need guide to write an effective LitRPG

[proxybaba]

hey Community,
I hope everyone is enjoying their time here.
I have finished writing a manuscript for LitRpg fiction but I need help in converting the manuscript into a good webnovel. so is there anything I need to keep in mind in writing this genre?

thanks in advance and meanwhile you can check out my work in progress

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Well, first, what is your definition of a 'good webnovel'? It's a pretty subjective topic, to be honest, so you need to have at least a 'list' of what makes a webnovel 'good' for you.

For example, for me as an author and reader, a webnovel is good for me if I can find 'logic' to the characters' actions and motivations, characters that feel 'human' when I read them, and chapters where I lose the passing of time because the narration is 'smooth' enough to get me to press the 'Next Chapter' button.

Second, one of the reasons why I came to hate LitRPG is because the characters don't even feel human. This is aside from the usual tropes, like 'adventurer guilds', 'level systems', 'dungeon exploration events' that you don't even have to read all chapters to follow, and the 'MC is too OP' he can bulldoze an entire kingdom/continent in first chapter, he doesn't have a room to grow.

Yes, I know these are the elements that make a 'LitRPG' a litRPG, but is there any diversity to it?

In any case, these are just my opinions, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Here's the problem with litRPG... you need to include creative use of the system. Foe example, in d20 3.0 you can put stilts on a toad and because of the way stilts are worded, the toad now runs 4 times as fast.

Stilts on a toad are core if you want to get your toad to be able to casually stroll to Banard's Star which is 50 light years away in less than 12 seconds.

Or how about how to use a level one psionic power called glory tongue to be able to lick everyone inside 100 feet. Did I mention that poisonous toad familiars only take 1 feat?

Of course you have to give the toad a third eye to pull it off.

So, what strange, weird, and whacky ways will you be abusing your game system? Because if you are just using it to to make really big numbers, people will get bored.

 

[Le_ther]

hey Community,
I hope everyone is enjoying their time here.
I have finished writing a manuscript for LitRpg fiction but I need help in converting the manuscript into a good webnovel. so is there anything I need to keep in mind in writing this genre?

thanks in advance and meanwhile you can check out my work in progress

For a litRPG although common readers might hate this but this is my advice to make it unique(atleast).


1. Add disadvantages or atleast quest failures and make the requirement punishing so that the quest actually deels like a quest.

2. Stat distribution must be allocated using training equipments rather than clicking the status to add it.[example. Dumbell training = 1 str.]


3. Make the characters not a 1D type of character where they are bland and exist only for the sake of the mc.

4. Lastly, Enjoy writing. Do not rush your book nor lengthen it to over 1000. It would be a good idea to atleast take a break and get inspiration towards different source of literature and to add them for your book.

 

[Placeholder]

> so is there anything I need to keep in mind in writing this genre?

I think it helps if you don't talk about the system mechanics too much. Although there are decent litrpg webnovels that do.

Avoid cookie-cutter webnovel stuff that are just rehashed clichés.

And you should have world-building and actual motivations for every character in the story.

 

[TotallyHuman]

I personally can barely stand it when the author spends a hundred chapters describing system mechanics and classes and what not. I like it when there is action by the second chapter at most and the numbers there are inserted in-between to serve to enhance the action and make progression feel more tangible.

There is no point in reading some poor-ass documentation of a fictional rpg system that the author half-assed on the fly anyway. Make something explode instead.

Stick to the adage: simple is best and it will not wrong you.

 

[VoidSeeker]

hey Community,
I hope everyone is enjoying their time here.
I have finished writing a manuscript for LitRpg fiction but I need help in converting the manuscript into a good webnovel. so is there anything I need to keep in mind in writing this genre?

thanks in advance and meanwhile you can check out my work in progress

LitRpg is all about data the more precise and abundant the data the more closer the reader's imagination to yours.
And data needs to be calculated, like (mana) as main energy for most fantasy worlds it has three types of measurement standerd: quantity, quality, density .

 

[Syringe]

I have a few pieces of advice. I'm not too much of an expert however.

1. Give everything weight.

If you're using stats, make sure they DO matter. Big numbers are always cool, but what do they really translate to? I've seen people chuck in 1,000,000,000 damage, and all it does is bleeds out an enemy. How high is 1,000, and what can it do compared to 100? Naturally, higher is better, but it can off putting as others have described it above (can really take away from the experience if high numbers don't translate correctly).

2. Make the System unique

Naturally, a LitRPG is going to have a System of some kind. That's the heart of genre (at least in my opinion, and it kind of gamifies things). Give it purpose. Why does it matter? Giving it a reason to exist other than it just being there for the sake of the MC or the genre is probably another reason why people hate LitRPGs. If you can put meaning behind it, flesh it out, and make it matter, then it'll enrich the story.

Honestly, you can even chuck in several twists. Like an MC that's simply quantifying their abilities/skills, or has magic that allows it, hence the System. Or ever heard of the Third Man Factor phenomenon people get during near death experiences? The System could even be based around this psychological phenomenon.

3. Show stats and numbers only when they are relevant
I cannot stress this enough. While it's cool to show growth, don't spam them like the readers have short term memory loss. Put them at the end of crutial parts, or when they really matter. This leads to the next point.

4. Don't just use stats as a means of growth
They need to physically and mentally show growth as well, and display these improvements. It feels cheep, and you usually want to show stats at the end to accompany the growth, not be the growth. This also ties in with (1.) about giving things weight.

5. Your characters, world and context matter
They all need to be alive, with their own motivations. I'm not sayign everyone needs a backstory. An aside of "a single mother, wanting to protect her child" is more than enough. If the MC is dangerous, then they'll naturally be defensive of their child. Despite how unrealistic the genre may be, there still needs to be a layer of realism (unless it's comedy or slapstick, then do whatever you want).

6. The numbers Mason, what do they mean?
Calculate everything accordingly. It can be pretty annoying if there are inconsistencies because trust me, no matter how smart you think you are, the readers will be floors over you. LitRPG can be ruined by numerical inconsistencies.

Let's say a boss has X amount of HP, and the MC did X amount of damage. But wait, how was X amount of damage possible when they were only capable of less? Not to mention that the fight came down to the wire, meaning the MC's last, crucial hit wouldn't have been the final hit at all, so they should have died right then and there.

7. Who has the System?
This is a big question only you can answer, and depending on it, it can change the dynamic of the story entirely. Everyone has it? What do they think of it? Is there a religion surrounding it as a result? Maximum level and the level distribution with the population?

If not, then what do normal people thing about those with it? Gods? Deities? Good? Bad? Do they think they're all crazy because they're waving their fingers in the air like a Conductor on stage? Are they so vastly different that it's inconceivable?

It's all up to you to decide.

8. Formatting will be your best friend
Looking at your work, I think you're already on the right track with the tables, etc. So good job on this department!

9. Make a Mini Wiki/Glossary
You will probably require this especially if you have a lot of terminology/things you and your readers need to track. I have one and it is currently over 15k words (too big for the traditional glossary). This is mine for reference: https://www.scribblehub.com/read/52...ai-litrpg-gender-bender-story/chapter/538244/.

But from what I've seen in your current work, you have a recap chapter for the previous arc, which is such a good idea! I love it so much!

10. Have fun
Don't let the numbers get the better of you. Have fun. You can completely disregard everything here and write what you want. There are no rules in the genre. Just numbers and stats in a relatively low-tech world half the time (which is probably another reason why people hate it, since it doesn't fit the setting well.

This is where the previous step of Purpose comes in!

 

[K5Rakitan]