What do you think of when you hear the word conflict?
For many people, 'conflict' means some sort of fight. However, in writing, conflict actually means any obstacle that gets in the way of your characters achieving their goals.
For example:
If I wanted to make myself some cereal, and there was no milk, the goal would be breakfast and the lack of milk would be conflict.
If I wanted to go for a swim, but the sea was too rough, the goal would be swimming and the conflict would be the waves.
If I was happy with my life and a lumpioo momp moved into my garden, the goal would be continuing to lead a happy life, and the conflict would be the deadly duck outside my window.
If I was about to clone myself when I found out that cloning was against the law, the goal would be creating a Rosen clone and the conflict would be the law.
Conflict doesn't necessarily have to be between two characters. Look at the examples above:
Running out of milk = me versus my memory (i.e. me versus self)
Too big waves = me versus nature
Lumipoo momp in the garden = me versus monster
Laws against cloning = me versus society
Dramatic Conflict
Some conflicts are more dramatic than others. It all depends on the potential consequences. A lumipoo momp in my garden would make a much more powerful story than finding that I'd run out of milk because a lumipoo momp could result in death, whereas the consequence of running out of milk is just having to change my breakfast plans.
If you create conflict with consequences that might concern your reader, the reader will keep reading to find out what happens next.
To create powerful conflict, think 'What could happen if this conflict isn't resolved?' If it's something alarming, then you're on the right track.
Humorous Conflict
Another purpose of conflict can be to the create humour. Sometimes trying to solve a problem sets the characters on a path of funny events. For example, accidentally super-gluing my nose to a sausage wouldn't be particularly dramatic, but it would set up all sorts of amusing chapters, like having to go to the supermarket with a sausage stuck to my nose and having to go to see my doctor to get is detached.
For many people, 'conflict' means some sort of fight. However, in writing, conflict actually means any obstacle that gets in the way of your characters achieving their goals.
For example:
If I wanted to make myself some cereal, and there was no milk, the goal would be breakfast and the lack of milk would be conflict.
If I wanted to go for a swim, but the sea was too rough, the goal would be swimming and the conflict would be the waves.
If I was happy with my life and a lumpioo momp moved into my garden, the goal would be continuing to lead a happy life, and the conflict would be the deadly duck outside my window.
If I was about to clone myself when I found out that cloning was against the law, the goal would be creating a Rosen clone and the conflict would be the law.
Conflict doesn't necessarily have to be between two characters. Look at the examples above:
Running out of milk = me versus my memory (i.e. me versus self)
Too big waves = me versus nature
Lumipoo momp in the garden = me versus monster
Laws against cloning = me versus society
Dramatic Conflict
Some conflicts are more dramatic than others. It all depends on the potential consequences. A lumipoo momp in my garden would make a much more powerful story than finding that I'd run out of milk because a lumipoo momp could result in death, whereas the consequence of running out of milk is just having to change my breakfast plans.
If you create conflict with consequences that might concern your reader, the reader will keep reading to find out what happens next.
To create powerful conflict, think 'What could happen if this conflict isn't resolved?' If it's something alarming, then you're on the right track.
Humorous Conflict
Another purpose of conflict can be to the create humour. Sometimes trying to solve a problem sets the characters on a path of funny events. For example, accidentally super-gluing my nose to a sausage wouldn't be particularly dramatic, but it would set up all sorts of amusing chapters, like having to go to the supermarket with a sausage stuck to my nose and having to go to see my doctor to get is detached.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave your first name, age and location/school when leaving a comment.