Writing Prompt Paradigm Shift: From hard work>talents to the opposite.

[DunnoGoodUserName]

Let’s say you have a world/universe (cultivation, magic, etc) and the power system is all about hard work and determination.
The people at the apex of the world/universe want to have their descendants be just as great as themselves, but they’re afraid that their descendants won’t, so they come up with 2 ideas:

1: To infuse their powers into their genetics so their descendants will have a huge advantage.
2: Suppress others so their family/clan can reign supreme forever.

Here comes along our protagonist and he/she was part of the apex, and considering he/she invented a technique/art to reincarnate and was opposed to those 2 ideas the others wanted him/her dead. Since he/she was outnumbered and outmatched he/she died, but not before he/she activated the technique/art and reincarnated millions of years later.

The power system can be like RI/Reverend Insanity’s Attainments/paths. Our MC has the attainments:
Time; (to preserve his/her soul by nearly stopping time). In RI’s terms it’ll be Great Grandmaster.
Life & Death or Samsara; Quasi-Supreme Grandmaster.
Soul; Supreme Grandmaster.

Another thing from RI is inheritances. We can have the MC have a safe house for resources but he/she has to reach a high power level to access them (in RI terms it’s probably be rank 5-8).
And since we have inheritances we can have low level one’s for our MC to discover (in RI terms: rank 1-4) for resources and sell some of the info from the inheritances.

Optional: The MC has an incomplete/unfinished technique/art that’ll travel back in time, and he/she has to finish it, though it’ll only be used in the later levels.

 

[Nahrenne]

Let’s say you have a world/universe (cultivation, magic, etc) and the power system is all about hard work and determination.
The people at the apex of the world/universe want to have their descendants be just as great as themselves, but they’re afraid that their descendants won’t, so they come up with 2 ideas:

1: To infuse their powers into their genetics so their descendants will have a huge advantage.
2: Suppress others so their family/clan can reign supreme forever.

Here comes along our protagonist and he/she was part of the apex, and considering he/she invented a technique/art to reincarnate and was opposed to those 2 ideas the others wanted him/her dead. Since he/she was outnumbered and outmatched he/she died, but not before he/she activated the technique/art and reincarnated millions of years later.

The power system can be like RI/Reverend Insanity’s Attainments/paths. Our MC has the attainments:
Time; (to preserve his/her soul by nearly stopping time). In RI’s terms it’ll be Great Grandmaster.
Life & Death or Samsara; Quasi-Supreme Grandmaster.
Soul; Supreme Grandmaster.

Another thing from RI is inheritances. We can have the MC have a safe house for resources but he/she has to reach a high power level to access them (in RI terms it’s probably be rank 5-8).
And since we have inheritances we can have low level one’s for our MC to discover (in RI terms: rank 1-4) for resources and sell some of the info from the inheritances.

Optional: The MC has an incomplete/unfinished technique/art that’ll travel back in time, and he/she has to finish it, though it’ll only be used in the later levels.

'o'

Btw, the having power in the genetics and suppressing other families made me think of a translated novel on Novel Updates called Lucia. In it, there is lore of how hundreds of years ago nobles were the only people who had magical abilities and superior strength. The nobility was so restricted in terms of genetics that it was impossible to actually have a child with a commoner. In the lore, a revolt happened where the nobility were hunted down to the point they died out, resulting in the commoners taking over and magic no longer really being a thing anymore.

As for another translated novel that involves magic in genetics, there is Warlock in a Magus World. The concept in that was it was better to have a child when you were at the peak of power level in order to increase chances for your child to end up becoming powerful too. This was because magic in that world causes a form of radiation that alters the body with every power increase - to the point they emit their own radiation that can kill non-magical people and even beginners of magic, etc...



In terms of using your prompt...I'm drawing a blank atm, sorry.
orz
Any ideas are too similar to the examples I mentioned.
orz

X

 

[Deleted member 1244]

The power system can be like RI/Reverend Insanity’s Attainments/paths. Our MC has the attainments:
Time; (to preserve his/her soul by nearly stopping time). In RI’s terms it’ll be Great Grandmaster.
Life & Death or Samsara; Quasi-Supreme Grandmaster.
Soul; Supreme Grandmaster.

Another thing from RI is inheritances. We can have the MC have a safe house for resources but he/she has to reach a high power level to access them (in RI terms it’s probably be rank 5-8).
And since we have inheritances we can have low level one’s for our MC to discover (in RI terms: rank 1-4) for resources and sell some of the info from the inheritances.

