Last summer, Rednote launched its first Everyday Writing Contest, drawing over 10,000 participants and more than 23,000 entries. The stories came from crowded commutes, phone note apps, and voice-to-text dictations—written in the margins of busy lives. Every day, the Rednote community shares close to 100 million Chinese characters, capturing snapshots of ordinary life, both personal and observed.
Not everyone has life figured out. In a world where social media often highlights perfection, many young people are left feeling anxious or not good enough. That’s exactly why Rednote chose to gather the contest’s standout entries and turn them into a book called The Life I’m Not Good At. It’s a collection of clumsy, honest, and deeply human moments. The message is clear: even messy lives hold moments worth remembering.
The book features 11 stories from Rednote users, each reflecting a different struggle. One writer picked up the pen at 70. Another uses words to cope with daily stress. One goes against the grain of the rat race. These voices don’t offer advice—they offer recognition. They remind readers that there’s no single definition of what it means to live well.
To mark the release, Rednote will host a launch event for The Life I’m Not Good At on 14 June at PageOne Bookstore in Beijing. Three of the featured writers will join to talk about their stories. Anthropologist Yuan Changgen from Yunnan University and Zhang Chao, host of the podcast We Know Nothing, will also be part of the discussion, offering broader takes on what it means to live imperfectly.
Rednote believes the not-so-polished parts of life are worth documenting too. In an age of constant content, today’s youth are pushing back against fragmented time with fragmented records of their own. By turning these digital stories into a printed book, Rednote gives them longer life and adds a human touch to its platform. The book is both a quiet celebration of everyday writing and a tribute to those doing their best to live with honesty.