How do I write it so that the MC isn’t just facing conflict after conflict, but make it not seem like filler. I get that there needs to be SOMETHING going on, but at the same time they can’t just be like: escapes the antagonist(s) then goes on quest then goes on more quests like what can be put in between that’s not a conflict or problem. I get that stories need a problem or something to resolve or a task to do, but how to make that work with things, and not just do obscure time skips like “oh yeah by the way so-and-so’s been here for a month”.

So how do I write something that’s not just mini-quest 1, mini-quest 2 and so on until we get to the resolution?