Only Trouble is Interesting

In my first online critique group, when I was writing my first original novel (Finding Sarah), the group leader offered her feedback: “Don’t let anything else bad happen to Sarah. I like her.”

However, at a writing workshop, the speaker told the audience, quoting Janet Burroway, “Only trouble is interesting.” After listening to his talk, I left that online critique group.

Donald Maass speaks of putting tension on every page, in every paragraph. The reader needs to get involved, to wonder what...