Every genre runs on trust. Readers hand you their favorite tropes and expect you to honor them. But what happens when the chosen one loses? When the mentor isn't wise? This post breaks down how to subvert convention without breaking that trust, using foreshadowing, restraint, and theme.
"Backstory is like seasoning—a little goes a long way, but too much ruins the dish. The 90/10 rule suggests readers only need to glimpse 10% of your character's history. The key is revealing past details when they become emotionally or narratively necessary, not when you think they're interesting."
