Young daoists, today I will talk about a topic that seems to plague a lot of stories. MC GROWTH.
Now, if you want to have an MC that can topple universes and create galaxies out of thin air, go for it! This daoist agrees that building up all that anticipation is hard. But if you want to properly stage a character's growth, it's a lot harder.
You should never have an MC be unable to advance for 75 - 150+ chapters. Unless they are at literal god level cultivation, they should never stop making advancement. As a fellow reader daoist, it's irritating to see an MC never make any progress for what seems like the entire story!
You should never have your MC cultivate/level too fast. A lot of (original) stories make their MCs overpowered in the first 30 chapters. That's a huge mistake! There's no room for build-up, development and filler! It's more satisfying to see an MC be the worst and slowly leap above the young masters! If they already had the power from the start, then why should I be excited? Why should I give my precious power stones?
If your MC is going to stop cultivating/be unable to cultivate, then you should give him a big power boost once he's able to. Maybe some 'enlightenment in the way of the dao'
But let's say that your MC is already overpowered and you want to fix things. Just cripple his cultivation! Make it so he has to repair his dantian and meridians and come back with an even stronger physique!
Since we're still not reaching our daily word count, let me give you an example...
"Tong Seon finally broke through to Dantian Refinement stage! Tong Seon would finally be recognized as a man in his house and let out to see the world! Stretching his arms and jumping onto his bed, he felt tomorrow would be a great day!
-Tomorrow at the Market-
Tong Seon wandered around the Market, thinking about his future. Inexplicably, a little boy had appeared before him! The little boy asked innocently, "Why are you blocking my way?"
Shocked, Tong Seon didn't know how to respond. How was he blocking anyone's way? Suddenly, an expert appeared out of nowhere and crippled his cultivation! The little boy smiled like a devil and said, "That's what happens when you block my way!"
Tong Seon was crushed. His cultivation, his future! It was all gone. Tong Seon's face reddened with anger. He would not let this hold him back! Repairing his dantian and meridians sounded hopeless, but nothing is impossible!"
What a great story! I wish Tong Seon the best of luck...
Remember kids, every word counts!