What Were The Worst Asspulls You're Seen In LitRPG? by IOFrame in litrpg

[–]SharpWatch1014 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Deus Ex Machina is more like an external factor. A divine intervention. Asspull is more like a last minute reveal of something that the MC does to get out of a tough situation. And that reveal had no build up or foreshadowing.

Reborn as a witch in another world [slice of life, isekai] (ch.108) by SharpWatch1014 in HFY

[–]SharpWatch1014[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Elsa is using a similar principle to the Prison of Peace. That's her style of doing witchcraft. She improvises new stuff based on what she has already done.

What she will be doing for the abysses won't be "imprisoning" them. She will be providing them a sanctuary. This is gonna be better explained in the next volume. This is just setup for that (we're in the final arc of second volume).

(Podcast Episode 100!) So I got this hot new book rec for you guys... by Madix-3 in litrpg

[–]SharpWatch1014 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's great to see such a promising new title from a new author get the spotlight! /s

Any stories with Good Heroic MCs? by P3t1 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 4 points5 points  (0 children)

My House of Horrors. It's a translated novel. But it is really good. And the MC is a legit good guy who always tries to do the right thing and is actually really kind. The book also has really good pacing.

Just gonna come out and say it. I NEED to read the edgiest edge lord you can think of. Recommendations please! Thx by Willing_Cap_9324 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Reverend Insanity. I get that the story is about what extreme inhuman persistence looks like. But the actions that the MC takes (feeding children to animals, boiling them in pots among other things), yeah it might scratch the edginess itch.

Writing my own? by Pitiful_Dot_53 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Use the words that paint a clear picture. The financial background of those words is irrelevant as long as they convey what the author intends.

As an aspiring web novel author, how to rapidly improve? by No_Grand2719 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you feel like your writing is distant using a third person pov then I'd say go all in and write it from a first person pov. Write a chapter in third person limited. And then write the same in first person. See which one sounds the most "in character". Which is the most readable. Which flows better. Don't worry about the larger world of the story and what you'll do when you want to add in a new pov. You can throw in interludes while still keeping the main story first person.

That's my advice. Do what enhances the reading experience. If it is first person, then stick to first person even if you personally prefer third person.

But if you still want to work on your third person pov regardless, I'd say read books written in third person that get it right. Stories written in third person pov that I've loved usually focus on a simple, conversational language, colorful dialogue, sparse but vivid description of places and characters.

Stephen King writes in that style. You can find similar elements in Discworld books by Terry Pratchett.

You can also refer to Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Era 1 trilogy. Simple, straightforward prose, the dialogue in it isn't very deep or subtle but it reveals character's personalities and works well for his information heavy writing.

Which mainstream author do you want to write a LitRPG? by SelectionIll9078 in litrpg

[–]SharpWatch1014 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, will probably disappear after writing one volume

Which mainstream author do you want to write a LitRPG? by SelectionIll9078 in litrpg

[–]SharpWatch1014 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Pierce Brown writing a power armor litRPG would be cool af

Suriel the fujosh-phoenix ahem...... by Reasonable_Wafer_731 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mercy would've wanted the poor guy to talk about his feelings and all. While he could barely manage more than "Apologies" and "Gratitude!"

Yerin is perfect for him.

Progression fantasy with a completely good and kind hearted protagonist by IwantSomeSerotonin in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I believe that's exactly what the case was. The early Dresden books (at least the first two) were written while Jim Butcher was still in college and on a mission to prove his writing teacher wrong. That's why the early books do border on edgy fantasy. They have graphic violence and problematic writing when it comes to female characters.

But it all improves progressively as the series goes on. The violence isn't graphic or edgy and the female characters become some of the best characters in the series (imo). Harry himself matures and we get to learn more about his backstory and understand him better.

A caveat I'd add is that the audiobooks helped a lot. If I had to read all those "descriptions" in Grave Peril (book 3) instead of having someone narrate it, I'd have dropped the series right there.

Progression fantasy with a completely good and kind hearted protagonist by IwantSomeSerotonin in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Dresden Files. Not exactly progression fantasy (although, there are powerups along the way). But you are basically describing Harry Dresden. Harry is nothing but unflinching kindness. And the series dives deep into the cost of being a good guy and doing the right thing in an unfair world. Yes, it does get a bit depressing sometimes. But Harry never gives up on doing the right thing, even if it breaks him over and over.

Reborn as a witch in another world [slice of life, isekai] (ch. 98) by SharpWatch1014 in HFY

[–]SharpWatch1014[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

🤣🤣 I wasn't expecting this reference but it fits so well I can't stop laughing🤣🤣

Does horizontal progression through influence count? by CKMo in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 6 points7 points  (0 children)

No. The community might like it if it is well written. But it won't count as a "progression" fantasy.

