Having officially determined the primary goal of his rebirth, Hikigaya felt a renewed sense of purpose. After being given a second chance at life, he naturally wanted to pursue something meaningful. In his previous existence, he had already begun contributing to magazines by writing short essays and other pieces to gain experience and prepare for long-form writing. Now that he had been unexpectedly thrust into this new life, Hikigaya picked up the pen once more and felt a sacred sense of calling.
Upon entering this world, he quickly began exploring the literary landscape. He discovered that Japanese literature in this timeline was distinctly divided by the 1980s. Many renowned works that had influenced later generations still existed, while the literary trajectory after that point was entirely different from what he had known.
Taking his favorite mystery novels as an example, he found that classic European and American writers from about a century ago—such as Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Ellery Queen—were still recognized. Additionally, prominent Japanese mystery writers from the 20th century, including Edogawa Ranpo, Yokomizo Seishi, Matsumoto Seicho, and Tsuchiya Takao, also thrived, establishing a robust foundation for the flourishing of Japanese mystery literature.
However, starting in 1980, following the release of Shimada Soji's timeless masterpiece "Astrology Murder Magic," mystery novels in this timeline took a new direction. Numerous mystery writers emerged, influenced by this groundbreaking work, yet they were names Hikigaya had never encountered. The original line of literary development, beginning with Yukito Ayatsuji and Natsuhiko Kyogoku, had faded away.
"There is so much potential here. So much to achieve," he mused, excitement coursing through him as if a steady stream of royalties were being deposited into an imaginary bank account—one he wasn't even eligible to open.
Even Keigo Higashino, whom he had previously dismissed, now stood as a literary giant in Hikigaya's eyes, given the sheer volume of his work. The title "Mr. Bestseller" was well-deserved.
Yet, Hikigaya did not plan to launch his writing career with a book by Higashino. Instead, he chose a relatively obscure novel from his previous life that enjoyed an excellent reputation: "Confessions" by Kanae Minato, the queen of social reasoning.
The term "confession" in the title bore a slightly different connotation than Hikigaya's prior experiences. This novel tackled two extremely sensitive subjects: school bullying among junior high students and juvenile delinquency. It had sold over 3.5 million copies in the original world, and its film adaptation received even greater acclaim and influence than the novel itself.
Hikigaya recognized the immense potential of this story for the big screen, recalling that its narrative was exceptionally conducive to adaptation. He understood that securing the copyright for film adaptation would require a significant investment, but post-release, a successful movie would significantly boost the book's sales.
"The first chapter of this book is gripping enough to captivate readers immediately," he concluded.
After careful deliberation about his debut work, the next step was selecting a publishing house. Hikigaya understood that in contemporary Japan, the best—and perhaps only—path for new authors to debut was through various newcomer awards. In a bid to attract promising authors, numerous Japanese publishing houses had launched a plethora of newcomer awards.
For instance, in the realm of light novels, which were popular among other time travelers, there were more than ten awards available, with the Dengeki Novel Award being the most prestigious. Winning such an award not only provided exposure but also ensured that the publisher would promote the winning work more vigorously than others—making it an assured route to significant early sales.
Even if you don't get the highest award, if you can get a secondary award, the treatment will not be much worse than the highest award.
Returning to Hikigaya Hachiman's literary pursuits, the Newcomer Award shines even brighter. After careful consideration, Hikigaya focused on two prominent awards:
The first is the prestigious Edogawa Ranpo Prize from Kodansha, an essential milestone in the realm of mystery novels. In Japan, where mystery novels enjoy immense popularity, the influence of this award rivals that of the Naoki Prize and the Akutagawa Prize, which are the top honors in popular literature.
The allure of the Edogawa Ranpo Prize is significant, with a prize money of 10 million yen, making it the most sought-after newcomer prize among Japanese publishers. Many aspiring writers are eager to compete for this substantial reward.
However, this also means that contestants face intense competition for the Edogawa Ranpo Award. Although the Japanese literary landscape in this context differs from the past, it remains a time of remarkable talent. Each newcomer award provides only one opportunity; if missed, there will be no second chance to compete.
"Confessions," Hikigaya's work, contains only the first chapter that pertains to mystery; the remaining chapters shift to pure crime fiction. In comparison to other traditional mystery novels vying for the Edogawa Ranpo Award, his book faces a significant disadvantage in terms of genre. Even though Japanese mystery novels are evolving rapidly, judges still prefer to see outstanding traditional works.
Additionally, the Edogawa Ranpo Prize mandates that the entire book must be completed and submitted at once, which poses a challenge for Hikigaya. Lacking confidence in his writing abilities, he prefers to serialize his work. This approach allows him to receive valuable feedback from editors and readers, which helps him refine his writing. After all, he doesn't possess any special insight or ability to rewrite the original story perfectly. Listening to others' opinions while writing is the best strategy.
Considering all this, Hikigaya decided to pursue another Newcomer Award—the "All Reading" Newcomer Award, organized by "All Reading," the most prestigious popular literature magazine under Bungeishunju Publishing House.
While the prize money is only 500,000 yen, the minimum word count for submission is 20,000 words, which is ideal to complete the "Priest" section of the first chapter of "Confessions." This part is engaging enough to excite readers and leave them eagerly awaiting further developments, making it suitable for submission.
"I really want to get up and start writing right now," he thought.
However, it was already late at night, so Hikigaya decided to go to bed first. He didn't want to type in the middle of the night and risk sleeping soundly during class the next day.
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