I. The False Binary The first essay argued against opening with worldbuilding exposition or atmospheric wandering. It advocated for starting with stakes, with characters in situations that matter, with immediate tension. But this created an apparent binary: either you start with action and danger, or you’re doing it wrong. That’s not quite accurate. Tension and danger are not the same thing. There’s a third approach that many successful dark fantasy novels employ, one that seems to violate the “start with stakes” principle but actually embodies it perfectly. This is the “before the storm” opening—the deliberate choice…