Character Leads to Plot—part 3

Bad things must happen to good characters.

Think of what the worst thing is that would happen to your character. Then make that thing happen. Seeing how someone reacts under the worst possible conditions is why readers read. Either that's Schadenfreude or a real desire to see courage, I don't know which.

But beware that the worst thing for one character will not be the worst thing for another character. Each character's worst thing is individual and unique. Build into your character the fear of the worst thing, and then when it happens, the plot feels inevitable.

And don't forget the bad things we do to ourselves. We sabotage our own successes, because we are afraid of them.

We are ignorant and have our ignorances revealed to us.

We are overconfident and fail precisely because of that.

All our virtues crumble into flaws just as we are learning to lean on and depend on them.