One of the reasons you might find yourself reading a book and feeling like stuff Just Happens is if…

One of the reasons you might find yourself reading a book and feeling like stuff Just Happens is if the obstacles and conflicts the characters encounter do not result from the choices the character has made. In character-focused stories it’s satisfying to see characters run into obstacles THEY HAVE CREATED, specifically obstacles they have created by MAKING WHAT THEY THINK ARE THE RIGHT CHOICES.…