When her peers were playing with toys, she was reading novels; when her peers were watching TV, she was plotting her own literary debut; when her peers were still learning how to write essays, she had already released a bestseller.
She is Wang Yue, a junior in literature at Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Province, and the author of the novel Blossom in a Faraway Place (Moshang Fanhua Zhan).
Published in February, Blossom has quickly risen to the top of the charts on dangdang.com, one of China's largest book-selling sites.
The novel is a love story set in the Republic of China period (1912-49), depicting a hero and heroine who quickly get married at the outset of the book.
Enduring numerous betrayals, misunderstandings and reversals of fortune, the pair end up separating and the focus shifts to the heroine, who finds her inner peace and strength after losing her husband.
"It is not only a love story, but an inspirational story that encourages people to face their difficulties with bravery," said the 21-year-old writer.
Veritable bookworm
Wang said that she's never been a stranger to reading, demonstrating great interest in books since childhood.
Wang's grandfather was a war correspondent who had a penchant for collecting books and newspapers, which inspired Wang's earliest ventures into the world of literature.
"I come from a veritable family of bookworms," Wang told the Global Times. "My mother has encouraged me to keep a diary since I was a little girl, and my father would always tutor me in writing in his spare time."
Wang said her favorite books as a girl include Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront?, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Gadfly by Ethel Lilian Voynich, all books featuring strong romantic plots and inspirational characters.
Her own masterpiece
As her precocious writing talent earned her both the notice of her teachers as well as a number of writing awards, Wang became an even more devoted literature hound, despite the usual pressures and time constraints of high school life.
"The more I read, the more I got inspired to compose my own piece of fiction," Wang said. "It all started to take shape around this time."
Wang began to work on the novel in earnest over the summer after her third year of high school. After finishing about 80,000 words, Wang posted the unfinished story on a literature review website to get some early feedback none of which, she admits, was terribly positive.
"The editor of the website gave my story a relatively low score, saying that the beginning was too extravagant, the middle was too long and the heroes' personalities were not that unique," Wang told the Global Times.
Disheartened but grateful for the criticism, Wang continued working tirelessly for the next few years.
Her pace reached a fever pitch during her second year of university, when her work was noticed by Ding Wenming, the founder of yijiasy.com, a prominent literary website, who contacted Wang and told her she'd be willing to help her get published.
Upon hearing the news, Wang finished the remainder of her 190,000-word novel in one month, after which she secured a publishing contract with China Intl. Culture Press.
Wang said that despite her excitement at scoring a best-selling novel, she feels like her writing style is still immature and lacks the sense of experience and wisdom that her literary heroes are famous for.
"I'm thrilled about the book's popularity I never expected it would get so huge," she said.
"I definitely plan to continue writing novels as long as I can," she added.
Rare gem
Wang has received nothing but praise from her teachers and classmates for what they see as her tireless work ethic and natural flair for the written word.
Ding Jing, one of Wang's best friends, said she shares much of Wang's excitement at her success, having been there through the tough struggle of getting the novel written and out into the world.
"I'm not just saying this as a friend, but as a true fan of Wang's work I think her novel is superb and her depiction of her characters delicate and realistic," she said.
Wang's mentor Ding Wenming likewise described Wang as a talented writer with a promising future.
"These days it's not that uncommon to see university students publish novels, but one with Wang's abilities is a rare gem indeed," she said.
"It's not a flawless work the ending, for example, is a bit hasty but I believe with practice and experience Wang's star will only rise further in the future."