Writer's success opens online chapter
Prizewinning web novel examines the battle between reality and aspiration, reports Wang Xin in Shanghai.
It is Chen's third web novel. Chen started initial work on the novel a decade ago. He graduated from university with big dreams but had to put aside his literary aspirations as he struggled to make ends meet.
"My biggest preparation for writing this novel was to live to the age of 30," says Chen with a laugh at the award ceremony.
Over the past 10 years, he read a large number of books, went through various challenges, gained life and working experiences, and eventually found himself getting close to the life of the protagonist he wrote about in his 20s.
Beyond Chen's personal growth, he was also propelled to do his best by his mother who passed away during the past decade. She was proud of Chen's work and believed in his future as a writer. While she was fighting a brain tumor, she encouraged him at every opportunity.
After losing his mother, Chen understood life's priorities.
A successful life, he realized, is not about "cost-effectiveness", but about "love".
