How to drag the mc into the plot's major conflict?

[CheertheSecond]

Assuming all characters with influence in the world are reasonable with good info network and good judgement of info received.

All characters with influence know to give up when they had already lost too much.

The existence of the mc is irrelevant to the world affair and to the affair of the major parties in the plot's central conflict.


What could potentially prompt the mc into participation?

MC considers worldly affairs too beneath them to act.

MC has no parents, and their parents and close family members do not have much involvement with the central plot.


Do I have to create a relationship between the mc and a character with connection to the central conflict to drag them in?

What possible type of relation could work? I rule out romance because the mc isn't interest in it and I am adamant to not make it the key point of the novel.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Boredom, Curiousity, Coincidence. The MC just wanders into the plot by accident, or they're trying to do something and the only way to do that thing requires them to stumble through the plot.

 

[LuoirM]

I just have one of MC's loved ones got entangle in and got harmed from the conflict and now the MC wanna take a look into that

 

[AmbreaTaddy]

I prefer to use the petty method in that case. Let's say someone from one of the factions does something to him by coincidence (steal his bag/push him in the street, sets fire to the tavern he was staying at, bankrupts a merchant he likes... Whatever) and now he's really pissed and wants petty revenge against that guy, and discovers he's from one of the faction. Just out of pettiness he wants to destroy that entire faction because how dare they ? Or he thinks the guy who wronged him will feel 100% more miserable if his faction collapses, in any way the MC gets involved just out of pettiness

 

[StoneInky]

If you think your MC will not get involved actively, have other characters act and push them into the center of conflict.

Maybe said characters mistake them for some being from an opposing faction and so try to kill them. Maybe they learn of the MC's strength, and try to persuade them to get on their side. Or maybe they fight in ways that involve the MC (on their house, in front of them, or in ways that may lead to the MC getting injured if they were a normal person), and the MC cannot just ignore this, because it affects them.

If your MC makes no emotional connections, make other characters connect to them instead of the other way around. Maybe someone thinks they remind them of their dead son or daughter, and so they latch onto them. Maybe they're in love with the MC. Or maybe they hate the MC for a petty reason. They may bother the MC, or other people may bother the MC after learning of this emotional connection, and the MC gets involved in incidents because of this.

 

[MarekSusicky]

The MC didn’t care about wars, empires, or cosmic prophecy. But someone, some absolute fool, blew up their 87-year-old bonsai. That tree was their beloved masterpiece. Now? Now the MC’s coming, and they're not bringing mercy. All this... because someone couldn’t mind their damn missiles.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Assuming all characters with influence in the world are reasonable with good info network and good judgement of info received.

All characters with influence know to give up when they had already lost too much.

The existence of the mc is irrelevant to the world affair and to the affair of the major parties in the plot's central conflict.


What could potentially prompt the mc into participation?

MC considers worldly affairs too beneath them to act.

MC has no parents, and their parents and close family members do not have much involvement with the central plot.


Do I have to create a relationship between the mc and a character with connection to the central conflict to drag them in?

What possible type of relation could work? I rule out romance because the mc isn't interest in it and I am adamant to not make it the key point of the novel.

An oopsy from all parties that resulted in deficit in MC checkbook and he had to get involved because them fuckers are playing hot potato and tried to shove MC elsewhere.

There is always a stake, find it.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Most of my thoughts were already tossed out but there's also the John Wick option - someone connected to the plot either believes the MC has something of value or just disrespected them or something, breaks into his place when he's not home, and kills a beloved pet and/or SO or steals or destroys an object the Significant Other gifted the MC before passing on...

 

[CheertheSecond]

Boredom, Curiousity, Coincidence. The MC just wanders into the plot by accident, or they're trying to do something and the only way to do that thing requires them to stumble through the plot.

Quite a few readers will call it asspulled if MC just coincidentally be at the right place at the right time to be dragged into the plot.


Too many stories had already tried this so I think many people will not like a repetition of what had already been made thousands times before.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Quite a few readers will call it asspulled if MC just coincidentally be at the right place at the right time to be dragged into the plot.


Too many stories had already tried this so I think many people will not like a repetition of what had already been made thousands times before.

You could always rewrite the story from scratch so that the problems you're having don't exist anymore.

 

[Zagaroth]

Divinity of choice:

"Hmm, I don't like how this is shaping up, but I can't act too directly lest I break something, so where's a mortal who can put their free will to work. Ah, there we are. This mortal has the potential to become a fulcrum. let's assign one of our celestial agents with a drop of extra power, so that they can offer the mortal a drop of that power, along with enough information to point them in the right direction. I can't tell them too much, or it won't count as an act of free will, but I can have my agent make sure that the mortal knows my general values and concerns, and a hint about what sort of problem I want them to fix. Then we'll hope they figure out the rest."

At least, that's the power scale of my deities; a drop of a drop of power is sufficient to turn a 'normal' soldier/mage/adventurer into an MC candidate easily. And they are concerned about taking direct actions because it's hard for them to touch things lightly enough. Imagine trying to gently pet a baby mouse if you are a blue whale or something. Imagine this speech:

but that 'cardboard' reference is talking about the planet itself. Push too hard and you poke a hole in it.

And I always run my stories as free will of mortals having great importance, plus you grow in strength by contesting yourself against the world, so being led by the hand isn't going to do you any good, or the god any good for that matter.

 

[Clo]

In the Smallville RPG (yes, the one based on the Superman TV show), character creation includes a relationship chart. Everything—skills, events, other characters—is tied together by personal connections.

You don’t just fight ninjas. You fight the Red Hand, the ninja clan Elektra came from (okay, mixing DC and Marvel here, but bear with me).

If a random person gets mugged, your character can’t just intervene. Not unless that person is connected to someone on your chart. If it’s Lois’s cousin getting mugged? Now you can act. Now you care. Because now it matters to you.

The same applies to writing. Nothing in your story should just happen in a vacuum. Every event should connect to someone or something the MC already cares about.

If it doesn’t, it feels like a side-quest. Like filler.

So if you want your MC to be involved in the plot?
Make the plot personal. Connect it to them.

 

[naosu]

There are ways you could write that in. Maybe he gets offered a bodyguard job. And then the family of who he's guarding maybe gets drawn into a mafia war. Or they themselves are mafia, etc. Or they could be feudal lord knights, and their border is violated.

Lots of stuff you could do.