Back to 80: My Literary Life

I met a foreign professor at the English Corner in Xijing on New Year's Day this year and chatted with him for a while, and I was inspired.

Fang Minghua gave a brief account of his meeting with Professor Mi Ruizhe and the discussion about the work In Search of Lost Time: Of course I can't write such a great stream of consciousness work, but I want to try.

Xiao Fang, your innovative writing attitude is very good. Young people, don't stick to the rules. Stream of consciousness, avant-gardism, and magical realism are now popular abroad. We can learn from their writing techniques and tell our own stories. !”

Wang Meng talked eloquently.

Magical Realism?

The first writer that Fang Minghua thought of was Mo Yan.

But Mo Yan should still be in the army now, right?

Wang Meng chatted for a while, and then suddenly remembered something: Look at me, I just chatted and forgot about business. Xiao Fang, I am going to recommend your novel to Yanjing Literature, what do you think?

Sure enough, it is Yenjing Literature.

thanks, thanks!

You're welcome. I hope you will continue to work hard! Oh, and this. Wang Meng picked up a small jar from under his desk.

This is the pickle from our Liubiju in Yanjing. Dong Mo also likes to eat this. You can help me bring it back to him.

no problem.

After the matter was done, Fang Minghua saw that the other party was busy, so he took the pickles and left.

After leaving the gate of the Writers' Association, Fang Minghua felt relaxed.

Although Wang Meng did not say that Yenjing Literature would definitely adopt it, Fang Minghua estimated that it was close to ten.

Go back and tell Song Tangtang the news?

Unfortunately, Fang Minghua found the small courtyard where the art troupe lived, and found out that the female soldiers of the art troupe went out to climb the Great Wall together.

Wait until it is officially published and then write to her to tell her.

Fang Minghua thought so.

At around six o'clock, Director Zhao drove a jeep and took Fang Minghua to the Bayi Theater and arranged him at the front of the auditorium.

Fang Minghua saw Song Tangtang.

Together with the female soldiers from the art troupe, they lined up and marched neatly into the theater. In an auditorium filled with male soldiers, these female soldiers were particularly eye-catching.

Song Tangtang also saw Fang Minghua sitting in the front row. The two looked at each other but did not say hello to each other.

The play Youth is divided into four acts. The actors performed wonderfully. After the performance, Minghua, as the original author, shook hands with the actors one by one under the arrangement of the crew, and finally took a group photo.

It was almost ten o'clock when the play was finished. Fang Minghua returned to the guest house and went to his room. He washed up and went to bed. After getting up the next morning, he hurried to the backyard and found out that the female soldiers from the art troupe had left before dawn.

Take the train back to southern Xinjiang.

Fang Minghua felt disappointed.

At noon that day, he left Yanjing and returned to Xijing.

The next morning after returning home, Fang Minghua went to work, and of course he would not forget to take the pickles sent by Wang Meng to see Dong Mo.

Knocking on the office door, Dong Mo saw Fang Minghua coming in. Dong Mo immediately smiled and said hello; Xiao Fang, are you back from Yanjing? Is the drama Youth arranged well?

It's very good. How can the program of the General Political Repertory Theater be any worse? Fang Minghua replied with a smile.

Hey, Xiao Fang, some time ago, I heard that the movie The Sun Also Rises you wrote was shot by Editor He?

Yes, Editor He said that the writing was foggy and not good-looking.

I've probably read the novel you wrote, and I think it's quite good. Stream of consciousness is not a scourge. Look at the hazy poems that are popular in the poetry world now. Aren't many of them also using the stream of consciousness writing method? Bei Dao's Resume is one of the typical songs.

I think not only poetry, but also scripts and novels will soon use this technique in the future. Xiao Fang, you are just a little ahead of your time.

Editor-in-Chief Dong, you are absolutely right! I went to Yanjing this time to visit Chairman Wang Mengwang, and he had the same idea as you.

