I need help with a training arc.

lambenttyto

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You need something to lose if there's going to be conflict and tension. Is getting kicked out of the guild bad? Having a bunch of action scenes back to back won't cause tension, you need to have some downtime moments where the characters worry about the consequences of getting kicked out of the guild.
 

Paul_Tromba

Sleep deprived mess of a published author
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The threat of getting kicked out would create enough tension for the start. However, you should make some but not all of the MCs really bad at the training to the point that they get beat up a lot. From there you have a lot of options. You could have the characters become better through the training by the end or maybe have a test to prove that they passed training. Another idea could be where the MC gets lost on a training mission and ends up returning battered and bruised from fighting and surviving against some legendary beast that's still out there.
 

doravg

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I am nearly done with the training arc. The twist I made is something I didn't expect. And I don't thing that anyone would, either. Can't wait sixty days to post those chapters. I wonder if I might get comments for them? Anyway, I will enjoy listening to them tonight as I edit them. Now, I just need to write the conclusion to the training arc. With the MC proving, he is more than what his weight would suggest. Blackjack and <spoiler> won't tell </spoiler>
 

T.K._Paradox

Was Divided By Zero: Looking for Glovebox Jesus
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So, the guild master in my story realized that his adventurers are a bunch of blundering children, and he forced them on a three-month remedial training with a battle evaluation after it. Whoever fails gets kicked out of the guild. So, how do I go about it? How do I keep the tension going? A lot of battle scenes for the training, back-to-back. Or have them mostly plan out formations and execute them after they are done planning?
Do what the actually army does. Break down individuals and build them back up to work better as a team.

Individuality will only get you killed in the battle field. Involve some repetitive training exercises, some tactile loss of sleep, install as much fear as possible.

Drive the members to start needing each other rather than trying to stick out.
 

doravg

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I didn't just finish the training arc, I finished the whole of volume one! This story makes me feel alive. Thank you all for the advice. Anti-cake Dungeon Delving is now chapter 72, by the way.
 
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