We all know a story should be an emotional rollercoaster, or else readers will start skimming or \u00a0stop reading altogether. But what\u2019s the most effective way to keep our prose dynamic?<\/p>\n
By introducing conflict\u2014on every page.<\/p>\n
That is the secret to every famous author\u2019s success. \u00a0As James N. Frey puts it in\u00a0How to Write a Damn Good Novel!<\/em>, the sacred Three C’s of Premise are\u00a0Character<\/strong>,\u00a0Conflict<\/strong>, and\u00a0Conclusion<\/strong>. \u00a0Therefore, once you have established your characters, everything else should focus on their conflicts, all the way to the conclusion.<\/p>\n Conflict comes in many shapes and degrees. In this series, we\u2019ll review the four main types of conflict and how to make the most of them. They are:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with the first type:<\/p>\n This is your classic tortured-soul character, a being in conflict with his or her very own persona. \u00a0They are battling their own beliefs, feuding with their own feelings. \u00a0Within their hearts spins a Yin and Yang, and no easy victory shall go to either side.<\/p>\n Internal conflict can range from common life issues\u2014such as quitting a job, moving to another city, or coming out of the closet\u2014to extreme situations, such as taking up a weapon and avenging a murdered relative, or perhaps assisting a dying loved one with their suicide. No matter the case, the character must have a list of powerful pros and cons over which to agonize, or their inner conflict might fall flat.<\/p>\n Inner conflict is tricky. It begs you to write long paragraphs of your character brooding, sulking, or peering out a window while contemplating the meaning of life.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Get your characters up and moving. Have them interact with items and with other characters. Show their conflict through actions rather than thoughts.<\/p>\n Consider this beat:<\/p>\n Mike felt terrible. \u00a0He had broken up with this girlfriend. \u00a0There had been a fight, and now they were no longer seeing each other. \u00a0He was depressed. \u00a0He wanted to call her, but decided to wait for her to call first.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Clearly, that is telling. \u00a0But what about this next one?<\/p>\n \u201cAre you kidding me? Get out of my life, jerk!\u201d She threw down the roses he\u2019d bought her and stomped them to dust.<\/p>\n That episode had happened last week, but it still made Mike clench his fists in anger. \u201cScrew this,\u201d he said, fishing out his phone. \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t deserve\u2026!\u201d \u00a0He dialed her number, then hung up and threw the phone on the dresser. \u00a0It missed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In the first example, I announce Mike\u2019s feelings. In the second example, I let you have a taste of them. That\u2019s the difference between flat writing and engaging writing.<\/p>\n I cannot think of a more famous story featuring self-conflict than William Shakespeare\u2019s\u00a0Hamlet.<\/em><\/p>\n From the second we meet the Prince of Denmark, young Hamlet is torn apart by one conflict after another: his bitter anger at his own mother for marrying so soon after the king\u2019s death; his resentment at needing to hide his relationship with Ophelia; his own embarrassment at the crude behavior of his countrymen\u2026 These events drive Hamlet to near-suicidal despair, culminating in his most profound question, \u201cTo be or not to be.\u201d<\/p>\n On the other hand, here\u2019s a lesser example, from Mary Shelley\u2019s\u00a0Frankenstein<\/em>. \u00a0In this scene, Victor Frankenstein\u2019s creation has just destroyed his maker. \u00a0Now he is relating his tale of woe for having murdered Frankenstein and his family:<\/p>\n “Do you think that I was then dead to agony and remorse? He,” he continued, pointing to the corpse, “he suffered not in the consummation of the deed. Oh! Not the ten-thousandth portion of the anguish that was mine during the lingering detail of its execution. A frightful selfishness hurried me on, while my heart was poisoned with remorse. Think you that the groans of Clerval were music to my ears? My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you cannot even imagine.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Though not the central conflict of the book, the creature\u2019s path of destruction has led him to great internal turmoil. \u00a0He laments that he has become a murderer, yet he was unable to stop himself because he could not bear his maker\u2019s happiness.<\/p>\n Bottom line\u2014no story should go without internal conflict. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t have to be the core or even the secondary premise, but it should be visible and vital to the overall tale.<\/p>\n Man Versus Self is the ultimate challenge for a character and a critical tool for character development. Never miss the opportunity to make your protagonists and\u00a0antagonists<\/a>\u00a0conflicted. \u00a0The worse off they have it, the more your audience will keep turning pages. Just remember to present their conflict in dynamic, fresh ways.<\/p>\n\n
Man versus Self<\/h2>\n
Showing versus Telling<\/h3>\n
Degrees of Conflict<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n