"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.

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.

Online literature forums are platforms for grassroots writers to realize their dreams, says another post-1980 writer who writes under the pseudonym Binglansha.

Binglansha was doing an ordinary office job when she started reading online novels. Back then, most online novels were free, she recalls.

Since her first attempt in 2008, Binglansha has authored a series of historical romance novels. Her awarding-winning work Beauty's Plan has been published and is set to be adapted into a TV series.

As literature websites began charging readers, popular writers like Binglansha started to receive considerable contribution fees, which are determined by how many hits they get on the website. Selling copyrights brings in additional revenue.

Binglansha says she now receives enough money to support her family and focus on writing.

Besides economic benefits, interacting with her readers on the forum is also exciting.

"It's something online writers do every day. It makes me feel so good to see so many readers enjoy my story and get immersed in the plots," says Binglansha, who often has heated discussions with her readers.

Writing can be a difficult and boring process. However, the support from readers gives her passion, says Liu Chenfeng, another young writer.

"They make me feel that I am not writing alone," Liu says.

Liu used to work in IT in Shanghai. She has posted over 5 million words on Hongxiu.com, one of the major literature websites.

Liu says it's hard to predict whether a novel will be popular.

"Sometimes I am very confident that people would love my story. However, it is really not something under my control," Liu says. "Gradually I became less concerned about popularity and focused more on quality."

She's working on a few modern love stories, and has plans to try some fantasies and historical novels, both genres favored by online writers.