CONFLICT By Elvina Payet
We’ve all received a dreaded rejection letter stating:
"The conflict is undeveloped" or "I’m looking for a stronger emotional impact" or "Lacks emotional punch."
Conflict – "the critical situation" – what is stopping your hero & heroine from getting what they want. That is the story.
A story has a beginning, middle and an end. In the beginning, the characters meet, in the middle they face growing conflict and in the end, they resolve this conflict – a plot.
A plot includes conflict, action, climax and resolution – if you don’t have conflict, you don’t have a plot.
Your story should be 2 sentences – 1st statement of the story setup, 2nd is story question.
This is the story about __________ (character), who wants __________ (goal) because __________ (motivation), but __________ (conflict)
You should have a plot outline before you begin. Answers to the following questions will help outline the plot.
What event(s) lead the main character to a conflict?
What initial conflict does he/she encounter?
Is the conflict internal or external?
Which character is right and which character is wrong or mistaken? Does that change during story?
What are the results of the initial conflict?
How does this initial conflict build to additional, more complicated conflicts?
Three types of conflict – internal, external and romantic.
External conflict – with an outside force.
Either environment (drought, temperatures, floods, storms, etc.) or another person (boss, relative, neighbour, friend, colleague) called the antagonist.
Something a character needs to do, obtain or accomplish. Or two characters fighting over the same goal. Or two distinctive different goals and the characters clash while going for them.
Internal conflict – within himself/herself. Eg. guilt, sorrow, frustration, depression, indecision or inadequacies.
Starts in the back story. It’s what makes you care about the characters. They make choices according to their values or a life long gut level need. Self doubt, identity crisis, insecurity, overwhelming instability, disconnection or feeling lost. Could be a misplaced goal – Eg. Needing security – works hard to make money.
Ask the ‘why’ question.
Mistreat your Characters
It’s the way to build conflict and obtain believable characters.
Motivation provides believability to characters. Provide hero & heroine with true motivation, real goals and therefore, believable conflict.
Meeting of the two main characters involved in conflict. They must clash, thus producing emotion.
Does the conflict result from likely causes?
Forces trying to stop him/her. This is the conflict. The opposition someone/something has to get in the way, somebody has to have a conflicting goal. Someone has to threaten her/his goal.
There isn’t conflict between characters or conflict is misunderstanding rather than real disagreement about substantial issues.
Devise a run of action – how is she/her going to go about it? Has to move forward – lots at stake. What will it cost if he/she doesn’t pursue the goal? What price will he/she pay to get there?
If you introduce enough conflict into your middle, you’ll never have a sagging middle.
Drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, no character. Without character, no story.
Everything you do, every scene you write is held together by the dramatic context of confrontation. Conflict is complex, it’s purpose and source is multi-dimensional.
Conflict is more than the obstacles you place in the paths of the hero and heroine. And it is more than what keeps them apart. Conflict is most important – the barrier that keeps the characters from moving forward in the best direction for themselves, what keeps them from becoming the best they can be.
Ultimately, conflict challenges your characters to move past their internal boundaries and grow.
In Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters – one represents DANGER and the other presents OPPORTUNITY.
You push your character to the edge, to where he has only two choices. He can remain fixed in his beliefs, hold fast to his goals regardless, or change.
Character, plot and conflict. These elements intertwining from page one, weaving together, forming a tight braid with one only possible ending – the perfect story.
Levels of conflict:
"Book Level" – relates to story as whole. What is major conflict of the story? It has to be strong to carry through entire book. It can’t be something a character wants because wants are ‘whims’, something non-essential. It has to stem from a need – a need is a want plus strong motivation.
"Beginning Level" conflict – first 25% of book (approx. 3 chapters). Why stories fizzle is because beginning level conflict tends to rely on situational conflict. Once you get past this, you need to fill in the inner conflict along with external. Inner conflict is what will help carry the book at this point.
"Middle Level" conflict – is complications. Story sags when external conflict wears thin. Avoid this – throw your characters together emotionally, force them to rely on each other, then add some complications.
If story sagging or conflict failing flat, make list of complications that could happen to the characters.
"End Level" – resolutions – wrap up your conflicts. Starting resolving the conflicts that are the furthest from the characters first, saving the closest (juiciest) internal conflicts for last.
