CH 80

“Outlines are not necessary; many experts don’t use them.”

In Qiu Wuji’s room, Chu, the divine author sought after by fans for autographs, the cultivator apprentice, writing mentor, passionate lover, sat beside her on a small stool and began to guide her: “The greatest significance of an outline is to help you clarify what story you want to write, what the protagonist will do, what they will experience, and what results they will achieve. It’s a concise summary of this process, the most basic outline. If you have a clear story in your mind, you don’t need this thing. So, what kind of story do you want to write?”

Qiu Wuji’s eyes lit up. “I want to write a story about a female warrior who slays demons and evil spirits.”

“…That’s not a story. Repeat what I just said.”

Qiu Wuji’s eyes formed into circles as she replied, “The protagonist will do… My protagonist will slay demons and evil spirits. What she will experience… She will experience slaying demons and evil spirits.”

Chu Ge responded, “And what result does she achieve? Successfully slaying demons and monsters, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

“That’s not a story; it can only be considered a theme,” Chu Ge said. “If you want to write a story about a female lead who escapes from a book, that can only be called an idea, a concept, not a story. What happens between Qiu Wuji and Chu Ge, that’s what makes a story.”

Qiu Wuji seemed to regain her senses. “What do you want to happen between us? You pervert!”

Chu Ge covered his face. “I can’t teach such a disciple.”

Qiu Wuji glared at him, feeling indignant. “You’ve already touched my hand.”

“…Fine, fine, I’ll try again.” Chu Ge reached out and lightly touched her hand twice.

Qiu Wuji reacted instinctively and landed a punch on Chu Ge’s face.

Phase one of the lesson ended.

…………

“The story doesn’t make sense, let’s put it aside for now and focus on character development. From the characters, we can also construct the plot. For example, what kind of person is your female protagonist, what are her pursuits and ideals, and what experiences shaped her personality… From her ideals and pursuits, we can build the next steps…”

Qiu Wuji clicked the mouse, click, click.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for your character profile for Qiu Wuji.”

Chu Ge sighed, “Oh my god…”

“Wait, my profile here doesn’t mention what I’ve experienced, it only sets the personality.”

“Because with different backgrounds and focal points, your past is just a powerful label: a prodigious talent leading the sect to flourish. As for your cultivation journey, the challenges you’ve faced along the way, readers can fill in the details with their imagination. There’s no need to explicitly write it. This way, I have room for development, like splashing ink on a blank canvas, I can add sentences like ‘Qiu Wuji has a literary temperament’ or ‘Qiu Wuji possesses the attributes of a virtuous wife and mother.’ Others won’t know about your past experiences, so it’s easier for them to accept.”

“But why did you ask me to create such a profile then?”

“Because you’re writing the female protagonist.”

“But your Qiu Wuji is also the female lead.”

Chu Ge covered his face. “I can’t teach this disciple.”

“You already touched…”

Chu Ge quickly assumed a defensive posture.

Phase two of the lesson ended.

……..

“Alright, let’s do this. First, let’s establish the character relationships, as the plot can also be organized from these relationships. For example, your female lead encounters the male lead when she emerges from seclusion. What kind of person is the male lead, and what situation is he facing at that moment? When the female lead meets him, whether it’s assistance or a misunderstanding, the first plot point emerges. Then, delve into the background of the male lead, the people and forces he’s associated with, and their respective motivations. Then, explore the female lead’s background and her connections. By interweaving these elements, a plot web will come together.”

“I don’t even know what you do at home, you don’t even know yourself, and yet we’re living our lives just fine.”

Chu Ge sighed, “… You’re storytelling. Can you forget about our real-life matters for a moment?”

“I just feel that what you say and what I experience are different.”

“You’re experiencing life, which is plain and mundane, living the same daily routine. But what we’re doing is creating stories, which require various plot twists and turns. It’s not the same thing.”

“Isn’t it said that stories come from life?”

“… Did I ever argue as much as you when I was your disciple?” Chu Ge became frustrated and started pacing around the room. Finally, he grabbed the pig-shaped pillow and pressed it against Qiu Wuji’s head. “Argue with this!”

Qiu Wuji balanced the pillow on her head. “Is this a balancing exercise?”

“No, as the old saying goes, ‘Using form to complement form,’ I’m giving you a ‘compliment’.”

