Fill your story with quality conflicts

Define the challenges and obstacles that stand in your character's way.

Identify who will win the conflict.
Create a situation in which two opposing forces battle with one another. It can be a physical fight between the characters or some internal conflict like having two opposite beliefs and attitudes. Put them in a situation where they can lose something they deeply care about.

Create large, real stakes.
Put the character in a highly conflicting situation where they have to make a stake, or they could lose something very valuable and end up entirely emotionally broken. For example, they can lose the love of their life and end up lonely.

Make constructive changes.
Create a powerful, devastating conflict that will expose the character's deepest emotional workings and ultimately lead them to constructive change.