Jin Yong originally published his stories for his newspaper publication, Ming Pao, to rev up readship for the paper.
Originally, the ending for Return of the Condor Heroes was supposed to be a sad one - Yang Guo never reunites with his wife, Xiao Long Nu, after she jumped off the Passionless Valley cliff but readers demanded an alternate ending.
Smiling Proud Wanderer was Jin Yong's symbolic examination (male castration to attain the highest sword skills) of politics and the power struggles in modern day world.
Jin Yong noted at the end of Heavenly Sword Dragon Saber that Xiao Chao was his favorite character for Zhang Wu Ji.
Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils was partially written by Jin Yong's friend who hated the character of Ah Zhi so much that he made her blind halfway in the novel.
The ending to Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain was a cliff-hanger - we never find out who won the battle between Miao Ren Feng and Hu Fei. Jin Yong felt it was best left to the reader's imagination.
Duke of Mt. Deer was Jin Yong's last novel and the only novel where the main character, Wei Xiao Bao, did not possess great martial arts or the stereotypical heroic characteristics.