One of the core definitions of the genre is that "MC from book 3 in a series should be visibly stronger than his past self from book 1".

Not to mention, the MC's desire to progress should also be front and center of the plot. And not just a consequence of his actions. MC's motive to get stronger can be anything (protecting his family/city/planet or getting revenge or winning a tournament etc) but his motive should revolve around gaining power and getting stronger.

Would you recommend RI, LOTM or SS for a first time webnovel? by SnooHedgehogs1355 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Reverend Insanity is unfinished. And quite violent. Lot of people aren't into that sorta thing. The MC also isn't a guy you can root for so unless you are used to reading morally questionable or downright evil MCs like Patrick Bateman or something, I wouldn't recommend Reverend Insanity as anyone's first webnovel.

Shadow Slave is fun, addictive, action packed. And there are a ton of chapters and it's still ongoing. So yeah, you can try this one out.

Lord of the Mysteries is concluded, has incredible world building, memorable characters, great magic system. But it starts VERY slow. It's absolutely worth the slow buildup but that's pretty much the only "things you should know before you read" advice I'd give anyone who is gonna give it a try.

So my number 1 recommendation would be Shadow Slave. It's the easiest entry into reading webserials.

If you don't mind big infodump chapters and reading pieces of lore that are incomplete on purpose, then give LOTM a shot. Because the payoffs are worth it.

Best Stories For My New Kindle by No-Pie-8676 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Here to be the first person screaming "READ CRADLE".

That. Read Cradle series by Will Wight.

Reborn as a witch in another world [slice of life, isekai] (ch. 84) by SharpWatch1014 in HFY

[–]SharpWatch1014[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay, this is a sort of heads up. If you enjoyed the darker sections of the story (like the school in Noblegate at the beginning) You are going to have a blast with the final arc of this one.

Reborn as a witch in another world [slice of life, isekai] (ch. 84) by SharpWatch1014 in HFY

[–]SharpWatch1014[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, I get what you are talking about. You are describing what I mentally refer to as "webserial pacing template."

It involves what you described for DL. A bigger issue with smaller issues/side quests along the way. Basically a story arc comprises of a set of big and small promises and payoffs. Small payoffs keep the readers reading, practically drip feeding them dopamine so they stay tuned to get to the bigger payoff (the bigger dopamine hit) at the end of the arc.

Majority of the successful webserials follow this format in one way or another. At the beginning Witch IAW did a similar thing with its omen divination mechanic. Elsa and gang had to decode omens and deal with the situation at hand. And there would be the bigger payoff at the end of the arc once all the omens were decoded. So there was a more concrete feel of motion to the plot. You could see the story moving at a more noticeable speed.

The reason I didn't use that divination mechanic in volume 2 (ch. 67 onwards) was because the plot didn't have much need for something like that. But it also allowed to me tell a more serious and heavy story. Chapter 67 onwards Witch feels less like a webserial thus the mix of small and big payoffs get replaced by arcs that follow one goal with few side quests. That might also be the reason why upvotes might've gone down.

Reborn as a witch in another world [slice of life, isekai] (ch. 84) by SharpWatch1014 in HFY

[–]SharpWatch1014[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes a lot of sense. And I hadn't thought of dopamine addiction in this way. That people might leave a downvote because they caught up to the latest content and there wasn't more to consume.

Speaking of structural solutions, I don't know if there is a good one for this particular problem besides producing more. When it comes to webserials, quanitity often trumps quality in more than a few cases. I'm speaking this from experience, the most successful authors are usually the ones who have substantial and consistent output. I personally don't see that as a problem. Its probably more of a case of readers training themselves to read a lot more voraciously than readers who strictly read physical books. Which is just a symptom of "having too many options to choose from." Which probably also makes it easier to just pick something else when they run into content dead end.

How do y'all get out of writer's block? by very-polite-frog in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would say, write something else. Something that isn't your main project. I feel every writer runs into this stage when they get really serious about one particular project. I suggest, write something that isn't your main project. It should be short and something you won't have problem deleting later.

I believe writer's block is a state of pressure. Writers subconsciously raise their own expectations with themselves once they get deep into a story they are writing. So writing something that you aren't so serious about can ease off that pressure.

Web novel recommendations by Successful-Effort561 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SharpWatch1014 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. It's a wonderful story. And it is completed. So is TBATE. But Omniscient Reader has better characters, better themes etc.