Giving the reader a sense of progression to an end goal facilitates the book being a page turner. An illusion of progress.
Why are people turning the page? What question do they need answered?
A set back is generally expected
Progress is important. If you know what the progress needs to be, or what you want it to be, making the promise is easy.
Progress is also for character
- A flaw that gets corrected
- A journey they are on
- A sense of mystery
- A question
- Will they change?
- What is going to change?