The time someone says read 50 chapters or whatever for it to get good.
That’s when you know it is bad. And I won’t expect it to be good, but maybe passable.
Nothing should take 50+ chapters to get actually started. That is pretty absurd.
That’s like saying Yu-gi-oh GX gets good, you just have to watch like 2/3 of it. I ain’t joking, that happened.
Granted, the Supreme King Arc to the end was extremely good. Problem is, it took way too long for anything to get good.
So, it remains bad.
Anyway, the way I tend to do things personally. Is that the conflict typically starts in the problem. It is pretty much what you’d say is the last stretch.
Though, that last stretch is insanely long. What happens though, is that as it goes along. You are made aware on what led up to it, and the key details.
Book 1
Follows the main’s awakening. By the time they arrive on the scene. Things have gone to hell, and have approached the last stretch before everything is lost.
The timeline is about 30 days give or take.
Book 7
It begins at the point the main is about to escape from a maximum security prison. The story itself, is the last stretch. As it is a race against time, since the Azure Night is close.
The past shows what eventually led to the main’s imprisonment, and just before the finale. The past and present connects for the final confrontation.
I’ve pretty much kept these sort of patterns for the entirety of the time.
Not saying that it has to be done this way. Just saying, choosing the starting point is pretty important. Things cannot drag for long.
Take Book 1 again.
Chapter 1:
—> Shows the kingdom’s fall, and by the end announces the main’s coming arrival. The main antagonist was introduced in this section.
—> Chapter 1 holds much relevance later on, such as the start.
Chapter 2:
—> Mains arrival and you get a brief look at them.
Chapter 3
—> You not only learn more about the story, but you are grabbed by something else. A moment where you see the main’s true nature.
Chapter 4:
—> First main story encounter between the main and the main antagonist. You learn more about both of them
———-
Note, all the while, these chapters are building up for something large soon.
Chapter 5:
—> The main’s seal comes down temporarily, and you see them unchained for just a moment. They then choose to reseal their own memories. And this really sets the ground for the story.
Chapters 1 - 5 were used as the grabbing section. Roughly 19k/20k words. 14 parts.
Each chapter provided a pull that would urge readers to look further. And when they finally get to the fifth chapter, that is the make or break point.
