How do you write conflict?

[Deleted member 42060]

I get this interesting idea, but I find it hard to expand the conflict. Most authors do it well by adding problems that lengthen the story. While the plot is the foundation, conflict is the meat of the story (I think there’s no difference between plot and conflict, anyway). Do you write conflicts on the spot or do you plan them carefully?​

 

[BlackKnightX]

Easy. Here’s a hint for ya: start with c and end with t. You’ll figure the rest out. You’re very welcome.

 

[Deleted member 42060]

Easy. Here’s a hint for ya: start with c and end with t. You’ll figure the rest out. You’re very welcome.

Hey, that actually makes sense.

 

[SailusGebel]

Carefully.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Carefully

But in all seriousness, every story needs conflict. However, that doesn't mean it needs drama. There can be conflict that moves with the plot without it being caused by a character losing it. Sometimes the conflict is within the MC with their moral and mental state or maybe the conflict is between two characters who aren't sure if what they are doing is correct. Conflict can be as simple as a character slowly losing it over the course of an arc which results in them blowing up and getting mad at another character. It could also be convoluted because it's hard for anyone to distinguish why there is conflict but it starts to show once the characters think about it. Conflict can be used to further the narrative or it could be used to shorten it as it is all dependent on the situation and results. Though don't try to force conflict. Conflict will appear between characters naturally as long as the characters have personality and aren't entirely plot-driven.

 

[Deleted member 42060]

Though don't try to force conflict. Conflict will appear between characters naturally as long as the characters have personality and aren't entirely plot-driven.

Yeah, I like this advice. I sometimes find myself forcing conflict like it's the most important thing ever

 

[Nirokuro]

Ju

I get this interesting idea, but I find it hard to expand the conflict. Most authors do it well by adding problems that lengthen the story. While the plot is the foundation, conflict is the meat of the story (I think there’s no difference between plot and conflict, anyway). Do you write conflicts on the spot or do you plan them carefully?​

Just get a moment looking at the roof and try to remember novels you read anime or even a music animation or lyrics they all help imaging an event for the conflict work with me but don't be so dramatic

 

[gaylolis]

for me, conflict is something that's always present.

for me, it's basically when the main character realize something that compromises their values and the plot is basically them trying to make things go their way.

try to observe your drafts and when you noticed something amiss, that's probably a good conflict point. the more natural it seem, the better.

 

[lambenttyto]

Like this:

It was then that he knew, perhaps from an intuition from the gods themselves, that he must act of that moment—and Dafa sprung to the young and inexperienced guard near the wall next to a statue, and hitting his head against the marble, knocked him unconscious amidst the screaming of a woman who had been nearby to watch every action of his against his foe. And now he wasted no more time, and he took up the scimitar and hearing disturbances throughout the lower rooms of the house, he went to a frightened guard, but just before he could release his sword, Dafa struck off his head in a spray of blood that painted the palace walls anew, and as he did this others of Dafa’s men came, some with weapons they had obtained from various places, and others of which were still unarmed, who then snatched the newly dropped scimitar before their feet, adding to their total strength of arms downstairs.

 

[SakeVision]

imagine what is the most rational thing to do in any situation, and then have your characters do the opposite because of whatever emotional/sentimental/moral reason you can believably produce without breaking the character and the plot progression of the story

 

[Ruyi]

OP, im reading your post and let me know if i parse this right: you have an interesting conflict/problem that you think would make for a good story, but you need more details so it goes beyond just that "conflict/problem" idea, right?

all i know is that bigger conflicts usually cause a ripple effect that result in multiple smaller problems. so i would say, go big first--big idea/theme + conflict--and extrapolate from that to see what kind of consequences happen as a result of the conflict progressing. good thing about being a writer is that you can zoom in and out of your story and choose to hyperfocus on details or give readers the big picture. this way your conflict will have layers and detailing that will naturally lengthen the story. does that make sense?

 

[Deleted member 42060]

OP, im reading your post and let me know if i parse this right: you have an interesting conflict/problem that you think would make for a good story, but you need more details so it goes beyond just that "conflict/problem" idea, right?

all i know is that bigger conflicts usually cause a ripple effect that result in multiple smaller problems. so i would say, go big first--big idea/theme + conflict--and extrapolate from that to see what kind of consequences happen as a result of the conflict progressing. good thing about being a writer is that you can zoom in and out of your story and choose to hyperfocus on details or give readers the big picture. this way your conflict will have layers and detailing that will naturally lengthen the story. does that make sense?

