Essay Liu has known she wanted to be a writer since childhood, but only decided to pursue writing full time after winning the Lin Rong-San Literary Award for her essay “Seven Days of Mourning”, a deeply personal reflection on the pain of losing her father. The essay was incorporated into a collection under the same name that went on to sell 70,000 copies in Taiwan. A movie adaptation followed under the title Seven Days in Heaven, garnering Liu the 2010 Golden Horse Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Liu cites Lawrence Block as a major influence, admiring his taut elegance tinged with cynicism.