Have you met Lao Wang? Dong Mo was a little surprised.

Yes, he also asked me to bring you a can of Liubiju pickles, saying you like them. Fang Minghua handed the pickles in his net bag to the other party.

Haha, I'm interested. Dong Mo took the pickles and said, How is Lao Wang's health now? Tell me how you met him.

Fang Minghua didn't hide anything, so he submitted his novel to October magazine and was rejected. Then he thought of asking Wang Meng to tell Dong Mo in detail.

Xiao Fang, you have a smart mind! Dong Mo praised him: It's important to write good articles, but it also needs someone who can take a fancy to them. After all, every magazine and even every editor has different visions. You can find Lao Wang has found the right person, he is a rare open-minded writer.

Fang Minghua agreed very much with Dong Mo's point of view.

Didn't Lu Yao's Ordinary World also get rejected when it was first submitted to Contemporary?

Although Lu Yao was already famous at that time, Contemporary was still his blessed place.

In a word, this book was not on par with the editor-in-chief of Contemporary at the time.

Therefore, Fang Minghua was very grateful to Dong Mo. If he hadn't known Wang Meng, it was still unknown whether he would have won the Yenjing Literature directly.

Editor-in-Chief Dong, it's thanks to you asking me to deliver something to Chairman Wang last year that I got to know him. Fang Minghua said gratefully.

Dong Mo laughed loudly after hearing this: Actually, I don't need to recommend it. Just based on your work, I think Wang Meng will also like it. He is also writing stream of consciousness.

The two chatted for a while, and Fang Minghua naturally couldn't disturb his work, so he said goodbye and left.

Just wait for the good news.

Unexpectedly, Yenjing Literature responded quickly. Less than two days after Fang Minghua came back, he received a call from Yanjing.

Fang Minghua had just gone to work that afternoon and had nothing to do. He was about to go over and talk to Lu Yao, but he saw Wang Juan running over panting.

Fang Minghua, the number from the editorial department of Yenjing Literature for you has been called to our office. Go pick it up quickly!

After hearing this, Fang Minghua quickly ran out of the courtyard, went straight to the magazine office in the front building, and picked up the phone.

Hello, I'm Fang Minghua, who are you?

Comrade Xiaofang, I am Zhou Yanru, the editor-in-chief of Yenjing Literature. Our magazine has decided to adopt the article The Sun Also Rises you wrote and it will be published in the April issue. But there is something I want to discuss with you. Discuss and discuss.”

It's a female editor!

The voice was urgent, but the speaking speed was not fast.

What's the matter? Fang Minghua was very polite.

The title of your novel The Sun Also Rises is exactly the same as the title of the novel written by American writer Hemingway in the 1920s.

Editor Zhou, I have read that novel, and the content is completely different. Fang Minghua said quickly.

Haha, I know. What I mean is, can I change my name? It shouldn't be exactly the same.

Actually, Editor Zhou, the name of this novel does not come from Hemingway's novel. This sentence comes from a religious classic: One generation comes, one generation goes, the earth lasts forever, the sun rises, the sun sets, the sun rises as usual , I think this name is very suitable for this novel. Fang Minghua said.

The implication.

to not fix!

The other party was silent for a few seconds before a voice came from the other side of the phone: I'm just making a suggestion. In that case, just use your original name. The official publication notice and royalties will be sent later.

Thanks!

You're welcome, I hope we can continue to cooperate in the future.

hang up the phone.

Haha, adopted!

He seems to be luckier than Yu Hua.

At that time, Yu Hua received a call from the editorial department of Yanjing Literature, inviting him to go to Yanjing to revise the manuscript and make the ending brighter. Yu Hua immediately said: As long as it can be published, I will change the light for you from beginning to end!

Thanks to Xianyu for the tip.

Thanks to He Wenqianlu, lyn2911, Book Friends 20220903013437510, Hot Pot Fan Hao, and Urban Sanyin People for their monthly votes.