My brother said something about my story that made me stop writing for a week

We were at a diner in Austin and I was telling him about my fantasy story idea. He looked at me and said, 'But why would your hero care about saving a kingdom that never helped her?' I had built this whole world but never gave my main character a real reason to fight. What's a good way to show a character's personal stake in a big conflict?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaeljones1d ago

Make it personal. Maybe the kingdom has something she needs, or someone there she loves.

the_alice23h ago

Totally agree with @michaeljones, you gotta tie it to her gut. Like, maybe her sick little brother is stuck in the capital and the cure only grows in the royal gardens. Now she's not just saving the world, she's racing against a clock she feels in her chest every day.