Vlog: On Creating Conflict

Without conflict, there isn't a story, but sometimes coming up with conflict isn't as easy as we'd like. So today I'm talking about coming up with different sources of conflict, from central conflict to tension throughout the manuscript.

RELATED LINKS:

• How I Plot
• How to Pick Your Next Book Idea
• How to Write Realistic Relationships
• On Character Motivations & Goals

How do you figure out conflict for your manuscripts? 

Twitter-sized bite: 

Struggling to figure out the conflict for your WIP? Author @Ava_Jae vlogs some tips. (Click to tweet)

Types of Tension

Photo credit: Smabs Sputzer on Flickr

So I’ve blogged about the vital importance of conflict in a story, as well as how tension can (and should) be used, but it’s been a while since I’ve blogged about either and I’d like to break it down a little more.

To reiterate quickly, a story without conflict or tension isn’t really a story—or, if it is, it’s a rather boring one, to put it nicely. Readers don’t want to read about characters with perfectly happy lives—we want to see characters deal with challenging circumstances, whether realistic or super speculative, and face them one way or another. But without the challenge? There’s no story to be had.

Similarly, tension is necessary throughout the story to keep the interest and build up throughout the plot until we hit the peak point of conflict. The great thing about tension, however, is it can manifest in so many different ways.

• Circumstantial tension. This is tension that comes from extenuating circumstances/some kind of outside force. Whether it’s caused by poverty, an authoritarian government, being on the run, or trying not to flunk out of college, this is tension that weighs down on the protagonist caused by circumstances out of their control.


• Tension between characters. I wrote a whole post on this one, so I won’t go into every detail, but the short version is this: characters who always get along without a problem are characters who are not being used to their fullest potential.


• Sexual tension. Whenever there’s a love interest, you know this has to play a part. Romantic relationships in books aren’t just about being near each other and kissing and getting it on—it’s the tension between them when they notice each other, when they’re close and realize they’re attracted to each other, when they want to kiss but don’t. It’s noticing every glance and touch—and it’s internalizing the building need to be closer. Without the sexual tension, the romantic relationship falls flat because they characters won’t have real chemistry. 

While this doesn’t cover every type of tension out there, hopefully it’ll get you thinking a little more about the different possibilities available to you for ramping up the micro-conflict in your story.

Do you utilize different types of tension in your writing?

Twitter-sized bites:

Writer @Ava_Jae says, "a story without conflict or tension isn't really a story." What do you think? (Click to tweet) 

Do you use different types of tension in your writing? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Conflict: The Key to a Good Story

Photo credit: Philippe Put on Flickr

In order for a story to exist—or at least be worth reading—it must contain conflict. A story without conflict is like food without flavor—it's bland, boring, and hardly enjoyable to consume.

The root of all stories lies in conflict: from the story of Adam and Eve (a man and woman are told not to eat from the tree of knowledge, but a snake tempts them to do so anyway) to Romeo and Juliette (boy and girl from opposing families fall in love) to more modern stories like The Lord of the Rings (a young hobbit sets out to destroy an evil ring that many more powerful than he would kill to possess).

So what is conflict? Here's dictionary.com's definition:

When it comes to writing, conflict generally comes in two forms: internal and external, and the most interesting stories have a fair mix of both. To recap, internal conflict focuses on psychological and emotional discord (i.e.: the more Frodo wears the ring, the less he wants to destroy it—but he must in order to save Middle Earth) while external conflict operates on a more physical level (i.e.: Boromir tries to take the ring from Frodo).

While the balance between the two and the amount and intensity of the conflict will vary a bit genre to genre, it's important to incorporate some kind of conflict or build up to a conflict in every scene.

Now that's not to say that there needs to be a gun-slinging psychopath attacking your characters on every other page. What I mean is in order to keep the story progressing and your readers interested, there needs to be some form of conflict—internal or external—throughout the story. In chapter one it may be something minor, like your protagonist is on his way to a job interview that could change his life and his family's negative opinion of him as a moocher, but a dangerous blizzard has hit early that morning and the terrible road conditions are making it impossible for him to arrive on time. During the climax it may be something much more significant—like a high-stakes wrestling match on Mount Doom that ends with a lost appendage and a tumble into a very active volcano.

There's no question that every story must contain conflict—and with the right mix of internal and external discord, you'll have the start to a great story on your hands.

Which if the two does your story rely on—internal or external (or both)? Do you have a preference writing or reading-wise between the two?