1    Writers used to have to approach publishers in the hope of having their works read by the public. Now they can simply post their offerings online and find an instant audience of millions.

2     After breaking up with her boyfriend in 2009, Bao Jingjing, then 22, started “making up” a love story simply to distract herself from her heartbreak. Her story progressed quickly, so she decided to post it online as a serial. The story of a young girl dealing with the pang of a broken heart soon attracted many readers with its simple, humorous style. When Bao started to write less as she reunited with her boyfriend, she was contacted by her readers who urged her to continue, as they were eager to find out what happened next.

3     Bao finished writing the story in three months. It became so popular online that she was soon contacted by a publisher who turned it into a best-seller. To cap it all off, Bao’s novel was later picked up by film director Teng Huatao and adapted into a movie in 2012. With an investment of only 9 million ($1.45 million), the movie Love Is Not Blind took in 350 million yuan. Bao’s story is only one of many Internet novels that have landed deals for films, TV shows and physical books.

4     Unlike traditional writers who toil away on their books for years in the hope of gaining recognition, many young writers like Bao have cultivated readers rapidly online and often find overnight success in the real world. Bao admits that the success was unexpected. “I just enjoy writing and the Internet is a good platform, because there are people who want to listen. What I was writing was nothing unusual,” Bao says.

5     She worked as a copywriter for one month before quitting. “I thought I would have to rely on my parents for the rest of my life,” says Bao, who still remembers how surprised her parents were when she proudly gave them her copyright earnings.

6     Bao is only one of the few writers at the top of the pyramid while most online writers remain uncelebrated. However, her success can be achieved by others as long as they write hard enough.

7     The industry is still growing at a dazzling speed, and more online writers can find a bright future as the Internet continues to shape people’s reading habits.

网络写作

以前，作家如果希望大众能读到自己的作品，他们必须去联系出版社。现在，他们只要把文章放到网上，可能立刻会有数百万的读者。     

 2009年，鲍鲸鲸与男朋友分手后（那时她22岁），开始“编写”一个爱情故事，这只不过是在自己伤心时转移一下注意力而已。她的故事进展得很快，所以她决定将其作为连载小说放到网络上。这个关于一个年轻女孩应对伤心之痛的故事凭借其简洁幽默的风格，很快吸引了很多读者。当鲍鲸鲸与男朋友复合后，她开始写得少了。她的读者们联系她，力劝她继续写，因为他们很想知道接下来会发生什么。     

鲍鲸鲸在三个月内写完了这个故事。这个故事在网上十分受欢迎，很快就有出版商来找她，将这个故事做成了畅销书。更厉害的是，鲍鲸鲸的小说后来被电影导演滕华涛选中，并于2012年改编为电影。投资仅900万元（145万美元）的电影《失恋33天》共吸金3.5亿元。很多网络小说都被改编成电影、电视剧，或出版为实体书，鲍鲸鲸的小说只是其中一部。

为了得到认可，传统作家费时数年写书；与他们不同，包括鲍鲸鲸在内的很多年轻作家快速地在网上发展了一大批读者，因此在真实世界中经常是一夜成名。鲍鲸鲸承认，成功来得太突然。“我只是享受写作的过程，因特网是个很好的平台，因为有很多人想要倾听你的故事。我所写的只不过是稀松平常的事，”鲍鲸鲸说道。         

   她当了一个月的文案撰稿员后就辞职了。“我本以为我的余生都必须依靠父母了，”鲍鲸鲸说道。她还记得当她自豪地把版权收入交给父母时他们惊讶的表情。

鲍只是为数不多的处于金字塔顶端的作家之一，大多数网络作家仍不为人所知。然而，她的成功可以复制，只要他们足够努力地写作。  

 这个行业仍以惊人的速度发展着，更多的网络作家可以找到光明的未来，因为因特网持续塑造着人们的阅读习惯。

Questions:

1.Why did Bao begin  to write a love story? 

2. What's the difference between traditional writers and online writers?

3. Do you like reading physical books or e-books?

(P128)