Time for a fun standalone post.

I looked at yesterday's chapter comments, and some readers said that the protagonist lacks goals and intrinsic motivation. Let me explain. Actually, there are two ways to write the main plot: one is an explicit main plot, which means that the author clearly tells the reader about the main plot from the beginning.

Let's take the currently popular Lord of Mysteries as an example. The main plot of the first volume is the notebook, which is clearly stated from the beginning. The protagonist is constantly striving to find the missing notebook. In the second volume, after the protagonist is resurrected, he performs divination, and the hope for leveling up and revenge lies in Backlund. In the third volume, he goes on an adventure at sea to level up until the end. In each volume, the author clearly states the main plot to the reader at the beginning before the plot unfolds.

Think about it, isn't that right?

Another approach is to use an implicit main plot, not explicitly telling the reader, but foreshadowing all the conflicts and contradictions beforehand. As the plot unfolds, the reader will find that everything is natural and seamless, and even feels that it should be this way.

Let's recall the first volume, "The Capital Evaluation Storm"—wasn't it filled with a ton of foreshadowing?

Of course, some books do lack a main plot and are written based on whatever comes to mind. But this one is different.

The advantage of a hidden main plot is that you never know what will happen next; it might be a comedy, or it might be a tragedy. The disadvantage is that sometimes readers may feel lost because the plot hasn't unfolded yet.

Take the second volume of "The Nightwatchers" as an example. You have no idea what its main plot is, so you can't guess its ending or the process.

Another advantage is that, from a reading experience perspective, it is the world that is pushing the protagonist forward, and it is the rolling torrent of history that is moving forward.

With the explicit main storyline, you already know the ending; what you don't know is the process.

This theory is something I came up with by guesswork, but the writing style has existed for a long time. Take the Four Great Classical Novels as examples, with explicit main themes: Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Hidden main storylines: Water Margin and Dream of the Red Chamber.

We all know the main storylines and endings of Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. What we don't know is the process.

The Water Margin and Dream of the Red Chamber are implicit in their interpretations; the fates of the Liangshan heroes and the Jia family were something I never expected.

Nowadays, most online novels have an explicit main storyline.

Before starting the book, I had clearly thought about this issue. After choosing to use an implicit main storyline, I wrote from the perspective of the entire world view, downplaying the protagonist's goal.

Let the situation drive the plot.