Optional: The MC has an incomplete/unfinished technique/art that’ll travel back in time, and he/she has to finish it, though it’ll only be used in the later levels.

I was following what you a saying up to this point, before this, I could envision a story of personal growth, a person's journey in dissecting the intricacies of tradition and the burden of inherited ideas, with the counterpoint of the risk and benefits of innovation and progressive ideas.

But... after that ... the stuff about RI? Rank 5-8... I know they are words... but together... I lack the knowledge to understand the nuances of what that means.

Sorry.

 

[DunnoGoodUserName]

I was following what you a saying up to this point, before this, I could envision a story of personal growth, a person's journey in dissecting the intricacies of tradition and the burden of inherited ideas, with the counterpoint of the risk and benefits of innovation and progressive ideas.

But... after that ... the stuff about RI? Rank 5-8... I know they are words... but together... I lack the knowledge to understand the nuances of what that means.

Sorry.

No need to apologize, since you haven’t read Reverend Insanity by Gu Zhen Ren.
This writing prompt was started because I had an idea and rolled with it, even though I haven’t writen a story before.
And as for the power levels it was because I was too lazy to write up a power system, since it’ll probably take me a day or 2 to form it.

Can’t believe I’ve engrossed a person with this. ?

 

[DunnoGoodUserName]

I was following what you a saying up to this point, before this, I could envision a story of personal growth, a person's journey in dissecting the intricacies of tradition and the burden of inherited ideas, with the counterpoint of the risk and benefits of innovation and progressive ideas.

But... after that ... the stuff about RI? Rank 5-8... I know they are words... but together... I lack the knowledge to understand the nuances of what that means.

Sorry.

I’d suggest reading Reverend Insanity since it’s pretty good.

The basic premise is that of Gu Yue Fang Yuan who reincarnated from earth into a cultivation world (the cultivation system is great compared to other novels), who has lived there for over 500 years and has become a blood path overlord.
He has the goal of achieving eternal life by any means necessary. At the end of his life he was besieged by various Gu immortals of the righteous path and died by suicide via using the legendary gu worm Spring Autumn Cicada and travelling 500 years into the past.

If you’re gonna read it then I suggest skimming the eighty eight true yang building arc, since it was a slog to go through.

 

[Laeyioun]

There are other possible ways those old fogeys would try to get strong descendants:

1. Encouraging many descendants and competition to draw out potential, whether deadly, intellectual, or making their lives consist solely of practicing to reach the peak.
2. Making new cultivation techniques, revise the existing cultivation techniques, train brilliant teachers, and research the most efficient curriculum for systematic learning and also for each student. One approach branching off this is pulling up the capabilities by promoting education of every young pupil, and afterwards making them compete with each other. They can identify those with potential and take them in as direct disciples or outer disciples/apprentices. Basically education, meritocracy, innovation, research and creation in cultivation, and more master-disciple relationships.
edit: competitions like the refinement competition would encourage talents and raising the overall level of the people and knowledge.
edit 2: leaving behind statues, lands, and marks of fighting (either powers, swords, magic etc.) that have profound principles hidden within and can give enlightenment to any practitioner who studies it if they have the fortune.
3. One easy way is through monopolizing resources and holy lands of cultivation, (obtaining spiritual elixirs, immortal pills, heavenly treasures, spirit herbs and animals). These things would make advancements faster and easier through doping, increasing effects of training, directly promoting stages, and faster recovery.
4. Direct bestowment of power. Like the iron mask in RI that needs a heart of justice and direct inheritance, or the speeding up of advancements by the interference of a senior gu master of a amateur gu master's primeval energy. This is very similar to inheritances but also not, because there are many unique methods possible.
-Let's say, like in RI where Fang Yuan stimulates the residual strength path dao marks and directly absorbs it increasing his attainment, or absorbing pure attainments from dream realms, attainment left behind in inheritances, and also absorbing/reading other's memories.
-Passing down lifebound/rare but obtainable through influence magical treasures/gu worms/heavenly weapons/spirits or familiars that will affect a cultivator's potential or practice.


I think these things should be incorporated step by step and have a purpose in the story and not purely shoved down the throat of the reader.

I guess you also could make those other cultivators complex, diverse from prideful to intelligent, not exactly evil or good, and also allies of protagonist when they can benefit from each other yada yada blah blah..

Is the world supposed to have 9 as a significant number? - > many books incorporate 9 numbers as the major levels with 10 or 0 as godhood/perfection/immortality or simply mortals like in RI, TTNH, LoTM, CCC.

