Questions tagged [conflict]
Conflict is a concept from narrative fiction. It refers to either the ambivalent emotions of the hero ("inner conflict") or the opposition by antagonistic forces that the hero encounters. In a group of heroes, the "inner conflict" may be disagreement between group members. An example for "inner conflict" is Gandalf being torn over whether he should use or destroy the ring. Group inner conflict happens when Boromir attacks Frodo. The Nazgul are antagonists.
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How to create enough plot events to show more of a setting
I have an adventuring party that's going in a dungeon. The dungeon is why I wanted to write this story, because I have some interesting ideas for its backstory. It'll have a reveal at the end that ...
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Self-contained fictional narrative consisting of only about 150 words, and without conflict between the characters [closed]
The title describes the goal. Below is one attempt to achieve the goal.
My question: Can I say that there's no conflict between the characters, or is that just my opinion?
There's an obvious ...
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Does anti-theme exist, as in opposition to the main theme of a story?
I've heard quite a lot that a story must have a theme, summarized as a sentence that states something as being true; I've also heard (or read) that a story's theme is usually arrived (or not) at by ...
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How do you come up with conflict for a powerful character?
As I understand it, conflict means presenting a character with an obstacle that he can only overcome through change. The problem is that I can't think of such a thing. Nearly all conflict that comes ...
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How can I establish a bond between a teacher and a student?
How can I establish a bond between a teacher and a student? My main character is being forced to betray another character, who is their combat instructor. I need to form a bond, so when the instructor ...
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How can I find good words to describe emotions or states of mind?
For example, if I struggle with finding good words to describe being confused and in two minds, what techniques can I use to find figures of speech or adjectives?
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Why would a character's parents allow them to go on a lethal quest?
In my fantasy epic, the protagonist meets a young, female thief who eventually become his partner in crime. She is part of a family business that involves theft, and she wants to go to give her family ...
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How to make zombies be the primary antagonist and humans secondary
In my outbreak story, the main focus is the zombie survival in the quarantined state. These zombies cannot take out the government, but rather weaken them greatly. In my story, there are bad humans ...
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How to write Man vs. Self conflict?
CONTEXT: The action of my story takes place in a typical dystopian world, where society is harshly indoctrinated and restricted. The main character, who needs to raise money for his family, joins the &...
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In a Mystery, what are some internal and external goals apart from the main goal of catching the villain?
For the sleuth, I'm having some problems brainstorming some internal and external goals apart from the main goal of catching the culprit or villain. I understand that both internal and external goals ...
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What options are available to remove the protagonist and still have a story
I will be writing a fictional story whereby there are only antagonists -- conflict instigators. I know what you're thinking: without a protagonist to combat with, how can there be conflict? This is a ...
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Is it a good idea to make the actions of my antagonist reasonable?
I'm a good way through writing my fantasy story, and up until now, my antagonist has been portrayed as being a megalomaniac, and my protagonist (and myself) have believed this to be true.
However, I ...
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Plot that focuses on non-violent conflict in fantasy setting. Examples and how is it possible in storytelling?
I'm focused on creating a story where I can explore cultural differences and highlight interactions that showcase Emotional Intelligence.
So many worlds center around violence as a main means of ...
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How can I raise the stakes for my villain protagonist?
I'm currently writing a story about a psychopathic serial killer that meets a detective (the murderer owns a restaurant and the detective and his wife meet him there) that is investigating the victims ...
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Writing about inner conflict
I have a blind depressed character and I'd like to write a chapter that talks only about his internal conflict, i.e, struggling with his inner self, like going inside his mind, but I find difficulties ...
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Is there another term for "conflict of interest" or a very similar term?
I've written a short story in which a prosecutor in a case gets romantically involved with a witness for the prosecution, and is subsequently investigated due to the fact that he is in a relationship ...
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How to start an argument between characters
My problem here is that I have two main characters, who, in the future, will end up dating. I’m trying to create friction between them at the beginning of my series so that they gradually fall in love....
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Can there be too many obstacles in a character’s path?
My current WIP involves a deliberate miscarriage of justice.
I started out with three main characters:
J - a young girl who is effected by both the crime committed and the injustice delivered
D - a ...
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When does a partially random event go from reasonably possible to contrived "deus ex machina"?
There will always be some amount of luck, some amount of chance and randomness in any story. This is how it is in real life as well, and although stories are not a representation of reality, they do ...
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How do I write religious conflict?
In this book I'm making, there is a religious conflict that happens. Here's the base of my plot so far:
Adrian lives in the dragon tribe Sa'fwan. Foreigners came to his land, coming across his tribe ...
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How do I balance immature levity and flaws and character growth?
I am working on a series where one of the intended primary draws is character drama and growth. I have an ensemble cast of five characters who more or less share the role of main character equally, ...
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Vignette-esque story structure?
I'm writing a novel which essentially has the main character go from place to place and retrieve a single object from each person they encounter.
My problem is that while I can think of possible ...
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Dangers of being sympathetic to the killer
I wrote a piece of flash fiction as a mental exercise. I happened to listen to Glen Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade,” and happened to watch an episode of “Samurai Jack.” “Moonlight Serenade” is a song ...
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How can I make it so that my story isn't resolved so easily? [closed]
I'm writing a screenplay for a project in my film studies class and I'm close to resolving the conflict, but as I near the end, it feels like it's being resolved far too easily. In summary, the ...
