October Novel Prep Challenge

One other thing to consider - Do not let your protagonist get out of everything unscathed. Suffering from something adds to the conflict as they keep going. Consequences matter, and they also help complicate your plot.

My seventh grader got grounded from her phone because she used too much data, so now her friends can't call or text or do all the games they usually do, and she's falling behind in her language class because she has an app that offers practice outside of class. (Pretend that's a plot point in the book) She didn't get out unscathed, she has to deal with the loss of this devices, and if other things are happening, she's going to miss out.