How to write a cultivation novel

[Dudealien]

Also known as a Chinese-style novel or a face-slapping novel.

I just need the steps and how to name characters and then I’ll be good

 

[PancakesWitch]

Read one to know! This is such a dumb question, its like asking "Guys how do I make a batman story?" just watch a batman movie or read the comics

 

[Dudealien]

Read one to know! This is such a dumb question, its like asking "Guys how do I make a batman story?" just watch a batman movie or read the comics

Good point

 

[Ai-chan]

Buy seed from the farming shop.
Sow the seeds.
Sometimes your seeds are weak trash, and many would die before they germinate.
If necessary, move and replant the germinated seeds at the place you want it to grow.
Nourish with fertilizers.
It's fine if it dies, you can pretend that another plant is the protagonist all along and that the dead plant is actually a decoy.

At some point, you will get other farmers getting pissed at you for doing so well.
At some point, you will also get other farmers who belittle you and try to take your wife because he said you suck as a farmer.
You can let him take your wife or you can slap his face, telling him that his grandfather will teach him manners.
His family might retaliate, especially when you don't have a big or influential family.
But that's okay, because if they harm you, you can hit them with the law.
The law!

What is the law, you ask?
It is the law that I'm the protagonist, I'm always right.
So it's not fine for other farmers to slaughter your village, but it's perfectly fine if your protagonist does it.
It's even the moral thing to do for your protagonist to massacre the whole of his enemy's wheatfields whenever he feels like it, even when the other dude's slight is only that he accidentally stepped on the protagonist's toes.

 

[strayCat0]

I think you should familiarize yourself with Chinese culture first. This is important so that you won't catch yourself writing on a general fantasy story just with sinicized characters and places names. Also, do try to fully understand the dynamic of cultivation power. There's quite a good glossary in wuxiaworld for a general cultivation system, with terms commonly used in cultivation story, if you need it.

If you're just asking for how to name characters. You might want to use fantasynamegenerator. Just pray that them random names are not inappropriate for Chinese people, after all you don't know whatever their meanings unless you know their specific chinese characters

 

[Dudealien]

Ok, thanks

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Carefully

 

[Deleted member 57675]

I just need the steps and how to name characters and then I’ll be good

Google baby names for your characters

 

[BearlyAlive]

Name your character "Long Dong" and you're good. Anything else isn't as important.

 

[Dudealien]

Name your character "Long Dong" and you're good. Anything else isn't as important.

Damnnnn

 

[InfantryTerminator]

The cultivation story doesn't need to be in Chinese/Asian setting, and if it is then you can read any cultivation novel/manga and pick things up from it. If you're planning to go for the popular and cliche face-slapping power fantasy then here's the recipe (but keep in mind that you need to do something original too, otherwise a lot of readers will bounce off):

Power system, the most important thing. MC keeps going up the cultivation ladder which serves as escalation. If he reaches the top and you still want to continue the story (because Patreon or whatever) then you add some kind of higher dimension with new cultivation ladder. With this, the story can go for as long you want.

Face-slapping is simple. Arrogant young master insults or does something to MC/friend/lover to spark conflict, and either gets slapped soon after or MC gets a power up/uses connection to put him in place. Villain jumping is common.

Lewd/smut scenes to spice things up? Use excuse of dual-cultivation technique/aphrodisiac side effect/smash as reward.

Oh, and main character should start from the bottom with some kind of motivation. The first part mainly escalation, so you can ignore it and start whenever you want.

 

[Dudealien]

The cultivation story doesn't need to be in Chinese/Asian setting, and if it is then you can read any cultivation novel/manga and pick things up from it. If you're planning to go for the popular and cliche face-slapping power fantasy then here's the recipe (but keep in mind that you need to do something original too, otherwise a lot of readers will bounce off):

Power system, the most important thing. MC keeps going up the cultivation ladder which serves as escalation. If he reaches the top and you still want to continue the story (because Patreon or whatever) then you add some kind of higher dimension with new cultivation ladder. With this, the story can go for as long you want.

Face-slapping is simple. Arrogant young master insults or does something to MC/friend/lover to spark conflict, and either gets slapped soon after or MC gets a power up/uses connection to put him in place. Villain jumping is common.

Lewd/smut scenes to spice things up? Use excuse of dual-cultivation technique/aphrodisiac side effect/smash as reward.

Oh, and main character should start from the bottom with some kind of motivation. The first part mainly escalation, so you can ignore it and start whenever you want.

Yeah, I can manage all that

Thanks for your help :)

 

[AnUnknownMan]

Cultivation novels, while theoretically about spiritual enlightenment, is usually a power fantasy instead. Therefore, you must come up with: a series of levels that determine your strength, methods of moving to better levels, and people that want to take advantage of you using wealth, influence, or strength, only to fail.
Subversions include but are not limited to:
-Actual spiritualism at work/ most cultivators are pacifist
-Being unable to cultivate/ slice of life
-Not being the center of attention/ still slice of life
-Cultivation is all a bunch of nonsense practiced by men with mercury poisoning
-Already supreme