Frequently asked questions, part 3
Author: Yang Chen (314)
1. If the cheat power is a type of ability, is it better to only have the main character possess it, or have many people have the same ability? I personally prefer the latter, so that I can compare the main character's improved version against the others' normal version, which will make the ability seem more special and powerful. What do you think, Teacher Yang?
Answer: Without a doubt, it would be much better to make it so that your main character is the only one with his/her cheat power. As for what you mentioned of making the cheat power seem stronger by comparison, this is actually just another way of expressing your main character's cheat's uniqueness. As for what is really better in the end, it depends on your story's settings. But normally speaking, it's best for your main character to have a unique cheat power of his/her own. That's because apart from uniqueness, the cheat power should also be hidden. It would be best if nobody apart from the main character knows about the cheat power. For instance, if your main character is reincarnated, then don't tell anyone else about his additional memories. And if you have a story where your main character has five extra years of memories from the future while another character has three extra years of memories, this obviously won't be a very good setting.
2. Why must the cheat power be hidden? Is it for the purpose of acting weak when actually strong and eventually fool an enemy?
Answer: Acting weak to fool an enemy is one part of it, but there's two points that are more important. The first is to appeal to what the readers enjoy. Currently, most readers prefer reading about a main character hiding their strength, rather than revealing all his/her ace cards for everyone to know. If the cheat power isn't hidden, these mainstream readers will give up on your story. The second is to make it easier to write about. If the cheat power is exposed, then it becomes much more difficult to write certain scenes. For instance, all sorts of feigning weakness and secretly using the cheat power to defeat an unknowing opponent will no longer be usable. The more important part is, as your main character goes from weak to strong, if the cheat power is exposed, it'll cause a series of events that can make your plot more complex and interesting as long as you deal with it in a reasonable manner.
3. In the fifth chapter of my novel, my main character was beaten up. He obtained a secret technique already but didn't have enough time to learn it yet. Currently, he's being beaten up but he'll be repaying this grievance in the future. Will this cause my readers to become displeased?
Answer: I feel that it depends on the order of how events occur in your plot. If your main character first gets beaten up and then obtains the secret technique, followed by him spending some time to learn it and then getting his revenge afterwards, of course this will be alright. However, if your main character gets beaten up after obtaining his secret technique, this type of story won't be as good. That's because after your main character obtains a secret technique, the readers will be looking forward to how your main character makes use of it and they'll be disappointed when he gets beaten up. It's quite easy for the reader to then give up on your novel. In conclusion, don't disappoint your readers.
4. I feel that I've improved my writing abilities. Should I start writing a new novel?
Answer: Writing a new novel has a prerequisite. That is, your current novel is one you're struggling with or has results that you're unsatisfied with. Otherwise, no matter how strongly you feel about your newfound writing skills, and believe that your new book will be better, I still don't recommend you to recklessly begin a new novel. Perhaps you'll find that your writing skills will improve even further as you keep writing your current novel.
5. I'd like to ask about my cheat. My main character coincidentally met an extraordinarily powerful martial arts expert who gave him the chance to study at a top-level martial arts sect and obtain the best teaching. My novel is a historical Eastern fantasy novel, and my main character is unique but also an ordinary local. That's why I don't want the cheat power to become too obvious. The first three chapters of my novel will also explain this. But, some people are saying that this isn't a cheat at all, and my editor also says it's not a cheat, thus, it's not good enough for me to get a contract. I think that the cheat power should fit the setting of the novel, though. What do you think about this type of cheat?
Answer: Naturally, cheats aren't limited in shape and form. But, before any of that, what do you believe to be a cheat? If the main character obtains the favor of an unparalleled expert who teaches him and only him, this counts as a cheat. However, if the main character enters a high-level martial arts sect to study, that doesn't count as a cheat because the main character won't be unique. Many characters in this novel will also be able to study at the same sect. However, if you add another layer to your setting and make it so that everyone else can only enter this sect at eighteen years old, while your main character gets to enter at only ten years old due to some contrived miracle, giving him a huge advantage, this will count as a classic example of a cheat then.
6. I'd like to ask about climaxes. How can I make my readers incredibly excited about my story's climaxes?
Answer: Actually, I've talked about this topic many times before. There's only a few points to take note of. How difficult the achievement is, the incredible meaning it has to your main character, how others looked down on your main character, the opponent and the bystanders' shocked reactions after unexpectedly winning, the benefits from winning, and the newfound respect and reputation. Just do a proper job of writing all these elements surrounding the climax and you will finish about seventy to eighty percent of the task. On top of all that, you just need some special writing techniques, such as the ones I mentioned previously, along with something like a surprising plot twist.
7. In certain specific areas, the main character's cheat is a bit overpowered. Will that lower the readers' sense of expectation and weaken my climax? For example, my main character is a detective, and he has a pair of mystic eyes that gives him the ability to see from the past. Whenever he's solving a case, he only needs to go to the scene of the crime and he'll learn what happened along with who the murderer is. Will I have readers if I write it like this?
Answer: In such a situation, the simplest method is to set some limitations upon the cheat power. For instance, your main character's mystic eyes should require a great amount of physical or spiritual energy to use, so that he can only see a few minutes into the past, or that he can only maintain his past vision for a few seconds. And as he keeps training and getting stronger, only then will his ability power up…
8. What type of beginning is the best? *Sigh* I feel like the beginning is the most difficult part to write. Can I start with a climax?
Answer: Of course it's fine. There's only one purpose for the beginning of a story, apart from introducing your plot and main character: to generate readers' expectations of your story so that they will continue reading. If you can have a climax at the very beginning, of course that'll be good. However, this isn't actually that easy to accomplish, because a climax requires appropriate work to be set up around it. Successfully describing your main character and preparing the groundwork for a climax in just a short beginning chapter is something incredibly difficult for most authors.