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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/28042
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/28042
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Mark Baker is exactly right. Your story needs to be about a _person_ (who can be a human, alien, small animal, android, werewolf, sentient car, or Groot).

> I needed to develop my characters to give readers something more to be invested in

This is your problem.

Never mind the exercises and projects and forums and blah blah blah cannoli. You are trying to write a story that's too complicated about a person you haven't fallen in love with.

- Your first task is to _define your character._ Let's call him Bob. Who is Bob? What does he want? What's stopping him from having it? What will he do to get it? What _won't_ he do? How does he want people to think of him? What's the one thing he doesn't ever want anyone to know? What is his biggest strength? What's his biggest weakness? Who is his best friend?
- Then you need the basic outlines of a plot. The MacGuffin, the allies, the bad guys, if there's a love interest, any dependents.
- Once you know what Bob wants, who will help him and who will thwart him, you map out the _journey_ which Bob is going to take. The journey is what happens to Bob, internally, as he navigates the plot of "getting what he wants."
  - How does Bob react to obstacles? Does he give up? Get angry? Get clever? Ask for help? Does his strength or flaw play into this?
  - How does Bob react to success? Does he gloat? Acknowledge it quietly and not make a fuss? Cheer? Share the glory or hog it? Does his strength or flaw play into this?

The goal is for Bob to have changed (preferably improved, but it could be a downer) by the end, when he has the MacGuffin. The process of getting the MacGuffin will have forced Bob to do things, or think things, which he wouldn't have otherwise. This is a character arc.

- Now go back and look at your original sketch of Bob. Does it still work? 
- Create some backstory. Is there anything in Bob's background which you could change, or add, or remove, to make the story more interesting?

These sketches and notes and discussions are what you can present to your group.

Original score: 3