Every story should have plenty of tension and conflict. This doesn’t mean a non-stop barrage of car bombs and serial killers waiting in the pantry, though. Writers should choose conflict carefully, placing problems and obstacles in a character’s path to force them to make hard decisions, sacrifice when necessary, and experience failure so they learn how to get back up again.
So, put the pressure on! Challenge your characters. Use conflict to show readers why your story’s cast is worth cheering for.
Below are the entries from the second volume of The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles.
LOSS OF CONTROL
A Break-In
A Family Member Dying
A Partner Racking up Debt
A Recession or Economy Crash
An Unexpected Pregnancy
Bad Weather
Being Captured
Being Evicted
Being Framed
Being Given Bad News
Being Injured (Click to view!)
Being Orphaned
Being Pushed Toward a Specific Destiny
Being Scammed
Being Stranded
Being Taken in for Questioning
Discovering One Has a Child
Getting in a Car Accident
Having a Miscarriage
Having a Panic Attack
Having to Leave Someone Behind
Having to Move
Losing a Child in a Public Place
Not Achieving a Coveted Goal
Rent Being Raised
The Death of a Pet
POWER STRUGGLES
Being Arrested
Being Bullied
Being Falsely Accused
Being Pressured by Family
Being Pressured to Conform
Being Sabotaged
Being Sued
Clashing Beliefs
Experiencing Discrimination (Click to view!)
Experiencing Harassment
Forced Attendance
Misaligned Goals
Nepotism or Favoritism
LOSING AN ADVANTAGE
A Competitor Showing Up
A Place of Safety Being Compromised
Being Cast Out of a Group
Having to Leave One’s Home or Homeland
Lacking an Important Resource
Losing a Key Witness
Losing a Vital Item (Click to view!)
Losing Access to Someone Important
Losing Access to Something Important
Losing an Ally
Losing One’s Funding
Rules Changing to One’s Disadvantage
Running out of Critical Supplies
Something Important Being Stolen
EGO-RELATED
An Unexpected Loss of Prestige or Wealth
Being Cut from a Team
Being Discredited
Being Excluded
Being Lied To
Being Micromanaged
Being Physically Marred Before an Important Event
Experiencing a Crisis of Self-Doubt
Facing a Challenge Beyond One’s Skill or Knowledge
Having to Rely on Others
Having to Stay Behind
Learning That One Was Adopted
Needing to Borrow Money
Not Being Taken Seriously
One’s Authority Being Threatened
Public Humiliation
Telling the Truth but Not Being Believed (Click to view!)
DANGERS AND THREATS
A Dangerous Crossing
A House Fire
A Loved One Being Put in Harm’s Way
A Mechanical Malfunction
A Natural Disaster
A Threatening Criminal Being Set Free
A Way of Life Being Threatened
Being Assaulted by a Stranger
Being Assigned a Dangerous Task
Being Cut off from Help
Being Exposed to an Allergen
Being Poisoned
Being Recognized
Being Targeted by a Monster or Supernatural Force
Being Targeted for Revenge
Being Trapped (Click to view!)
Facing a threat while unarmed
Having To Hide or Escape Detection
Having to Make a Final Stand
Having to Split up for Safety
War Breaking Out
Witness Intimidation
MISCELLANEOUS CHALLENGES
A Fear or Phobia Rearing Its Head
A Health Issue Cropping Up
A Repressed Memory Resurfacing
An Anticipated Event Being Cancelled
An Unexpected Change of Plans
An Unwanted Intrusion
Being Cursed
Being Forced to Lead
Being in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
Being Mistaken for Someone Else
Being Placed Under a Spell
Being Unable to Forgive Oneself
Contemplating Suicide
Discovering a Dead Body
Experiencing Memory Loss
Having a Crisis of Faith
Having to Blindly Trust Someone
Having Unwanted Powers (Click to view!)
Needing to Circumvent Security
Needing to Infiltrate a Group
Needing to Lie Convincingly
Not Knowing What One Wants
Physical Exhaustion
Sexual Dysfunction
More about this book
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See the list of entries from Volume 1 of The Conflict Thesaurus