Stakes
What a character stands to lose or gain depending on the outcome of an action.
Stakes explain why an outcome matters to a character. Winning a race might protect a job, fulfill a promise or restore confidence. Readers need enough context to understand what success and failure would mean.
Small stakes can support intense drama when the consequences feel specific. Escalation can deepen a personal cost instead of continually increasing the scale of a disaster. Emotional and moral stakes often persist after the practical problem is solved.
Example
Missing this train would cost her the last chance to see her mother before surgery.
In the workshop
State the consequence of failure from the character's perspective.
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