You've probably come across the fairly well-worn advice to create sympathetic main characters: ones who the reader is quickly inclined to root for.
One quick way to do that – and this is not the nicest technique ever! – is to make your
characters suffer in some way, preferably in the first few pages of your novel.
Here's how to get that right:
DON'T ... let your character whine too much. Yes, they can be scared, upset, miserable ... but be careful not to pile on the angst too much. ("Too much" is relative to your genre. Romance readers might be fine with a pretty heavy dose of main-character angst; thriller readers less
so.)
DO ... use suffering to kick-start the plot. For instance, if your character is suffering due to a particular trauma (job loss, bullying, car crash...), this could well give them the story goal of improving things: either changing their life for the better, or returning it to a previous happier state.
DON'T ... pick something arbitrary. There's no point opening your novel with a character painfully
stubbing their toe unless this actually has some point. (E.g. the point might be to establish their relationship with another character who's particularly impatient and uncaring.)
DO ... consider indirect suffering, where someone close to your character is hurt or upset. For instance, if they are a parent, perhaps one of their children is in trouble or danger of some sort.
Do you have any questions about writing, or any topics you'd like me to cover in the newsletter or on the blog? Email me at ali@aliventures.com with your suggestions. 
