As soon as I have a character in mind for a new story, I ask myself this question: "What’s the worst thing in the world that could happen to this person?" Is it the loss of a loved one? Maybe it’s being stranded with car trouble on a deserted mountain road. Or maybe your heroine is afraid to confront the man who left her pregnant and alone at the altar.

Whatever the answer is, MAKE IT WORSE! Is your heroine suffering from financial woes? Then give her three little sisters to feed. After that, burn down her house . . . in the middle of the night . . . in January . . . in a blizzard! If your hero is smiling, give him a toothache. If he’s a tough guy who takes the pain in stride, send him to a dentist who’s holding a grudge . . . and big needle!

When it comes to fiction, conflict is what keeps a reader turning the pages. It’s also what forges character--both our own and the fictional people we love. Without a fight of some sort, we don’t have a story. And without a story, we don’t have the best part of a romance--the moment when MAKE IT WORSE leads to a choice that results in HAPPILY EVER AFTER for two people who have been tried by fire.