“Chu Ge, are you done now?”

“Bang! Crash!”

After a chaotic commotion, Chu Ge ended up with circles in his eyes as he lay sprawled on the floor. “Qiu Wuji, you’re disrespecting your teacher and annihilating your ancestors!”

“I’m also your master!” Qiu Wuji huffed angrily, “I won’t learn from you. Even without your teachings, I can write on my own. I refuse to believe that I can’t!”

Chu Ge nodded solemnly. “Believe in yourself…”

“Yes!”

“I mean, believe in yourself and still come to me for guidance.”

Qiu Wuji opened the group chat. “I’m going to focus on writing. I’ll see what the group members are discussing. They seem to know everything.”

Group member: “Qiu Qiu~ My Qiu Qiu…”

“The blue pill was muted by administrator Qiu Wuji for one hour.”

Unable to rely on the group members, Qiu Wuji felt frustrated and had nowhere to vent. Suddenly, she remembered that her avatar should have been ready after all these days. She went to ask about her avatar: “Meow, is my avatar ready?”

There was silence on the other side for a while, then a discussion group was created, bringing Qiu Wuji and a strange artist together. “This is the artist we found, Miss.”

Then a form was sent: “Please fill out a third-tier character avatar form.”

Qiu Wuji: “?”

Frustrated, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “How long has it been? So you just found the artist? And what’s with this form? You didn’t mention filling it out last time, and now you want me to fill it out? I already gave you the reference, just have it drawn, why do I need to fill out a form?”

“Um, sorry, it’s a requirement…”

Qiu Wuji: “…”

Finally, she understood the feeling of Panda hitting someone through the internet. She turned and went to Chu Ge’s room. “Contact Panda and ask him to hit someone for me!”

Chu Ge: “?”

“As long as he hits someone, I’ll lift the mute on him!”

“You’re being ridiculous. I’ll place an order for him, and you can lift the mute in your group. Aren’t we clearly telling him who we are?” Chu Ge sighed and said, “Who provoked you to this extent?”

“The avatar artist.”

Chu Ge pondered for a moment, then logged into his main QQ account and privately messaged “Blue Pill”: “Panda, you’re being muted every day. Do you want to become a moderator? She won’t be able to mute you then.”

Pan Da was overjoyed. “Brother Chu, you’re my eternal light!”

“Well, mainly because I see that you’re online for a long time…”

“Exactly! I’m always on the internet! I’ll keep an eye on this group. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, I’ll take care of them!”

“That’s not it. Help me deal with Pointy Niang. She’s been dragging her feet over there, and it’s annoying.”

“No problem!”

The Blue Pill was promoted to an administrator.

Qiu Wuji sent a private message: “They’re so frustrating. It’s been over ten days for my avatar, and they just created a discussion group and now want me to fill out some stupid form.”

The Blue Pill: “Master Qiu, rest assured, I’ll take care of it!”

Qiu Wuji invited the Blue Pill to join the discussion group titled “Discussion Group for Characters in ‘Chu Tian Wu Ji’ Card Game.”

“One thing controls another.” Chu Ge turned to Qiu Wuji with a smile. “I can already foresee that our character cards will be the most efficient in the world.”

Qiu Wuji’s mood improved, and she smiled. “It turns out that writing books corrupts the heart.”

“Hey, now you’re a prospective writer too.”

Qiu Wuji’s eyes flickered, and her voice suddenly took on a hint of coquetry. “Master~”

Chu Ge shuddered all over. “What’s the matter?”

“After giving it some thought, what Master said earlier does make some sense. Yes, it’s quite intimidating with all these convincing arguments… Can you teach me a bit more?”

Chu Ge’s expression turned serious, and he spoke firmly, “If you hold that pig-head pillow against your head, I’ll reluctantly give it another try.”

This opportunity must be taken advantage of!

“I won’t learn if you don’t teach!” Qiu Wuji’s face changed, and she huffed before turning around and leaving. “Wait until I write it, and it will scare you to death!”

Chu Ge watched her figure leave the room, and his heart was still pounding.

That fleeting coquetry just now… it was truly enchanting.

Suddenly, he remembered something and carefully pulled up the character profile outline, finding the section for “Qiu Wuji.” He moved the mouse over what seemed like a blank space, and hidden words appeared, written in white font and usually invisible: “Secretly seductive.”