A lot of my stories involve warfare. So much is put to the test in situations like that. I also find it easier if the military in question exists on some other world, so real-life military formality isn't so much a factor and it could just be a different way things are done in this other world. Case in point, I couldn't do the kind of stuff Tom Clancy did with his novels. He definitely did his homework for real life military knowledge.

I also tend to avoid writing only about humans. Humans are just such a vanilla writing experience. It's just way more fun to write about fantasy creatures or Pokémon from their perspectives. If they start off as humans, chances are pretty good something is going to change them along the way. XD

And of course plot twists are fun. Having too many is chaos, but having just the right amount can really spice up a story.