It& #39;s been alluded to me more than once that I& #39;m doing this wrong because I tend to set character first, which based on my culture means prioritizing relationships and inner ramblings on one& #39;s place in the world. To some, this style of writing is pages of nothing happening...

...when to me, it& #39;s a lot of things happening at once. It& #39;s knowing what& #39;s important to a character. What their problems are. What their struggles are going to be. HOW their problems are going to be solved. More than anything else, I want to set the end game as the story begins.

Stories that start with action is great, but that is not The Only Way to write these stories and it& #39;s certainly not the only way to crank up the tension.

A character can experience doubt, engage in conflict, be thrown in turmoil, without ever leaving the room they& #39;re in. And while gore is perfectly entertaining to some, I& #39;d much rather see a character fall in love or find their family or meet new friends. I want them to fight...

But I also want them to laugh. I want them to find their purpose. I want them to be at peace.

And yes, you can certainly have those things, and swords and battles too. That& #39;s why I always think of sub-genre as not just the content, but style and focus. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😄" title="Smiling face with open mouth and smiling eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with open mouth and smiling eyes">