“I shouted boldly, but that doesn’t mean I wrote a great book.”
What is ‘道’ (Dao)?
What is ‘協’ (Heroic)?
I’m not suggesting we have a deep discussion here.
The essence of the novel I’m trying to write is ultimately an entertaining story.
However, I don’t just want to write an entertaining story.
I will build a narrative on the pillar of ‘협’ (Heroism). That’s why I want to write a fun novel that anyone can call a ‘무협지’ (Martial Arts Novel).
So, what does an interesting martial arts novel look like?
“Definitely gotta hit the clichés first!”
Martial arts clichés.
If you open any martial arts novel at a rental shop, 7 out of 10 will have those clichés. They are so overused that authors now hesitate to use them for fear of backlash.
If I wrote them in reality, someone might say, “If you’re going to write such a cliché martial arts novel, why not stick to the genre you used to write?”
But why are they clichés? Isn’t it because they are a good way to pique interest, despite being predictable? There’s a reason why novels that start with clichés sold better during my rental shop days.
And there’s a reason I have no qualms about using martial arts clichés.
“Because in this world, I’m the first!”
I will be the first to use a martial arts cliché in this world.
Though it has now become a cliché, it was once a storyline that captivated people’s interest.
Here let’s toss in plenty of things you’ve never seen before.
Let’s start using clichés from the protagonist’s setup.
“Martial arts protagonists are usually orphans.”
Our protagonist.
The third disciple of Mount Wu, Un-hyeon.
He lost his parents to bandits as a child and was taken in by a Taoist master of Mount Wu.
Among his peers, he learns the Sword of Wu faster than anyone else and embodies it.
While talent was important for mastering the sword, he had one goal above all else.
Heroic Journey.
To protect the oppressed and hunt the villains, he sets out into the Martial Arts World to confront demons.
But when he expressed his desire to embark on this heroic journey to his master, he met strong opposition. Greatly disappointed, Un-hyeon wandered around Mount Wu.
Then he was suddenly attacked by a demon and fell off a cliff.
“Ah, the protagonist starts off by falling off a cliff.”
A cliff with a cave that holds a fortuitous encounter—so cliché yet an exciting start for Volume 1.
The protagonist begins to chew, rip, and savor the fortuitous encounter, growing stronger.
Upon reaching the level he aimed for, the protagonist, as soon as he steps into the martial world, rescues a woman being chased by a villain…
As I write this, whoa, this is way too cliché.
But hey, who cares? I’m the first here!
And thus, I penned Volume 1 of the Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes.
————————–
“Hello there.”
In a corner of the Chilgok County market, I visited a bookstore with my martial arts novel in hand.
“Huh? A barbarian… Ah! I see you’re the famous author these days. What brings you here?”
“Do you perhaps buy books here?”
“Sure. You came to sell? If it’s a story from a foreign land, I’ll buy it.”
“It’s not a Joseon story. I have a book I wrote this time. It’s a very interesting tale, and I was wondering if I could sell it.”
I handed the book to the bookstore owner.
“Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes, huh? Is it a story about martial artists?”
“Yes. It’s about a Taoist master of Mount Wu.”
“Hmm, a Taoist story? These don’t usually sell well. Don’t you have any Joseon stories? Those seem like they would sell better.”
The bookstore owner examined the book cover with a disinterested reaction.
“If you read the content, you’ll find you’ll be much more absorbed than with a Joseon story.”
Even though I wrote it, it’s packed with clichés and written in an entertaining way. You will get hooked!
“Book sellers always say that. When have you heard a merchant say their item is garbage?”
“But if you just give it a read, I’m sure you’ll be attracted to my book.”
“I have no intention to read it. If I read every book that came into this store, I’d probably qualify for the examination myself. Still, since it’s written by a famous author now, I suppose I’ll buy it.”
“Thank you.”
I wanted the bookstore owner to read the book first and promote it, but the response was disappointing.
Still, it was a relief that he didn’t refuse to buy it as a barbarian’s book. That’s probably thanks to my reputation built from being a storyteller in Chilgok County.
“The paper is of low quality, and the print is faint, making the book look quite old. What price should I set…?”
The bookstore owner was fishing for a lower price for my book.
I expected this. No matter how interesting the content might be, the quality of the book is terrible.
In situations like this, I need to make the first move.
“I’ll sell it for 1 silver.”
“Huh? You’re saying you’ll sell the book for 1 silver? Isn’t that too cheap?”
The bookstore owner replied, surprised. True. That’s leftover money after having 3 bowls of gourmet hangover soup. Even if I used the cheapest materials, I wouldn’t even recover the cost.
“But could you buy it as a rental book rather than a sale?”
That was the reason I came to sell the book. This bookstore wasn’t just a seller; it also acted as a rental shop.
“Whoa, do we really need to sell it for 1 silver? It’s true I was trying to haggle, but I didn’t expect you to price it so low.”
