The way to a character’s heart (and isn’t that where we, as writers, are trying to get?) is through the things he or she wants/needs/desires and the things he or she fears. The acts that the character does in order to get what he or she wants and to avoid what he or she fears create character. These acts also often drive the story. They create plot. The integration of these elements make your story your story.
Kind of a big deal, really.
You can structure your story just by knowing these things. For example, Odysseus wants/needs/desires to get home. He starts off fine but soon runs into problems that get in the way of his getting home. He goes through a series of adventures because he is trying to get home. Aspects of his personality are discovered. Some of them help him (his cleverness) and some of them get in the way (his arrogance). He struggles in an external way but also an internal way. They both develop character and they both develop story.
Thinking about this in early drafts might help you decide what happens next or how a scene should work. Thinking about this in later drafts might help you select what should stay and what should go.
Play with these ways of building character and building story. When you’re struggling to decide what comes next or what the themes of your novel are, fall back on the basics of character and you’ll find your way.
Good Writing,
Brian
My amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brian-Yansky/author/B001H6UHHW?ref
