Hi all, I wanted to know what are the general plot arcs used in cultivation novels. For example, the auction arc. I was also curious if there were some rare plot arcs that are less used in this type of novels or maybe something you would want to see written as plot arc.
General arcs : - Treasure hunting - Auction - Challenging the next realm - Tournaments What I actually want to be written - Arranged marriage without being broken and no harem, no overly ice-cold female lead and a relationship progress between them thorough the entire series - A normal and happy family of MC with both of his parents, and MC actually know how to protect them - A humorous MC, but can be cold-blooded when needed to deal with enemy
I define an arc as a a "new" realm for cultivation novel. This is because everything previous to the arc would become irrelevant and everything in the arc would become irrelevant once the arc concludes. Smaller chapters would be "events" rather than arc. An arc general plot: +Found MC power is too weak for this arc +Gather resources +Power Up +Defeat mini bad guy +Defeat daddy bad guys as he shows up +Finishing unfinished stuff +Flee to another area Possible filler materials would include and not limited to: +Encounter hot female as harem candidate +Encounter angry male fodder +Face slap event proving MC is superior +Buying resources through auction or secret market (resources event) +Tournament event (power up event) +Monster hunting (resources event) +Closed door cultivation (power up event) +Defeat random fodder (resources event) +Treasure hunting (power up or resources event) +Creating a new power (power up event) You would generally find the filler materials inserted in the "resources gathering" phase but sometimes in between other phases too. Rare events would be: +War status imposed on the arc (plot event) +Bounty hunting (resources event) +Evade and escape after encountering bosses (plot event) +Lost of an ally or multiple allies (character growth event) +Lost of one or more power (author reset event) +Other characters event (character building event) +Politics or major power movement (world building event)
Well to me, this is like this. 1) First, it has to be from a modern setting for the reader to connect to the young readers. Then the MC will die and transmigrate to a fantasy setting. 2) MC will have a unique transmigrate power/item that she inherits. 3) MC is better in cultivating than the rest. 4) Fall in love with ML but ML doesn't like FL at first or ML is bullied by FL. 5) Happy ending.
^ This. I'd just add a "Trial in another realm/dimension" and "Trapped in another realm/dimension" to the power-up events.
hmm i've been looking for story arcs for my xianxia story as well. Besides the general cliche ones of tournaments, face slapping arrogant young masters, curb-stomping duels, and such I've been having issues trying to build up to those moments in an interesting way! It would be boring to just have things happen due to stupidity or pride or face. That's what every other xianxia novel does. To answer ur question i would say add a family event where the protagonist's family is under attack and he needs to save them from their enemies or if he's too weak, watches his family get destroyed and promise revenge against the family that destroyed his. Another one would be being framed as a criminal and having to somehow prove himself innocent while also being on the run from the guys who want the actual criminal dead.