I returned to Washington, D.C., needed a job, and was hired as a puppeteer for a local troupe run by Donna Harris. Six months later Donna and I were married. A good story must have emotional content. It must pull at readers' hearts as well as their minds. If your characters in the book deeply care about something, then your audience will care about the characters.
Readers have to be able to identify with the characters and their challenges.
That's why all my books have a recurring story element. Simply put, it is that the individual triumphs against overwhelming odds. This is one of the great themes of literature and it can be told through many variations. I'm illustrating some beautifully written short poems by Andrew Clements. The poems are about tools.