A writer has three questions she or he must answer before or when beginning a story.
Who is my protagonist? What does she or he want? And what is getting in her or his way?
Each of these aspects delivers an important component of story. Together they create a force that propels plot.
A story shows what happens when a character sets out to achieve a goal, and or solve a problem. In the best of stories and usually in life, we encounter obstacles in the process of seeking to achieve our goals.
The obstacles the character of a story faces can and do come in many forms. They can present as human adversaries, and antagonists, or as forces of nature, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, or the eruption of a volcano.
The obstacles a protagonist encounters could also be physical as in an illness, either chronic or terminal. Whatever the case, the character must mount an effort to pass through the storm of difficulty manifested by the obstacle.
Confronting the elements of the storm or trial requires the character to make decisions. They must also act. These actions force hidden aspects of the protagonist to come forth.
The protagonist must also look at their world, and separate truth from illusion. A strong plot urges the character to clarify the strongly held beliefs that have served them well, from misconceptions that have kept them stuck in old patterns of perceiving the world and themselves.
Stories are a lot like driving a car. We set out to for a certain destination. Yet rarely do we go straight there without having to make a stop, if only for a red light at an intersection.
We almost always remember the times when we have had to stop for more reasons than the usual. Stories almost always accompany our remembrances of those times.
What is one of the greatest obstacles you have faced in working towards a goal?
What kinds of obstacles have your characters encountered?