Writing Conflict - Mastering Conflict In Your Story

Writing story conflict - Searching for success.

The difference between Art and Life, is that Art is more bearable. " - Charles Bukowski

The first rule of writing a story is that there are no hard and fast rules to finding success. If such rules existed, every wannabe-writer would now be on the best-seller list. However, there are certain conventions that writers disregard at their peril. You can find such examples in the area we call conflict.

Character conflict doesn't have to be fighting

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Writing story conflict - The emotive factor

In one way or another character conflict is the initiative behind every novel. Conflict generates emotion, yet  it doesn’t necessarily mean quarrelling. Continuous quarrels can be pretty tedious, but without some sort of conflict, your story will be non-existent.

Without conflict, nothing occurs, and if nothing happens, a story is not worth reading. All stories, from romantic suspense to detective series, need conflict. Characters should not lead carefree and happy lives; they should face problems. They should be searching for something yet can’t reach it, they should be striving for some goal but prevented from achieving it.

Conflict and struggle keep readers involved.

Writing story conflict - Struggle and strife

Conflict can be anything from nagging inner doubts to outright fighting. Conflict really means some form of struggle - and sometimes that struggle is entirely a personal affair to the central character, involving no one else, and nothing else - an inner struggle.

Conflict may come about because of interaction and activity, or loyalty and ideas. Conflict can cause uncertainty and opinions, but merely having your characters quarrelling is not enough. Conflict in books – as in life, should be profound.

Conflict - Emotion or events

Conflict can be internal – to do with strong feeling and emotional influence , or it can be external – to do with actions. Sometimes it can contain both. A relentless internal struggle can be accentuated by external actions.

Story conflict brings tension to the creative writing and emotion to the reader. Without this quality the reader simply tosses the book to one side. So, what is conflict?

Writing story conflict - Oh no! Not misunderstanding

Certainly, misunderstanding as a source of conflict is a big no-no. I doubt if any modern reader would tolerate a contrived state such as misunderstanding.

Misunderstanding might have been acceptable in years past, but readers have become more discerning. They quite rightly say 'Why don’t characters simply ask questions and put an end to the setback immediately?'

Writing story conflict - The categories of conflict

Conflict largely falls into one of three types, although some novels contain a mix of some or all. The categories are:

• Man against man
• Man against nature or inanimate objects
• Man against himself

Of these, man against himself has perhaps spawned some of the most evocative emotions found in books.

I've put down a few creative writing tips that might be of help. I'll never claim the list to be a definitive collection. Treat it as a guideline that can be expanded, but not disregarded.

Writing story conflict - A guideline to conflict

• In the plot, central characters should always be in a circumstance from which there is no apparent escape.
• If there is a way out of the problem, there is no conflict.
• The character conflict must be plausible. Whatever the reason, the conflict must seem rational within the framework of the story.
• The intensity of the conflict(s) must vary when you're writing a story. Constant wham-bam is tiring and boring.
• Individuals should never go over the top for the sake of contradiction or effect. Contrived situations are not acceptable.
• The conflict must justify the response.
• One, and only one, major conflict should run throughout the entire book - starting with it and ending with it.
• Minor conflicts can and should interweave but for only relatively short periods. They should be resolved within a few chapters, and certainly resolved before the major conflict.
• No chapter should be without story conflict in some form or other but it should vary in length and intensity, rising and falling throughout the book.
• The creative writing should start with the main problem, continue with obstacles of varying influence, then draw to a close with the resolution of the main problem. All loose ends should be tied.

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Writing story conflict - And finally

Please remember the old adage, less is more. There's nothing worse than overdoing tension. If you don't give time for readers to draw breath, they'll be exhausted and might even toss your book away. So the final tip for writing a story is be judicious, and who knows, you could jump-start your book and it might just be the next best-seller.

- Writing story conflict -