As a result of her father's military position and the fact that he was a writer, Zhang had access to a wide variety of books in her childhood and spent much of her time reading.
"[9] During her studies at the Central Academy of Drama, she began writing novellas, the first of which was a 1981 semi-autobiographical work titled "On the Same Horizon" (在同一地平线上).
[5][9] After the campaign, Zhang started creating a wider variety of works, including Orchid Mania (疯狂的君子兰), a 1983 detective fiction short story, and Chinese Lives (北京人 (一百个中国人的自述)), a 1986 collection of interviews with a variety of ordinary Chinese people.
[11] Zhang's early works deal with themes such as the effects of gender roles and expectations, the duality of womanhood, and the search for an "authentic self.
[7] Overall, her works have covered a wide range of genres, from short stories to journalistic non-fiction to screenplays, and a variety of topics reflecting her experiences.