Yeah, makes sense. I go big first, but the problem is that it feels like I’m about to finish my story in ten chapters, even though I plan it to have at least four volumes. It’s like molding a clay until it gets bigger—quick and easy. Until it gets to the point where you need to start designing with that intricate details. I just convince myself that I should just keep writing and see wherever the conflict goes—it just gets a bit concerning at times.​

 

[Ruyi]

Yeah, makes sense. I go big first, but the problem is that it feels like I’m about to finish my story in ten chapters, even though I plan it to have at least four volumes. It’s like molding a clay until it gets bigger—quick and easy. Until it gets to the point where you need to start designing with that intricate details. I just convince myself that I should just keep writing and see wherever the conflict goes—it just gets a bit concerning at times.​

interesting. is the conflict so straightforward that you can solve it within ten chapters?

then maybe instead of writing a book just about the conflict, you can branch off into your characters' lives instead and have those make up the four volumes?

 

[Deleted member 42060]

interesting. is the conflict so straightforward that you can solve it within ten chapters?

then maybe instead of writing a book just about the conflict, you can branch off into your characters' lives instead and have those make up the four volumes?

My new novel is like My Hero Academia but on crack, but there’s a specific conflict that hinders the MC from making his own decisions completely—and it’s hard to relate that specific conflict with the other minor conflicts like there are two stories at the same time. It’s tempting to write each character’s life to make it long, but for now, I’m trying to hook the readers with a big start. And because of the big start, the pacing kinda went a bit too fast. I’m constantly trying to find conflicts instead of making the characters find conflicts for me…if that makes sense.​

 

[Kalebell]

I make my characters peck each other like birds until the other one gives in. That seems like the most rational and realistic way to write an argument to me at least because people usually do that in real life, albeit secretly.

 

[RebeccaLang]

For me, I find that conflict naturally arises out of the central problem that makes up my story. Rather than create new dramas , I just go deeper into the core premise. For example, the story I'm writing now, "Girls and Monsters," starts off with a sorcerer kidnapping a girl, threatening to turn her into a dragon, and then gradually falling in love with her. This creates a whole big drama between them, obviously, but there are also issues that arise of the consequences of the sorcerer's life of crime. Kidnapping other girls creates enemies and those enemies come after him. When I look at his past and why he has turned to that lifestyle, it also creates conflict.

In general, I find that if the premise is strong enough, I can mine it for conflict for a very long time. Every action has consequences and those consequences create new problems. You can always go deeper into a character's past and dig up new issues and find ways for those issues to come up in the present and create whole new problems.

By the way, here's a link to my story, if you're interested: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/486306/girls-and-monsters/

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Okay... Take a bunch of christmas tree lights. Cover it in cheese whiz and fire ants.
That's how convoluted my conflict is.

Which is to say, Everyone has motivations, so how can there not be conflict?
For example: MC is a guy hit by a truck. There was someone else with him. That guy is in a demon body and the MC is the hero. They re, in many ways the same, but they took different paths when they meet, they will be in conflict.

For example: The MC is in moral reverse world. Guys are not the hands on fix it types and are more emotional. MC is getting ready for a date and breaks the toilet handle. He fixes it with a old USB cord so you can just pull the cord to flush it. This is until his mom gets home to fix it. Dad has a phobia about getting electrocuted if you use the toilet when there is a thunderstorm. Dad sees a power cord leading directly into the take of the toilet and has a complete melt down, crying and using emotional blackmail to get the son to understand how dangerous it is. The son is being logical in that the USB cord isn't attached to anything, so it is safe.

Conflict.

Write real characters and conflict occurs naturally.

 

[Ruyi]

My new novel is like My Hero Academia but on crack, but there’s a specific conflict that hinders the MC from making his own decisions completely—and it’s hard to relate that specific conflict with the other minor conflicts like there are two stories at the same time. It’s tempting to write each character’s life to make it long, but for now, I’m trying to hook the readers with a big start. And because of the big start, the pacing kinda went a bit too fast. I’m constantly trying to find conflicts instead of making the characters find conflicts for me…if that makes sense.​

Ok.

Then you might benefit from taking some time to worldbuild a bit. Conflicts irl are rarely solved clean and neatly in one sweep. Even if you've taken care of the danger/issue right away, there will still be aftereffects to deal with. Like say....lemme make something up:

Say your MC is a superhero in a superhero school but he's never been able to use his powers fully because of a childhood trauma that repressed his instincts. So he goes to superhero school to try and fix that, making friends and enemies along the way. The friends support him despite his "weak" powers, while the enemies look down on him, etc. Then in a plot twist, the MC discovers one of his new friends is actually the son of the villain who caused his childhood trauma in the first place. The villain might recognize MC too and decides he needs to die so as to not leave any witnesses.

