He was born on 3 December 1949 in Qingjian County, Shaanxi Province.
He began writing novels when as a college student, and graduated from the Chinese Department of Yan'an University in 1973.
In 1982, Lu Yao published his novella "Life", which was made into a film in 1984.
In 1991, Lu Yao finished his most famous work, Ordinary World,[1] which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize.
[2] His writing was closely related to his own life and experiences, and focused mostly on young people from his native Shaanbei striving to change their lives.