Urgh. Bad writing coming through! Downing needs to understand the differences between "how would I feel if that was me?" and "how would I feel if I were them." Knowing why it matters to your protagonist makes us care about your story's plot. If we don't know why it matters to them, then we don't know why it matters to us. TAKE NOTES, ERIN! Thanks, Abbie Emmons.
https://youtu.be/0KvQaAS-HTw?t=248