What is a novelist’s dream?Before her debut, Utsudo’s dream was to publish a book. Having published 34 print volumes, she now hopes to keep supporting herself by doing what she loves most, and for her work to be seen by and move more people. She believes stories never die — they may just need to take a new form to keep being told in step with the times.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

A novelist’s dream before and after debuting

　　Before I debuted, my dream was to become a published author.

　　Back then I was, after all, an innocent child (?) untainted by money and not yet baptized by reality. I’d never thought about getting paid royalties for publishing a book — I simply wanted to know whether my work was good enough to pass the commercial test.

　　Now, as a novelist with 34 print volumes published, besides hoping to keep supporting myself by doing what I love most, my dream is probably for my work to be seen by more people and to move more people.

　　Of course, achieving that is countless times harder than my original wish. Besides striving to improve my own work, there are many factors beyond my control, so all I can do is my best and leave the rest to fate.

Imagination versus reality for authors at the top of the pyramid

　　       A long, long time ago, my dream was to become a novelist at the very top of the pyramid.

　　I imagined being adored by thousands, loved by countless people, living like a celebrity — every day in a big, bright, spotless house, leisurely holding a cup of coffee while writing at my laptop, interacting with editors, meeting fans directly at book signings, and so on. Such a dreamlike life — how wonderful.

　　But this commonly held image of a writer is a stereotype… It’s not that it doesn’t exist, but probably only writers at the very top of the pyramid can achieve it — and that’s the international pyramid, not the one within Taiwan XD

　　As I’ve grown older and gained experience since entering the industry, I’ve come to understand more and more how huge the gap between reality and dreams is. But I believe most newcomers aspiring to commercial publishing entered because they saw this profession’s rare, celebrity-like glamour.

　　It’s really not easy. Visual entertainment has become the main event, publishing is declining, and people’s pace of life keeps getting faster. Basically, for newcomers to break through now — with resources ever scarcer and audiences rapidly draining away — it’s harder than ever.

Stories never die

　　I believe stories never die. Before writing existed, oral tales became legends that guided people; marks on cave walls recorded the lives of their time; and once writing appeared, countless beloved stories and works were left behind. In this rapidly changing future, stories are still necessary — but perhaps continuing to tell them in a different form will be more in step with the times.

My dream now

　　If possible, I hope to make a living from creating for the rest of my life.

　　Ever since I started writing and creating stories, I haven’t been able to stop. With clumsy steps I’ve explored this unknown door, walking all the way here and leaving a few traces along the way. The more I explore, the more immersed I become — sometimes lost, but never stopping.

　　I love creating stories so much. It has a fatal kind of magic that I simply can’t ignore.

　　In such a harsh environment, all I hope is that I can keep creating, find a way to balance reality and dreams, and survive in this narrow habitat. If I have a little strength to spare, maybe I can even help some newcomers, or find like-minded companions to fight alongside.

　　I think that’s my dream now.

　　Simple and steady — immersed in my own world, while also wanting to share it with more people.

FAQ

Further reading (in Chinese)

• Previous: #51 (in Chinese)
• Next: #53 (in Chinese)
• Start from the beginning: #01 — Utsudo’s debut
• Column introduction
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.

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