Conflict is a powerful tool for storytellers, allowing us to place roadblocks, challenges, adversaries and more in a character’s way so the road to their goal is much more difficult. Deployed well, conflict creates tension and intensity for reader, capturing their attention for the length of the … [Read more...] about How to Generate Powerful Story Conflict
Search Results for: conflict in every scene
Scene Mastery: Navigating Common Goal-Driven Scene Pitfalls
Goal-driven scenes are akin to the classic joke setup, “A _____ and a _____ walk into a bar …” A _____ and a _____ walk into a bar. The scene begins with the entrance of the protagonist and antagonist. The first guy says … The first guy, … [Read more...] about Scene Mastery: Navigating Common Goal-Driven Scene Pitfalls
Want to Show Your Character’s Pain? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
For the better part of two months, Becca and I have been exploring pain, and how to write about it in fiction. It's been enlightening for us, and we hope for you as well. So many ways to torture characters, who knew? (Well, we did. And you did. Pain is sort of our bread and butter, isn't … [Read more...] about Want to Show Your Character’s Pain? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Strategies for Smooth Scene Openings
If the opening line of a scene is the doorway to the party, what follows is the welcoming handshake and introductions that draw readers into the mix. Effective scene openings extend beyond the fireworks of a provocative opening hook, ushering readers into the new space with no awkward stumbles or … [Read more...] about Strategies for Smooth Scene Openings
How to Stay Focused on Your Story’s Central Conflict
Conflict in every scene. We’ve all heard this advice, and for good reason. Your protagonist has a goal—hopefully, an audacious and high-stakes goal that is difficult to achieve. “Difficult” is important. It’s one of the qualities of a highly engaging story because the harder the goal is to reach, … [Read more...] about How to Stay Focused on Your Story’s Central Conflict
Keep Tensions High by NOT Resolving Your Character’s Relationship Conflict
When it comes to story conflict, there are so many options to choose from. Power struggles, physical threats, moral dilemmas, failures, ticking clocks—they’re all great for ratcheting up tension, building reader empathy, and strengthening our plotlines. But the conflict we face most often as human … [Read more...] about Keep Tensions High by NOT Resolving Your Character’s Relationship Conflict
Does Your Story Need a Hit of Organic Conflict? Look to Your Setting.
Every writer’s mission is to pen a story that draws readers in, offering familiarity when it comes to certain genre expectations while also delivering something fresh so to be distinctive and memorable. This is how to cultivate a loyal--and, fingers crossed, rabidly obsessed--reading … [Read more...] about Does Your Story Need a Hit of Organic Conflict? Look to Your Setting.
How to Uncover Your Character’s Inner Conflict
Conflict is a powerful element within the story and can be loosely categorized as either Outer (external) Conflict or Inner (internal) Conflict. The difference is that outer conflict is something external keeping the character from his goal, while inner conflict is a mental struggle over wanting … [Read more...] about How to Uncover Your Character’s Inner Conflict
Use Conflict to Target a Character’s Soft Spots
Conflict is a key story ingredient, one we need a lot of, but this doesn't mean quantity is better than quality. Fiction isn’t a video game; waves of bad guys with guns won't keep readers tuned in for long. They expect to see a variety of conflict, including meaningful problems that deepen the … [Read more...] about Use Conflict to Target a Character’s Soft Spots
THE CONFLICT THESAURUS, Volume 2: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles
A story where the character gets exactly what they want doesn’t make for good reading. But add villainous clashes, lost advantages, power struggles, and menacing threats…well, now we have the makings of a page-turner. Conflict is the golden thread that binds plot to arc, providing the complications, … [Read more...] about THE CONFLICT THESAURUS, Volume 2: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles
Need Conflict? Just Let Your Characters Talk
Story conflict has many purposes. It provides opportunities for failure and growth, elevates what’s at stake, and escalates emotion for the character and readers. We also know that our stories will need many instances of conflict, both at the story (macro) and scene (micro) level. But how do we know … [Read more...] about Need Conflict? Just Let Your Characters Talk
Activate the Power of Conflict in Your Story
Good news - we've doubled the Conflict Thesaurus at One Stop for Writers, which means double the option when it comes to pumping our scenes with tension and plotting a fresh story! Every story needs conflict and lots of it, so if you need help, check this database out. You'll find over 230 unique … [Read more...] about Activate the Power of Conflict in Your Story