“I just want many people to read my book.”
I could only write one book due to budget constraints. Even if someone buys my book because they find it interesting, it would just end up in someone’s personal library.
What’s important to me now is fame.
I need many readers rather than just one loyal reader. To allow multiple people to read one book, selling it to a rental shop makes the most sense.
“You must really be a storyteller at heart! Selling a book at a low price just to show it to others! Good! It’s a win-win for me too. I’ll buy it for 1 silver!”
The bookstore owner happily bought the book.
“Please do some good promotion for me.”
The bookstore owner readily agreed, taking the book back into the shop.
Now, I just have to wait for my book to become famous in Chilgok County.
——————
On the first day my book was sold, it proudly stood in the bookstore’s rental section.
On the third day, it was haphazardly placed in the rental section.
On the seventh day, it still sat in the rental section.
“Hello there.”
In the end, feeling anxious, I decided to ask the bookstore owner about it.
“Huh? Isn’t it the storyteller? What’s up?”
“I’ve been passing by, and it seems nobody is renting my book. I wondered if something was wrong.”
Could it be that someone borrowed it and returned it without my noticing? I spoke with hope.
“Ah! That Chronicles of Wind something? As you said, it was placed in a spot where people often rent, but no one has taken it yet.”
“Why is that?”
“Generally, stories about martial artists don’t do well. The rental section mainly finds success with romance or adult novels. Plus, your book looks old and of poor quality. After a few days, no one even touched it.”
So my book seems like an old web novel or something, feeling like a non-popular genre that looks worn out so that no one picks it up?
“It’s a book that anyone would find captivating if they gave it a try! Once word of mouth spreads, people will be flocking to it in no time!”
“Out of those who say such things, very few yield results when they’re actually bought.”
“Just give it a little more time, and I’m sure it will take off.”
It’s just too early still. While it may not blow up all at once like a bestselling novel, word of mouth will surely spread.
“Don’t be too disappointed. Sometimes, those who think their book should sell for a high price come in with an air of superiority and leave in a huff. I forcefully chase them out with a club! You aren’t that type, are you? I’ll let it sit there for a few more days, so don’t be disheartened.”
“I’d appreciate a longer time, if possible.”
I respectfully bowed, then left the bookstore.
—————————————————–
“Sis! Have you been well?”
A peddler burdened with books visited the bookstore in Chilgok County.
“Oh? You came! Have you brought good books this time?”
“I brought the romance and adult novels that are popular in Wuhan as you ordered.”
The peddler set down his load and pulled out a book, showing some risqué illustrations.
“Great. That should sell well.”
The bookstore owner handed the prepared invoice to the peddler.
“Thank you for always buying from me. I was thinking of taking a short break before heading back to Wuhan. Do you have any books for sale?”
“Hmm… books for sale, huh.”
“Even if they don’t sell here, I’ll buy anything that’s popular in Wuhan.”
“Actually, I do have one.”
The bookstore owner handed over the “Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes,” which had not been rented for ten days.
“This doesn’t seem like an adult book, though.”
The peddler briefly scanned the book and frowned.
“I bought it from a Joseon Taoist.”
“A Joseon Taoist?”
“Yeah, a Joseon Taoist. A Taoist from Seonpung Dogol recommended I buy this book. I could sense a strange aura, and I wondered if an immortal was selling me a book.”
The bookstore owner was referring to Kang Yoon-ho’s book, but he decided to add embellishments, fearing the peddler wouldn’t buy it if he told the truth.
“Oh, you must be quite bored these days. You sound very whimsical.”
The peddler chuckled and teased him.
“Ahem. While I can’t speak to the strange aura, it’s true a Joseon Taoist is selling it. It’s a tale about martial artists, I believe. Since smut or romance novels are popular in Chilgok County, selling this in Wuhan might fetch a decent price.”
“I’m not new to this business, so if you say it like that, I’ll buy it.”
“Good thinking! You won’t regret it.”
The bookstore owner felt happy selling off his surplus stock cheaply.
—————————
Kang Yoon-ho’s “Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes” was sold to a peddler in Chilgok County.
The peddler set off for Wuhan, the largest city in Hubei Province.
After putting it among other books, the “Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes” also struggled to sell in Wuhan, passing through several bookstores and vendors.
One day, a merchant briefly skimmed through the contents of this unsold stock.
And then he sold it to another merchant heading northwest of Hubei Province.
In the northwest of Hubei province, there lies the Mount Wu sect, known as the ‘North Star of the Martial Arts World’.
“Brother Cheong-won, what book are you so absorbed in? Let’s hurry!”
The disciple of Cheong-won complained to Cheong-won, who hadn’t moved from the bookstore for more than an hour.
“This book is what…?”
In Cheong-won’s hand was Kang Yoon-ho’s “Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes.”
