Question #1: What does the character want, and why can’t he or she have it? This question will take you to the heart of a book right away. Every story’s main character wants something and can’t have it—that’s the conflict. Something is inhibiting the character from getting what he or she most desires. There usually isn’t only one right answer to this question, and you don’t need to know what the “best” answer is before you ask it. You may be startled, in fact, by your child’s answer to this question.
