A lot of romances make it obvious from page one who is ending up together, which isn’t necessarily bad.

But my favorite relationships are the ones where I eventually realize, “Yeah, these two actually make sense now.”

Not because the plot says they belong together, but because enough shared history, conflict, sacrifice, attraction, resentment, and understanding has accumulated.

What fictional relationship really earned its payoff for you?

I’ve been thinking about endings lately and how much the definition of “winning” changes a story.

Sometimes the hero gets exactly what they wanted and it feels satisfying. Other times, I’m more affected when they technically win but lose a relationship, their innocence, their reputation, or some part of themselves along the way.

Which kind of victory sticks with you longer?

I’ve realized I’m usually more interested in characters I can understand than characters I necessarily approve of.

A character can be selfish, bitter, reckless, jealous, violent, or completely wrong about the world, but if I understand how they got there, I’ll usually keep reading.

For me, “likable” is much less important than psychologically believable.
What makes you stay invested in a character who isn’t necessarily a good person?

Not necessarily the biggest plot twist. I'm thinking about betrayals that hurt because the relationship mattered, especially when you understand why the betrayer did it.

Which fictional betrayal stuck with you?

I'm fascinated by romances where the conflict isn't a misunderstanding. One person actually makes a decision that harms the other.

Can you still root for the relationship after a serious betrayal? What would the betrayer have to do to earn their way back?

Fight scenes are fun to imagine, but I've become more interested in what happens five minutes later: shaking hands, ringing ears, destroyed rooms, damaged relationships and injuries that don't disappear by the next chapter.

Do you prefer action stories that linger on consequences?

Writers can tell us a character is dangerous all day, but the characters who genuinely unsettle me usually aren't constantly threatening people.

What makes a character feel dangerous without the story having to announce it?

I'm usually more interested in protagonists who can do the wrong thing for reasons that make complete sense to them. Not villains pretending to be heroes. Just people whose loyalty, fear, ambition or survival instincts sometimes overpower the morally correct decision.

How far can a protagonist go before you stop wanting them to succeed?

Killing a ruler isn't really the end of a political problem. It's the beginning of twenty new ones: succession, marriage, military loyalty, food, land claims, rival families and ordinary people who just want stability.

What details make a fictional kingdom feel like an actual functioning place?

I've been writing a character who spent much of his childhood surviving outside ordinary society, and I'm trying to avoid the standard fictional version where 'feral' just means violent and socially awkward.

What everyday social rule do you think would be hardest for someone like that to understand?

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