Why “Balance” in Fiction Rarely Means a 50/50 Split

Originally posted on Creative Writing with the Crimson League:

Balance in creative writing has been the theme of my last few posts, and today I wanted to start one more discussion about balance. In particular, I wanted to explore how  in fiction “balance” between two things doesn’t necessarily mean a 50/50 or 33/33/33 split between two or three aspects of a novel.

It also doesn’t mean the same thing from author to author, from genre to genre, or even from one person’s novel to the next one she writes.

Muddying the picture even more is the fact that all the aspects of fiction we try to balance: “action” with “depth,” “world-building” with “story” (at least in my genre of fantasy) are extremely wide-ranging in terms of definition.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TARGET AUDIENCE

What I consider exciting, gripping action might not be enough to keep someone else’s attention. What I consider sweet and romantic about my novels will definitely not…

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