Chapter 105
Chapter 105
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“First, let me ask the most fundamental question. Why do you want to write? No, why do you want to become a writer?”
Woo Ji-hyun swept his serious gaze across the audience.
The down-to-earth vibe he’d had just moments ago had completely vanished.
The female trainees who’d been teasing him playfully fell silent at the sudden shift.
“I believe we need to address this point clearly before diving into writing itself. Of course, this doesn’t apply to those who write as a hobby. But coming here means you’re aiming to go pro, which implies you have a purpose for writing. And sure, making money is a perfectly valid reason. Pros get paid for their work, after all.”
Woo Ji-hyun continued naturally toward the silent trainees.
But perhaps because he’d brought up such a tough topic, no one jumped in right away.
“Feel free to speak comfortably. I’m not looking for a right answer. I just want to hear your thoughts.”
“Um, teacher, why do you write?”
A woman in her early twenties cautiously raised her hand to ask.
She wore the stereotypical round glasses, and her face flushed slightly when her eyes met Woo Ji-hyun’s.
But Woo Ji-hyun chuckled at one particular word rather than her reaction.
“Teacher? That’s a first in my life. I’m not even that old.”
“Oh, come on, it’s not like that. If I go into the military, graduate from teachers’ college, and pass the hiring exam, I’d be around the same age as you, Writer-nim. You’re twenty-eight this year, right?”
“Same age as player Lee Woo-hyung.”
A man and woman who seemed close personally laughed as they spoke up.
It was because Woo Ji-hyun looked so awkward about the “teacher” label.
“When you put it that way, you’re right. You probably can’t tell, but I’m pretty nervous right now. Standing in front of people like this to give a lecture is a first for me. I never even imagined it’d happen.”
“You, Writer-nim?”
“Yeah, I was originally just a writer, you know. From twenty until now, straight through. Oh, call me whatever feels comfortable. Both are right.”
Woo Ji-hyun smiled in response to the plump female trainee’s question.
He swept his gaze across the room once more.
Now that the ice had been broken, the atmosphere felt a bit more relaxed than at the start.
“We want to hear your answer, teacher!”
“Oh, right, I didn’t answer. The word ‘teacher’ just hit me out of nowhere. Hmm. Why I write...”
Woo Ji-hyun’s expression turned wistful.
He was recalling his high school days, sitting in front of a monitor for the first time, tapping away at the keyboard.
“There wasn’t much to it at first. There were no books to read. Well, times were different back then. Nowadays, you can easily access countless works on your phone, but when I was in high school, that wasn’t the case. It was either rental shops or the internet. And even rental shops followed this ironclad rule of one book per month. So, finding stories that matched my tastes was tough. That’s when I thought, ‘Why not write it myself?’ and sat down at the computer. Later, it became an outlet for venting all my frustrations with the world, but at its core, it was because I loved stories.”
“Sounds like me.”
“Heh, we’re all the same.”
Little murmurs of agreement popped up here and there.
Strangely enough, Woo Ji-hyun had started for reasons similar to theirs.
“But the biggest reason I’ve kept writing until now is this: No matter how much you love something or want to do it, you can’t make it your profession without earning a living from it.”
“Exactly.”
As Woo Ji-hyun formed a circle with his thumb and index finger, most of the trainees nodded.
Everyone knew it all came down to money in the end.
That’s why he’d mentioned hobbies earlier.
“But being a writer is a much tougher job than you might think. It’s not like you just write and get paid. Sure, there are those mutant geniuses who can scribble anything and make it fun and great. But we’ll exclude them. You’ll trip trying to keep up.”
“Aren’t you a genius too, teacher?”
“No. I’ve got talent, but I’m no genius. I wished I was once, though.”
“Is there no way to beat a genius?”
The free-form participation class led to a sudden barrage of questions.
But Woo Ji-hyun didn’t falter.
He believed all this dialogue could stimulate and inspire the trainees.
And while thinking and pondering in your head mattered, voicing those thoughts was just as crucial, in his view.
Writing was expressing your ideas in words, after all.
