Oh, that’s a tough one. My stories are so different, even from simlit to simlit. Hmm…
I don’t know if I can reach 5 things, but magic always tends to show up in my stories, at some point. Whether it’s there from the start or introduced after some time, there's always some form of it present.
I suppose darkness is another one. No matter what genre I write or storyline I have in my head, there’s always a layer of darkness that my characters are either struggling to contain, tempted by, fighting against or embracing.
I sometimes like writing in themed conflict, too. This one is minor in ToC but shows up pretty heavily in some other stories and my D&D games. Things like freedom vs security, justice vs compassion, idealism vs pragmatism, that sort of thing.
Hmm… I can’t think of others right now. :sweat_smile: But that’s some things that I enjoy including in stories when I write.