The best advice I received at the LA SCBWI conference was to make the reader root for the main character. It took nine months of incubation time to realize “how to” make the reader root for the her but I think I finally did it. First I had to make the reader care about the character, give her obstacles to overcome, and then after a lot of obstacles in the character's way she achieved what she wanted all along.

            I had to give the character a heart that the reader cared about. It took many rewrites to achieve that reward but it was so worth it. Thank you all editors who critique at these conferences.