Bad luck is believable

Coincidences happen, but often, when they happen in stories, it can feel like the writer is forcing something.

Mostly.

One big exception, is bad coincidences.

It feels like bad things happen all the time. If they didn't, wouldn’t we all be rich and healthy and completely happy?

So, it's only logical that bad things will happen to our characters.

We don't blink when someone in a story gets sick. It's almost normal that money debt grows because of a death or a bad farming season. At any point, someone can lose their job and need a change of life.

We all worry about bad luck and we don't find it unbelievable when it happens. So, don't hesitate to add a little of it in your character's life to keep your story moving forward.