“A way to win... As far as I know, there’s just one. But even that’s hard to call a real win. Geniuses start from a completely different line. So instead of trying to beat them, I changed my mindset. I decided to carve my own path. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and win that way.”
“So luck is key?”
“Or I might trip over myself. Even geniuses hit slumps. But you’ve got to keep striving to improve, keep that drive to win. And don’t dismiss luck. Lives do change because of it sometimes.”
“It all comes down to the lottery, huh.”
Laughter erupted here and there at the last remark.
Woo Ji-hyun laughed too.
It was a line that came up everywhere.
After that, Woo Ji-hyun dove into a fairly in-depth lecture on story structure.
Compared to other writers, he considered this his strength: building stories.
His experience was the shortest among the instructors, but in quality and volume, no one could match him.
So he explained in detail how to craft story lines and frameworks.
“I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
As he explained diligently, a middle-aged man who’d been listening with a bored expression raised his hand.
Woo Ji-hyun checked the remaining time and spoke.
“How can I become like you, Writer-nim? No, how should I write to become like you?”
“......”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Everyone’s eyes sparkled as they turned to Woo Ji-hyun at the middle-aged man’s question.
Because that’s exactly what they all wanted to know.
They just hadn’t dared ask at a first meeting.
“I didn’t come here for any other reason. I applied to become a ‘writer’ like you instructors. But honestly, it feels like we’re just talking basics. Eight weeks isn’t enough to learn real techniques anyway.”
“Mr. Park Ji-woo, it seems you want results right now.”
“Yes, as you can see, I’m not exactly young.”
Park Ji-woo, clearly the oldest there, shrugged.
The twenty-somethings could joke around and learn at their pace, but not him.
Debuting right now would still be late, so he was in a hurry.
“Then I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. This academy is a project to discover and nurture new writers, not to create blockbuster hits.”
“......What does that mean?”
“Our directions are different. Looks like you misread the recruitment guidelines.”
Park Ji-woo’s pupils visibly shook.
He quickly pulled out his smartphone and checked the creative academy recruitment info.
Funny thing was, he wasn’t the only one doing it.
“Uh......”
“Mm!”
At Park Ji-woo’s agitation, a few trainees glanced around cautiously.
They hadn’t come just to learn writing basics.
They wanted the know-how from top writers to succeed themselves, so a few quietly gauged the mood.
It wouldn’t hurt them if things went his way.
“Then there’s only one choice.”
Woo Ji-hyun smiled and pointed to the exit.
Staring straight at Park Ji-woo in the back.
Park Ji-woo’s face stiffened rigidly.
“What are you saying?”
“If this isn’t the class you want, Mr. Park, just leave. No need to waste each other’s time. And there’s plenty to learn from real-world experience, so maybe start serializing right now.”
“Hah!”
“Of course, the choice is yours. I’m not forcing my opinion.”
Trembling with rage!
As if saying “You’re different,” Woo Ji-hyun’s attitude made Park Ji-woo shoot to his feet.
He had zero interest in this kind of lecture.
Bam!
Face red, Park Ji-woo stormed out of the classroom.
He even slammed the door, unleashing all his frustration.
“What the hell.”
“What’s his deal, acting like that at his age?”
A few frowned at Park Ji-woo’s childish behavior.
But Woo Ji-hyun resumed class with an unfazed expression.
“Let’s begin the lesson.”
“Yes!”
Despite the unexpected commotion, Woo Ji-hyun calmly continued.
The trainees focused on his lesson as if nothing had happened.
Of course, the few who’d sided with Park Ji-woo looked a bit uneasy, but they didn’t show it outright.
They were the ones who stood to lose, after all.
“He’s handling it well.”
Meanwhile, Yeo Woo-jin, who’d rushed over at Park Ji-woo’s sudden outburst, sighed in relief seeing Woo Ji-hyun quickly resolve it and carry on.
She’d been worried since it was his first lecture, but he was managing fine.
“Even after all that screening, this happens. Tsk. Nothing’s easy.”
Having shaken off her worries about Woo Ji-hyun, Yeo Woo-jin clicked her tongue recalling Park Ji-woo’s profile.
Then she headed back to the office with a meaningful expression.