A producer at Showbiz told me a story about how he worked on a script about a couple who were falling apart and how they teamed up to prevent a crime — but the script kept falling apart at the end of Act 2 — then they had the idea of giving the couple a young child who is placed in jeopardy and the couple has to abandon the crime and focus on saving their child. By having the two elements, saving the child and preventing the crime connect and overlap, the producer and writer were able to create a profound climax. Because the couple were willing to do anything to save their child, they were rewarded by also being able to prevent the crime.
By giving your characters strong moral challenges, you will always be able to raise the quality of a story and give it more universal relevance.
