I couldn't agree more. If you ever consider releasing an article which rules are more "absolute" than others, I'd be most interested in your opinion. Your examples when to tone down on conflict are spot on.

Thanks for reading, Denise!

Thanks so much, Kris. It's always a pleasure to be here.

I'm glad you found it helpful.

Sounds like you've got a great plan, Eldred. Give the readers what they want ;).

Right? There's value in the introspective, regrouping moments when the character is able to process what they've been through, draw conclusions, and possibly learn from them.

I've been rethinking a lot of the old "rules" lately, and I'm finding that there really are few absolutes. There almost always are exceptions to those rules that make the story better.

Yes, a big piece of this is pacing. If the roller coaster keeps going up, up, up, it gets exhausting after a while, and people want to get off. Taking breaks from conflict encourages the ebb and flow that makes for a satisfying read.