Release Day: The Conflict Thesaurus (Volume 2) Is Here!

A new writing guide is joining the family today, so please say hello to the SILVER Edition of The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles.

In this second volume of The Conflict Thesaurus, we continue our in-depth exploration of challenges, roadblocks, adversaries, and hindrances in all forms. Conflict has many superpowers, and is the golden thread that binds plot to arc, providing the complications, setbacks, and derailments that make the character’s inner and outer journeys dynamic.

This book will help you build a story that has conflict at different levels so characters have multiple problems to grapple with. It will also show you how to leverage friction and tension, force characters to make hard choices, and use adversity to provide key life lessons that will lead to growth, so they can become the person they must to achieve meaningful goals.

Here’s a more detailed look at this book.
Find the full list of conflict scenarios (& sample entries) here.
Here’s what people are saying about The Conflict Thesaurus.
And here’s where you can buy it, print and digital.

Conflict can be explosive, or subtle. It may inconvenience your characters, or devastate them. And whether it’s internal or external, readers can’t get enough of it, and neither can we.

So for the first time ever, Writers Helping Writers is sponsoring a writing contest!

Introducing…

Conflict comes in all shapes and sizes – a physical altercation, personal struggle, relationship friction, a danger or threat…the possibilities are endless. As storytellers, we need to write conflict well. This story contest is a chance to show us what you can do!

Ready to go pen to pen against other creatives and submit a story to our WRITERS’ FIGHT CLUB?

Step into the ring with your original story, any genre, that shows your character navigating one or more of these conflicts from our Conflict Thesaurus Vol 2:

Being Injured
Experiencing Discrimination
Losing a Vital Item
Telling the Truth but Not Being Believed
Being Trapped
Having Unwanted Powers

Or, one of these conflicts from our expanded Conflict Database at One Stop for Writers:

A Romantic Competitor Entering the Scene
Getting Caught in a Lie
Needing to Sacrifice One for the Good of the Many

Stories must be 750 – 2000 words in length. Our official contest rules, deadline, and how to submit can be found here:

Contest is now closed. We will be in touch after judging is complete!

Now let’s talk prizes!

First Place:

A $100 US cash prize
Two 1-year subscriptions to One Stop for Writers
(One for you, one for a friend, a $210 value)
A $100 US donation to your choice of charity that helps those impacted by conflict (domestic violence, war, human trafficking, etc.)
A professional edit of your submission by our amazing Resident Writing Coach, Lisa Poisso
+ Bragging rights!

Second Place:

A $50 US cash prize
Two 6-month subscriptions to One Stop for Writers
(One for you, one for a friend, a $120 value)
A $50 US donation to your choice of charity that helps those impacted by conflict (domestic violence, war, human trafficking, etc.)
A professional edit of your submission by our amazing Resident Writing Coach, Colleen M. Story
+ Bragging rights!

Honorable Mention:

A professional edit of your submission by our amazing Resident Writing Coach, Lisa Poisso
+ Bragging rights!

SUBMISSIONS WILL BE CAPPED AT 100 ENTRIES & THE DEADLINE TO ENTER IS SEPTEMBER 16TH. FIND OUT MORE.

Giveaway Alert!

We also want to give away some of our favorite writing books, so two lucky winners can choose a 5-pack of digital volumes from these below:

Giveaway closed – congrats to HiDee Ekstrom & Dina Mousa!

This giveaway is subject to our legal policy, and runs until September 10th, midnight (EST). Good luck, and watch your inbox!

Thanks for celebrating this new book with us!

Feeling generous? Give this post a share! And good luck in the giveaway & writing contest!