I always did get interested about RI's attainment, like flexible strength and capabilities not directly according to a cultivators level. So higher attainment joe can beat slightly higher realm but simple-skilled bob because of the resourcefulness and usage of the current powers to the highest potential they can.

Wait I didn't realize I was commenting on a writing prompt. What is this about again cus I'm new. Lmao sorry if I didn't hit any point you wanted to, but it was fun thinking of these stuff.

 

[Laeyioun]

What? Such travesty! hahaha. It was an enjoyable and pretty interesting arc to me though. What I found a slog was the first 100 chapters or so when things were interesting but still peaceful and building up and also the build up towards the climax at chapter 1000 (I like the climax though), if you know what I mean, because there was no hint of the twist even if it was a good writing of something in our blindspot.

I’d suggest reading Reverend Insanity since it’s pretty good.

The basic premise is that of Gu Yue Fang Yuan who reincarnated from earth into a cultivation world (the cultivation system is great compared to other novels), who has lived there for over 500 years and has become a blood path overlord.
He has the goal of achieving eternal life by any means necessary. At the end of his life he was besieged by various Gu immortals of the righteous path and died by suicide via using the legendary gu worm Spring Autumn Cicada and travelling 500 years into the past.

If you’re gonna read it then I suggest skimming the eighty eight true yang building arc, since it was a slog to go through.

 

[DunnoGoodUserName]

What? Such travesty! hahaha. It was an enjoyable and pretty interesting arc to me though. What I found a slog was the first 100 chapters or so when things were interesting but still peaceful and building up and also the build up towards the climax at chapter 1000 (I like the climax though), if you know what I mean, because there was no hint of the twist even if it was a good writing of something in our blindspot.

For me it was a slog to go through, though it’s probably because the other arcs were better imo.
And probably because I haven’t reread RI and I’m waiting for new chapters to come out.

 

[Temple]

Just a sort of tangent to the hard work thing. I can't recall of any cultivation story where there was actual pure hard work. I mean sure the MC is hard working don't get me wrong, but they couldn't have made it without some secret scroll, a hidden master, divine beast, divine weapon, etc., you know the works. Or they were a descendant of some bloodline or inheritor of some secret technique whatever, the usual. Like legit 100% pure hard work.
Interestingly, that pure hard work thing is (indirectly) present in reincarnation stories where the MC was previously some godlike expert he achieved through pure hardwork for 500 years or so. But we don't really see that, we only see the reincarnated part. I guess what I mean to say is I havent seen a story about the beginnings of that godlike expert slogging at it for hundreds of years without any sort of external aid.
But then again that sounds slow as hell and wouldn't probably make a good story pacing wise. Also not really a power fantasy/wish fulfillment thing if the MC can't get an advantage with some secret power up to move things along. Just random thoughts that maybe a pure hard working MC with no advantages at all wouldn't be a good story.

 

[Kldran]

I can't recall of any cultivation story where there was actual pure hard work. I mean sure the MC is hard working don't get me wrong, but they couldn't have made it without some secret scroll, a hidden master, divine beast, divine weapon, etc.

"While you were exploring ruins, I trained. While you fought in tournaments, I trained. While you battled with other sects, I trained. Now, I have mastered the One Punch!"
"I found a scroll with the counter to the One Punch on this enemy I fought, so you aren't even a threat to me now."
"Dangit!"

Edit:
I sorta imagine the hard work focus is how cultivation settings would start, before the world became full of old ruins and treasure troves from prior masters.

 

[Laeyioun]

"While you were exploring ruins, I trained. While you fought in tournaments, I trained. While you battled with other sects, I trained. Now, I have mastered the One Punch!"
"I found a scroll with the counter to the One Punch on this enemy I fought, so you aren't even a threat to me now."
"Dangit!"

Edit:
I sorta imagine the hard work focus is how cultivation settings would start, before the world became full of old ruins and treasure troves from prior masters.

I agree with most of them starting with hardwork and becoming based on luck, but not all of them. Fortuitous encounters are still a must. Why? The world itself is magical and it wouldn't do for only the protagonist to not get at least one if they were in the right place at the right time and put in the required effort, and it's not like they need the uber legendary ones, but only something useful for their current level even if they're weak. I do call bullshit for mc's being the only one chosen one of heaven and becoming overpowered without any hardship

Examples are:
Like op said, Reverend Insanity is all about hard work and keep on cultivating despite natural aptitude limitations.
Lord of the Mysteries doesn't have any power/skill cheats, only a unique communication power for the transmigrator protag(he is said to be one at the first chapter so not a spoiler).
I haven't read this, but Renegade Immortal is hard work all the way and protag has tragedy because of his actions.