Character arcs become powerful when aligned with plot. External events should trigger internal responses, creating causality where characters don't just experience the plot—they're shaped by it. This symbiotic relationship between internal and external conflict forges the emotional connection readers seek, transforming mere events into profound, resonant storytelling experiences.
The traditional Hero's Journey doesn't quite fit modern speculative fiction. When your hero navigates fractured realities instead of ordinary worlds, faces cosmic mentors who mislead rather than guide, and returns with complex truths rather than simple wisdom, you need a fresh approach. Here's how to adapt Campbell's monomyth for other worlds.
Subplots influence the reader's experience like spices in a meal. A story can still be enjoyable without them, but something essential will be missing. Without the Dursleys, Draco Malfoy, or the rich world-building subplots, Harry Potter might have been just another story about a wizarding school.
Conflict is often thought of as massive battles or one-on-one fights for honor, but really, it's much more than that. Memorable stories hinge on conflict, and not all stories depend on epic fight scenes to engage their readers. The goal of conflict is to drive the story forward.
Your readers want to see what happens after the climax. The falling action and resolution give the reader the 'so what' of the story. They also justify why the reader spent however many hours and abandoned real world responsibilities to read your book.
Kenneth W. Myers 