All stories since the beginning of time have involved conflict.
Conflict is the essence of dramatic action.
Somebody wants something, and goes out to get it. And has trouble getting it. That’s what story is in a nutshell.
Conflict in story is essential because it creates narrative tension that keeps your readers invested.
Something’s stopping your protagonist from getting what she wants. And every scene will contain some adversarial relationship as your character goes after the thing they want.
Every scene is a reconstruction of the main conflict.
In this episode, learn how to bring conflict to every scene in your story.
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Episode at a glance:
[01:22] What do we mean by conflict in a story? And why is it essential? Conflict doesn’t mean epic action or high drama. So don’t confuse conflict with the kind of high conflict we engage in (and often avoid) in real life.
[02:56] There are 3 main ways writers misconstrue how to being conflict to their stories. 1. They make it too easy for their protagonist to get what they want. 2. Their character never confronts the antagonist or takes a stand for what he wants, and 3. There’s a nonstop string of conflicts for the sake of action, with no apparent motivation driving it.
[07:13] Defining your protagonist’s urgent need is the first step in creating conflict. That need will be thwarted by a personified antagonist throughout the story. Learn 4 types of personified protagonists – (they’re not necessarily a person).
[13:22] Learn how an everyday occurrence can have conflict embedded in the action, even when the character is thinking her way through the scene.
[16:48] Dialogue is a great way to bring conflict to a scene. An adversarial exchange can lift dialogue off the page. And the characters don’t have to fight or argue in order for there to be conflict.
[20:39] Where do you find conflict for your story? Learn where to mine conflict, both big and small, from your everyday life.
Also Listen To:
Episode 112: 3 Tips For Writing Dynamic Dialogue
Books Mentioned In This Episode:
Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger
Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account Of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Kraukour
Reasons To Live by Amy Hempel
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