"The conflict is undeveloped" or "I’m looking for a stronger emotional impact" or "Lacks emotional punch."
Conflict – "the critical situation" – what is stopping your hero & heroine from getting what they want. That is the story.
A story has a beginning, middle and an end. In the beginning, the characters meet, in the middle they face growing conflict and in the end, they resolve this conflict – a plot.
A plot includes conflict, action, climax and resolution – if you don’t have conflict, you don’t have a plot.
Your story should be 2 sentences – 1st statement of the story setup, 2nd is story question.
This is the story about __________ (character), who wants __________ (goal) because __________ (motivation), but __________ (conflict)
You should have a plot outline before you begin. Answers to the following questions will help outline the plot.
What event(s) lead the main character to a conflict?
What initial conflict does he/she encounter?
Is the conflict internal or external?
Which character is right and which character is wrong or mistaken? Does that change during story?
What are the results of the initial conflict?
How does this initial conflict build to additional, more complicated conflicts?
Three types of conflict – internal, external and romantic.
External conflict – with an outside force.
Either environment (drought, temperatures, floods, storms, etc.) or another person (boss, relative, neighbour, friend, colleague) called the antagonist.
Something a character needs to do, obtain or accomplish. Or two characters fighting over the same goal. Or two distinctive different goals and the characters clash while going for them.
Internal conflict – within himself/herself. Eg. guilt, sorrow, frustration, depression, indecision or inadequacies.
Starts in the back story. It’s what makes you care about the characters. They make choices according to their values or a life long gut level need. Self doubt, identity crisis, insecurity, overwhelming instability, disconnection or feeling lost. Could be a misplaced goal – Eg. Needing security – works hard to make money.
Ask the ‘why’ question.
Mistreat your Characters
It’s the way to build conflict and obtain believable characters.
Motivation provides believability to characters. Provide hero & heroine with true motivation, real goals and therefore, believable conflict.
Meeting of the two main characters involved in conflict. They must clash, thus producing emotion.
Does the conflict result from likely causes?
Forces trying to stop him/her. This is the conflict. The opposition someone/something has to get in the way, somebody has to have a conflicting goal. Someone has to threaten her/his goal.
There isn’t conflict between characters or conflict is misunderstanding rather than real disagreement about substantial issues.
Devise a run of action – how is she/her going to go about it? Has to move forward – lots at stake. What will it cost if he/she doesn’t pursue the goal? What price will he/she pay to get there?
If you introduce enough conflict into your middle, you’ll never have a sagging middle.
Drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, no character. Without character, no story.
Everything you do, every scene you write is held together by the dramatic context of confrontation. Conflict is complex, it’s purpose and source is multi-dimensional.
Conflict is more than the obstacles you place in the paths of the hero and heroine. And it is more than what keeps them apart. Conflict is most important – the barrier that keeps the characters from moving forward in the best direction for themselves, what keeps them from becoming the best they can be.
Ultimately, conflict challenges your characters to move past their internal boundaries and grow.
In Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters – one represents DANGER and the other presents OPPORTUNITY.
You push your character to the edge, to where he has only two choices. He can remain fixed in his beliefs, hold fast to his goals regardless, or change.
Character, plot and conflict. These elements intertwining from page one, weaving together, forming a tight braid with one only possible ending – the perfect story.
Levels of conflict:
"Book Level" – relates to story as whole. What is major conflict of the story? It has to be strong to carry through entire book. It can’t be something a character wants because wants are ‘whims’, something non-essential. It has to stem from a need – a need is a want plus strong motivation.
"Beginning Level" conflict – first 25% of book (approx. 3 chapters). Why stories fizzle is because beginning level conflict tends to rely on situational conflict. Once you get past this, you need to fill in the inner conflict along with external. Inner conflict is what will help carry the book at this point.
"Middle Level" conflict – is complications. Story sags when external conflict wears thin. Avoid this – throw your characters together emotionally, force them to rely on each other, then add some complications.
If story sagging or conflict failing flat, make list of complications that could happen to the characters.
"End Level" – resolutions – wrap up your conflicts. Starting resolving the conflicts that are the furthest from the characters first, saving the closest (juiciest) internal conflicts for last.
