Mike C’s Creative Tips: CONFLICT
Table of contents for Mike C's Creative Tips
A Note from Krow:
Apologies for the delay in posting, the holidays are like that at times. I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season and remember Mike’s book makes an awesome gift! Get it @ Amazon: Falling Apart: A Short Story Collection
IT AIN’T A STORY IF THERE ISN’T ANY CONFLICT
I admit I’m no expert when it comes to getting down to the fine technical aspects of writing or a story, but there’s one element that is pretty much in any story that you have ever read.
Conflict.
You cannot tell a story where everything is “fine and dandy.” Why? Because that’s a boring story, and it’s no story at all. Seriously, would you want to read a story about a guy who had a perfect day where nothing went wrong? Of course not. While we may wish that our lives revolved around less conflict, that isn’t so when it comes to the world of storytelling.
And let’s make something clear; the conflict in your story doesn’t have to be world-changing. You don’t have to have your character literally doing battle with Satan himself. Something as simple as a character not being able to get the right kind of soda that he wants at a restaurant can be your conflict. Sound silly? It’s all about how your character reacts. Maybe he’s on a short fuse and the restaurant serving Pepsi instead of Coke is the final straw for him. What does he do? Does he yell and have a temper-tantrum? Does he keep it cool and collective until he finally gets into his car, and then ends up purposely crashing into somebody else? Does he demand to see the owner and cause a scene? Will somebody be badly injured by a fork somehow?
I think you get the picture. The point of all of that is to show you that even what seems to be the littlest problem in the world can spark a story or situation. Anytime you’re reading a story, chances are it revolves around some sort of problem that the characters have to deal with. When you’re writing, ask yourself, “What is the conflict?” If you’re having trouble on developing a story and have no idea where to start, think of some possible conflicts and what series of events that conflict can lead to. Sure, you might think that a “break-up” story is old and tired, but they’re never the same. This is because characters are unique and all have a different way of handling things.
So while you may loathe any sort of conflict or drama in your personal life, learn to EMBRACE it in your fiction. Draw out from your own experiences. Maybe your character does the exact same thing that you did when a specific conflict or incident appeared, or maybe they do something completely different.
Remember, your conflict does not have to be earth shattering. It does not have to be a life-or-death scenario. We all have obstacles that we must confront on a day-to-day basis.
Why should your characters be any different?
