Hello everyone, I'm zechamp, and like many of the people here on this forum, I am a LitRPG author. I often see beginners post the same sort of questions here, so I thought I would gather some useful information for anyone wanting to write a LitRPG. I've consulted with many true experts in the field in order to compose this post, so it's not just my delusions here; this is actual good info.

Let's get started. First of all: a common trap newbie writers fall prey to.


Section 1: Don't Fall For the Blue Box SCAM!



Section 2: USE THE DAMN [MEME BRACKETS]!


Did you understand the previous point? Good. Now, we move onto the solution. The key to writing truly immersive LitRPGs: the brackets.
Always think with the meme brackets. Always look for fresh opportunities to throw those babies in. Never have a character just run, when they could [Dash]. Have a scene where a chef cooks a slice of pizza? How about one where a [Chef] [Cooks] a [Slice of Pizza]. See how much more immersive the second options are? You need to really give your reader the experience of feeling like they are in a LitRPG. Do you understand? Really understand? I'll illustrate this using an example. See this next text segment.

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die: to sleep…”

As you may notice, this does not really read like a litrpg. That is because it is not in fact a litRPG, but Hamlet. Let's fix that, using the power of [meme brackets].

To [be], or [not to be]: that is the question:
Whether ’tis [nobler in the mind to suffer]
The [slings and arrows of outrageous fortune],
Or to [take arms against a sea of troubles],
And by [opposing end them]. [To die: to sleep]…”


Wow! Notice how with such simple changes, we converted this classic of english literature into the average LitRPG battle scene? You can almost imagine all those skills being used, the calculating MC going through each different option in his mind. This is the power of a LitRPG. If you don't have at least one set of brackets in each paragraph, are you even writing a LitRPG?

Section 3: HELP I GOT SO IMMERSED I STARTED TREATING ROYALROAD LIKE A LITRPG THEN MY NUMBERS WENT DOWN AND I GOT DEPRESSED

With the previous two segments we covered how to write immersive LitRPGs, so next we will focus on how to post them on Royalroad. A common newbie error is that they start treating the fiction itself as a LitRPG, get dopamine when the followers and ratings go up, then get depressed when they start going down. It can even happen to the great success stories, after that initial Rising Stars hype fades away, it can be tough to cope with the lower numbers. Luckily, I've developed a forbidden secret technique to deal with this issue:

The method is easy: Go on hiatus for a while, then when you return, your viewer retention will have gone to shit, so you can practically treat it as starting again all the way from zero! You can get all that sweet dopamine you got the first time around, and when you inevitably get sad again, you can just do it again all over! It's foolproof!

Section 4: HELP I CAN'T WRITE FAST ENOUGH FOR THE LitRPG READERS

Now, the LitRPG readers in particular have a reputation for being voracious, so many authors struggle to provide the daily chapters their readers desire. Here are a few experimental methods I've developed to help you write more.

Method one: During the aforementioned hiatus, go read The Wandering Inn, and watch its writer, Pirateaba, do their writing streams, then attempt to steal 1% of their power. They write like 60k words per week and stream it all, so this is a prime source for such power. This method may require reading some xianxia novels before you attempt it, as they often contain instructions on how to siphon such energy. Beware however: this strategy carries risks. If you fail, you might despair and be crushed under the inevitable onslaught of words upon words, developing heart demons in the process.

Method two: This one is more experimental than the previous; I haven't actually been using it for that long. But basically, start off by writing smaller chapters, like 1000 words or even less. Do this for a while, then once you are in a good routine, double the chapter lengths but change nothing else in your method. Basically, you are trying to fool your brain into writing 2k chapters by making it think you are writing 1k chapters. It may sound dubious, but it can actually work, for a while at least. I plan on eventually trying to double up again and see how it goes.


The end

Thank you for reading this guide, and I hope you found it helpful. I think this covers everything you need to be a successful LitRPG author, apart from maybe dealing with mean comments and stuff. Do you have any tips of your own to share? Please discuss in the comments!

Great [Insight]s, Brother Zechamp. I never knew the works of [Shakespeare] could [resonate] with me so deeply.

Where can I find the rest of this [Hamlet] LitRPG [manual]?

Crownfall Wrote: Great [Insight]s, Brother Zechamp. I never knew the works of [Shakespeare] could [resonate] with me so deeply.

Where can I find the rest of this [Hamlet] LitRPG [manual]?

Legends say that Shakespeare is not actually dead, he was just banned from the RR forums for flaming U/RobertGreene, after which he went on hiatus. If we wait patiently, I am sure that he will eventually release the rest of it. Remember: A hiatus never runs out of hopium before the heat death of the universe.

The [Insight], no doubt have you [traveled] far along the [path] of the [RR dao].

Please [teach] me, your [unworthy] [student].

zechamp Wrote: Go on hiatus for a while, then when you return, your viewer retention will have gone to shit, so you can practically treat it as starting again all the way from zero! You can get all that sweet dopamine you got the first time around, and when you inevitably get sad again, you can just do it again all over! It's foolproof!

I say we should [return to the origin] and encourage writers to instead [drop] their hiatus stories so they can [begin anew], just like many dropped their unsuccessful fics in the past. Then get those sweet, sweet [dopamine surges] in full. You get to try a bunch of new, fun stuff, and get to [climb the ranks] all over again! A [perfect combination]!

zechamp Wrote: Section 1: Don't Fall For the Blue Box SCAM!

You can pry those blue boxes from my cold, dead hands.

Great [Post] you've [Written]. 

Ziggy Wrote: You can pry those blue boxes from my cold, dead hands.

Alas, the [Blue Box Mafia's] grip runs strong in these forums, but let me ask you this. My post [Contains Meme Brackets], can you say the same? Which of our factions is really the one winning here?

Why are you giving out these secrets for free?! You'll ruin us all!! 


Our power! Our powerrr!!!  

I think I got it. I go on a [Hiatus], kidnap Pirateaba, and make them double their chapter length every other week.  

Ziggy Wrote:

zechamp Wrote: Section 1: Don't Fall For the Blue Box SCAM!

You can pry those blue boxes from my cold, dead hands.

Agree with Professor Ziggy. I'm using them now, and doing fine. Not sure why you are so against them. I don't mind looking at another way to do them, and agree that patreon doesn't treat the RR charts very well. 

BB Wrote:

The Wrote: Not sure why you are so against them.

*whispers* It was sarcasm...

I suspected that, but that's a hell of a lot to do for some sarcasm. If I write that much, it better be in the next damned chapter.

The Wrote: I suspected that, but that's a hell of a lot to do for some sarcasm. If I write that much, it better be in the next damned chapter.

See, that is the difference between us. You write the next chapter, while I cultivate my hiatus essence to the next level. All in the search of that final mastery. 

I have now realized that litrpgs are far stranger than I had previously speculated.

I read memes and now my mind refuses to think about anything other than funny cat gifs and philosoraptor quotes.