Let’s say that your character’s problem is that she needs money. Bad. Lots of it. Or, that he’s lost money. Gobs of it. At first glance, money or financial issues would seem to make the perfect fiction conflict. After all, who doesn’t need more cash? But wait.
Writing Tip for Today: While the green stuff might seem to be a great vehicle for tension and conflict, in fiction the reader has a sense of what’s really important in life. Money doesn’t top most readers’ lists. Here’s why:

• Go for Values. Yes, we’re a capitalistic society. Yet what are American values built upon? A work ethic, love of country, love of family. Mom and apple pie. While we often paint tragic characters as lusting for money and then living the consequences, in my opinion the sympathetic character must be pursuing wealth for some better reason than just to emulate Scrooge McDuck. 
• Focus on What the Money is For. Instead of hammering your reader that your character’s creep-o husband lost the family fortune or that a single mom is desperate for money, instead focus on the needs behind the money. Consider the melodrama, where widow Nell is being evicted at midnight if she can’t make rent. This isn’t about gold, this is about survival. The 1930s Shirley Temple film “Poor Little Rich Girl” is a study in attitudes about how we respond to money. Charles Dickens Oliver Twist is another great example. In classics, the authors almost always (Gordon Gecko notwithstanding) keep the emphasis on survival rather than actual moolah. Food, shelter, keeping the wolf away from the door–all these are healthy needs. And healthy needs inspire sympathy from readers.
• What’s Your Character Made of? Readers want to identify with characters. So, if you present a wealthy person, make that person a philanthropist if you want the reader to like her. If your character strikes it rich, let him share. If the character has been robbed, let her learn that some things are more important in life than one’s bank account. These are lasting qualities that make for a memorable character.