Everything is important

I had an epihany this past week in regards to my novel. I was struggling with making certain events big enough, worrying that the struggles and crosses my characters have to bear were not big enough. I was stopping and stalling because hings did not feel huge enough to be threats or challeneges to the people in more story. But then I remembered something important.

To teenagers EVERYTHING is important and world ENDING.

It's not their fault either. In high school, dances and friendships, popularity and gossip are important. Who says what, what they wore, how they saw it--these things are a matter of life and death. And even the ones who ignore it or don't by into the social mores are still fighting against those things--AGAINST EVERYTHING that shapes their world.

It takes the pressure off to know this.