When is it too early to start a new arc?

[PBJ_Time]

I began writing a new arc in my story, even though it's only been chapter 10.

Beware the Horde [Isekai LitRPG] - 10. The Ship That Sailed the Stars | Scribble Hub

www.scribblehub.com

I now fully understand why people say my pacing is too fast since I only write 1.5-1.8k words per chapter. You could probably read the first arc in a single day before it jumps into the next. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea when I first wrote it in my drafts, but I don't know how to salvage the rest. I can only hope for the best it's interesting enough to keep readers engaged.

 

[Gray_Mann]

I began writing a new arc in my story, even though it's only been chapter 10.

Beware the Horde [Isekai LitRPG] - 10. The Ship That Sailed the Stars | Scribble Hub

www.scribblehub.com

I now fully understand why people say my pacing is too fast since I only write 1.5-1.8k words per chapter. You could probably read the first arc in a single day before it jumps into the next. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea when I first wrote it in my drafts, but I don't know how to salvage the rest. I can only hope for the best it's interesting enough to keep readers engaged.

1.5k chapters? Dude, I won't read anything that has chapters shorter than 3k minimum. I'll occasionally allow 2.5k if I really like the story, or know the author from previous works and thus trust their work....but your chapters are waaaay to short for me.

I don't even understand why you are considering the length of an arc when......like where is the rest of the chapter at!!!???? Did you lose it!!!???

You have bigger problems here!!!

I'm only half-serious. When it comes to chapter lengths, I'm well aware my view of 3k minimum is very much, not the norm.

 

[PBJ_Time]

1.5k chapters? Dude, I won't read anything that has chapters shorter than 3k minimum. I'll occasionally allow 2.5k if I really like the story, or know the author from previous works and thus trust their work....but your chapters are waaaay to short for me.

I don't even understand why you are considering the length of an arc when......like where is the rest of the chapter at!!!???? Did you lose it!!!???

You have bigger problems here!!!

I'm only half-serious. When it comes to chapter lengths, I'm well aware my view of 3k minimum is very much, not the norm.

Many isekai/litRPG web novels usually have a 1.5k word count from my experience. Even the cultivation genre won't have chapters with more than 2.5k words. 3k words is reserved for professionally published literature more than anything.

 

[SwallowForm]

An arc made of 10 chapters, 1.5k words each only sounds okay to me if it's a prologue arc. But I haven't read your novel so I can't point anything else out

 

[Puji-Maki]

Nah, writing 1k words is fine as long as you update everyday. I do that. On the second note, I haven't read your novel so I have no if it's the right thing to start another arc of not.

 

[PancakesWitch]

Nowadays the audience prefers fast paced stories, especially if theyre progression fantasy and litrpg. So go on with that style. There is nothing inherently wrong with it.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

When is the right time to start a new arc? IMO, you can start a new arc if you already reached the goals you intended for a certain season/arc. Otherwise, you'll be making too much that you may not be able to finish. Word count doesn't matter, nor is the number of chapters. What's important is that you finished your objectives for that specific arc before jumping to another.

 

[MarekSusicky]

I began writing a new arc in my story, even though it's only been chapter 10.

Beware the Horde [Isekai LitRPG] - 10. The Ship That Sailed the Stars | Scribble Hub

www.scribblehub.com

I now fully understand why people say my pacing is too fast since I only write 1.5-1.8k words per chapter. You could probably read the first arc in a single day before it jumps into the next. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea when I first wrote it in my drafts, but I don't know how to salvage the rest. I can only hope for the best it's interesting enough to keep readers engaged.

My advice would be to follow common structure. Introduction - Development - Conclusion - Closure.

So when you do that you know exactly when to start new arc. ( You can have arc within arc withnin arc, every paragraph could be mini arc :) ) ie:

• In Introduction, you say who (proteg), what (the problem), where (settings), why (motivation)
• In development you have conflicts, twists, but are moving towards solving "what" from Introduction.
• In conclusion you have the emotional highs/lows, "who" manages to do "what"
• In closure you tie up loose end, or hint new conflicts (that can be done anywhere, but that's more foreshadowing)

If you can't answer the basic who, what, where and why you need to work on it more. It doesn't matter if your arc is 5,000 words or 50,000 as long as you have the four points above, the pacing dictates how long it needs to be.

Overreaching arc can be split into more little arcs, who can split into chapters. Easy structure to follow.

Specific to your story:
Hajime's "why" feels... shallow. Why does he care? What is his *exact* role? Sure, comedic deaths, but what are deeper emotions or motivations drive him towards the "what"? And while his powers and upgrades are cool, they escalate too quickly, I think you are going to soon have problems maintain tension. Or maybe not, I haven't finished all chapters :)

 

[PBJ_Time]

My advice would be to follow common structure. Introduction - Development - Conclusion - Closure.

So when you do that you know exactly when to start new arc. ( You can have arc within arc withnin arc, every paragraph could be mini arc :) ) ie:

• In Introduction, you say who (proteg), what (the problem), where (settings), why (motivation)
• In development you have conflicts, twists, but are moving towards solving "what" from Introduction.
• In conclusion you have the emotional highs/lows, "who" manages to do "what"
• In closure you tie up loose end, or hint new conflicts (that can be done anywhere, but that's more foreshadowing)

If you can't answer the basic who, what, where and why you need to work on it more. It doesn't matter if your arc is 5,000 words or 50,000 as long as you have the four points above, the pacing dictates how long it needs to be.

Overreaching arc can be split into more little arcs, who can split into chapters. Easy structure to follow.

Specific to your story:
Hajime's "why" feels... shallow. Why does he care? What is his *exact* role? Sure, comedic deaths, but what are deeper emotions or motivations drive him towards the "what"? And while his powers and upgrades are cool, they escalate too quickly, I think you are going to soon have problems maintain tension. Or maybe not, I haven't finished all chapters :)

Excellent insight, fam. And don't worry, I've written a lot of tension for the next arc because it revolves around going into a different planet with a different game mechanic. Basically, I way I wrote drafts for my next arc is kinda like "what if billions of Tyrannids were sent into a world with Middle Earth tech." It's not a new concept, but I love the idea.

 

[Zinless]

I began writing a new arc in my story, even though it's only been chapter 10.

My man, I'm 90k words deep and I'm STILL on the start of arc 2

 

[Corty]

1.5k chapters? Dude, I won't read anything that has chapters shorter than 3k minimum.

3k minimum? Damn.

 

[TheIcMan]

Lmao, the outline for my first real story on here had it so that there was a new arc every 10 chapters. Well, they were less “arcs” and more change of location, but still. It unintentionally changed every ten lol.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

It's fine if you are finished with the old one. Ignore the adhd'ers who need an entire saga just for a prologue.