money off it. Moreover, if these custom-made songs really make the singer famous, the company can make a fortune from them.
Moreover, he specifically asked Zheng Ning to write it for him.
As for the expenses, their family is well-off and they have plenty of money.
"Hey...would a famous writer be willing to help me promote my new song? That sounds interesting!"
Zheng Ning stroked his chin and nodded silently. Writers on Blue Star still have a very high status, especially bestselling authors. Their fans are incredibly powerful!
Why not give it a try? See if we can create a positive connection.
"Alright, that's settled then, Lao Yang. I'll give it a try first, and I'll get back to you in the next few days whether it works or not!"
……
"Ring ring~"
Just as Zheng Ning stepped out of Lao Yang's office, his phone rang.
"Hey? Sister Zhao, haha, I was just about to call you."
He took his phone and went to the balcony.
"Oh, that's it. I was just about to ask you, did Wang Yushu specifically ask me to write a song for him? ...I know, I know, Lao Yang told me. Getting the famous writer Wang Zixia to help promote my new song is actually quite appealing!"
"I just don't know what kind of song Wang Yushu wants? What's his voice like? You know there are only 5 days left in February, I don't have time to rewrite a song for him, I can only see if there's anything suitable in my inventory."
"Oh, his voice is very resilient, especially suitable for singing high notes, so it would be best to write a song for him in a very high key, right? And even if there isn't a particularly suitable one, anything I write will do? Haha, he really thinks highly of me... Okay, I understand, Sister Zhao."
After exchanging a few more words, Zheng Ning hung up the phone.
He stroked his chin and thought for a moment.
Judging from the current momentum, "Seven Mile Fragrance" and "Tornado" should be able to enter the top 100 this month.
Then you'll get two music chests, and I wonder what kind of songs you'll get from them.
I've already decided on one song this month, "Sha Po Lang". Based on my observations in January, it's unlikely that the company will give me unlimited resources and release as many songs as I release. Two songs should be the limit.
From this perspective, if a song with a particularly high vocal range is offered, and one's own voice is not particularly suited to singing it, it's not impossible to allocate it to him.
The main reason is that the temptation of being promoted by a popular author is too great.
Zheng Ning suddenly thought,
What is it like to be a writer?
Readers are captivated by the author's words, immersed in the dreamlike world he has created, experiencing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness along with the author's pen, feeling heartache or delight for the characters' plight...
He himself had read quite a few novels and had even fantasized about whether he could write an excellent work someday.
After all, you can make a lot of money, fulfill your literary dream, and show off in front of your friends. That would be incredibly awesome.
"Ding!"
"The host's desire to make a name for himself in the literary world has been detected, and the mission 'The Sea of Learning Has No Bounds' has been issued!"
"Task objective: Conduct 100 hours of formal university-level literary writing instruction!"
"Mission Reward: [Literature Category Newcomer Gift Pack] x1! Please complete this task as soon as possible!"