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Double lies as sources of conflict in a single arc
My protagonist lives with a deep lie that causes internal conflict and pain throughout the story but it basically cannot fuel any struggle to the external plot. This subconsciously motivates the ...
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Resolving moral conflict
Conflict is one of the most important things in driving a story. I’ve been working on my particular story for a while now, and I finally seem to have worked out a good plot, and by that, I mean the ...
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How do I write gray vs grey stories?
I've been kind of interested in writing a grey vs gray story. For those who don't know grey vs gray is two or more sides of conflict that aren't full on good or full on evil.
I'm writing a webcomic ...
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Is this ununderstandable character part of the conflict?
By "ununderstandable" I mean that this character I'm thinking of isn't human. He's more of a devil sort of thing. Of course he still has his motivations, goals, etc, but he's more of a tool rather ...
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What are the best techniques to show a character panicking as it is seen by the POV character?
So the problem I am having is that the protagonist of the novel I am writing is having a confrontation with another character, who starts panicking. Instead of saying "panic dripped from his face", I ...
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The problem of the throwaway boyfriend
In the first 10% of my novel, my MC has a boyfriend. MC is accepted into the Space Corps (or he's summoned to fight Troy - the particulars don't really matter), boyfriend is sure he'll wait the ...
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Conflict and antagonist in a certain subtype of erotic novels
In his answer to my previous question, @Standback distinguishes two types of erotic storyline:
stories in which the stakes are romantic or sexual
stories in which the stakes are neither romantic nor ...
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In a first-person web novel, how to make the reader aware of a motivator the POV is unaware of?
In my novel, the MC (and POV character) spares an enemy. He spared the enemy because he empathized/identified himself with them, but he was not aware of it. Later on he will understand his feelings ...
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Does a story require a villain to succeed?
So far in my WIP, which is a “journey” story, the main characters have been struggling against the environment and the fact that they’re displaced and trying to return home. I’ve arrived at a point ...
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What could be done to generate and maintain reader interest in plots without a lot of conflict / tension?
Edit 3 - Even though this is the third edit I feel it has to be included here at the top. My question as it stands is based on the assumption that reader interest does not exist in plots without ...
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How to write a story without conflict, like "My Neighbour Totoro"?
We are used to stories being about conflict. There can be an antagonist, or a hostile environment, or even an internal problem (like depression), but conflict is there. The story arc involves dealing ...
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Character, plot, and setting conflicts
I'm working through the Sanderson youtube classes on writing fantasy and he discusses the idea that conflict can arise between any two (or three) of the three legs of a story - plot, character, ...
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Character crisis for a Science Hero?
I have three protagonists working towards the same goal but with different motives. They are co-protagonists each with their own character arc and resolution. Circumstances bring them together but ...
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Plot and characters conflict too much
My question is if you run into characterization vs. plot conflicts, or unlikeable characters, do you
do major changes to your characters to fit the plot or do you make major changes to your plot to
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What is a subplot based on: conflict or tension?
I'm attempting to understand how subplots work, and one aspect has me confused. I'm trying to create a process by which I can create subplots. When I create the main plot, I start with conflict - two ...
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How to manage the dynamics of a conflict between parents when their child is involved?
There's a conflict between a mother (a major character) and her ex-husband (an antagonist) during the rising action of my story. He grows jealous, possessive and very persistent over the fact she's ...
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How to focus on external conflict rather than inner/interpersonal conflict?
I love creating characters and my plots generally focus greatly on their inner conflicts and their relationships with other characters (my experience has almost exclusively been writing romance). ...
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How does (or should) an inner conflict span a series of novels?
I recently asked this question, about inner conflict. Mark Baker supplied an answer to that question which redefined how I saw inner conflict, and as a result, the whole process of making a novel. ...
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How does External Conflict set up the Climax?
Note: As with any aspect of writing, I'm sure there are those who disagree with it. If you disagree with the conclusions I've come to below, I would like to hear your thoughts. However, I would ask ...
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What is the Purpose of an Inner Conflict?
I've long known what the purpose of inner conflict is. Indeed, it was one of the simplest concepts for me to grasp when I was learning about it. Now I'm not so sure.
I seem to have developed a dual ...
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Is it more effective to lead with a physical conflict rather than an emotional one?
I currently have the choice of two routes with my novel - to lead with a knives-and-poisons main conflict, with reference to the protagonist's emotional conflict, or to lead with him conquering his ...
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Does anyone know an excerpt of writing which demonstrates the stress and emotions of an anticipated clash with a bully?
The protagonist has difficulty with his emotions and social coping mechanisms, and is being bullied by a secondary character. I'd like to dissect the emotions and reactions in him as he learns that a ...
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Why/when should character conflict happen and how do I write it?
I've come to the recent conclusion that my writing lacks conflict.
This problem is especially hard for me because I don't like conflict in my own personal life, and am the type who doesn't usually ...
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What are some conventions for creating a sense of urgency?
I do not believe I came up with the concept of urgency in a main conflict, but I cannot find the original source, so I will just define it here.
When I create and develop a main conflict (I am a ...
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Tips for continuing plot when the spearhead character is not the protagonist?
In the story I am writing, the main character is not in control of the events of the story, I did this to create a strong sense of powerlessness, but I have found a problem. I am having difficulties ...
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How do you write a political debate in a story?
I've recently started writing, but hit a wall during a certain scene. In the story, the characters have an open debate on discrimination in an attempt to raise awareness for their issues and pass new ...
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