So one way to resolve this conflict is to have MC kill the villain in their final showdown. Boom! He breaks past his trauma and unlocks his powers. Problem solved. But! Because he killed his friend's parent, the friend now hates MC and quits superhero school, vowing he'll take revenge. So now you have the seeds of a sequel sowed already. Maybe MC's friend teams up with a bunch of rebels who hate the concept of superhero school and want to restrict superpowers to the chosen few. Maybe it's their leader who decides who's "worthy" enough to wield the powers. So MC and co clashes with Ex-Friend and co. for the next story arc, and just when you think defeating Ex-Friend's cronies will solve the issue, BOOM! A plot twist.

Turns out humans weren't meant to have superpowers at all and if people continue to reproduce and pass on superhero genes, the genetic structure of humanity will collapse and mutate them into mindless monsters. Maybe callback to like some monsters that showed up earlier in the story by saying "they were mutated humans all along! the horror!" Now your conflict has taken another level beyond the whole "Ex-Friend gets revenge for MC killing his dad" thing. MC suffers a crisis of conscience, because what Ex-Friend's team proposes will essentially stabilize the superhero world even if it means forcibly removing powers from its population. Does he let them do what they want, or stop them because they're forcing their views on everyone "for the greater good?"

And so on and so on, as an example. Err...that was a lot of rambling but TL;DR:

1) Resolved conflicts still have effects, sometimes leading to newer problems
2) Smaller problems can build up to bigger problems
3) Shake up the status quo if everything seems too cut and dry from A to B.

This is an example of how I could build from one conflict to another basically. Sorry if it's kinda random, I made it up as I typed lol

EDIT: you don't have to follow this model but a lot of series like to go from minor > medium > major conflict as the story progresses, uncovering more "truth" for the readers to read while giving the characters time to mature and level up

 

[Deleted member 42060]

Ok.

Then you might benefit from taking some time to worldbuild a bit. Conflicts irl are rarely solved clean and neatly in one sweep. Even if you've taken care of the danger/issue right away, there will still be aftereffects to deal with. Like say....lemme make something up:

Say your MC is a superhero in a superhero school but he's never been able to use his powers fully because of a childhood trauma that repressed his instincts. So he goes to superhero school to try and fix that, making friends and enemies along the way. The friends support him despite his "weak" powers, while the enemies look down on him, etc. Then in a plot twist, the MC discovers one of his new friends is actually the son of the villain who caused his childhood trauma in the first place. The villain might recognize MC too and decides he needs to die so as to not leave any witnesses.

So one way to resolve this conflict is to have MC kill the villain in their final showdown. Boom! He breaks past his trauma and unlocks his powers. Problem solved. But! Because he killed his friend's parent, the friend now hates MC and quits superhero school, vowing he'll take revenge. So now you have the seeds of a sequel sowed already. Maybe MC's friend teams up with a bunch of rebels who hate the concept of superhero school and want to restrict superpowers to the chosen few. Maybe it's their leader who decides who's "worthy" enough to wield the powers. So MC and co clashes with Ex-Friend and co. for the next story arc, and just when you think defeating Ex-Friend's cronies will solve the issue, BOOM! A plot twist.

Turns out humans weren't meant to have superpowers at all and if people continue to reproduce and pass on superhero genes, the genetic structure of humanity will collapse and mutate them into mindless monsters. Maybe callback to like some monsters that showed up earlier in the story by saying "they were mutated humans all along! the horror!" Now your conflict has taken another level beyond the whole "Ex-Friend gets revenge for MC killing his dad" thing. MC suffers a crisis of conscience, because what Ex-Friend's team proposes will essentially stabilize the superhero world even if it means forcibly removing powers from its population. Does he let them do what they want, or stop them because they're forcing their views on everyone "for the greater good?"

And so on and so on, as an example. Err...that was a lot of rambling but TL;DR:

1) Resolved conflicts still have effects, sometimes leading to newer problems
2) Smaller problems can build up to bigger problems
3) Shake up the status quo if everything seems too cut and dry from A to B.

This is an example of how I could build from one conflict to another basically. Sorry if it's kinda random, I made it up as I typed lol

EDIT: you don't have to follow this model but a lot of series like to go from minor > medium > major conflict as the story progresses, uncovering more "truth" for the readers to read while giving the characters time to mature and level up

Thanks a lot for this. I appreciate it.

Maybe MC's friend teams up with a bunch of rebels who hate the concept of superhero school and want to restrict superpowers to the chosen few. Maybe it's their leader who decides who's "worthy" enough to wield the powers.

And I like this idea.

 

[Ark__]

I get this interesting idea, but I find it hard to expand the conflict. Most authors do it well by adding problems that lengthen the story. While the plot is the foundation, conflict is the meat of the story (I think there’s no difference between plot and conflict, anyway). Do you write conflicts on the spot or do you plan them carefully?​

write it as such your best buddy of school has gulped your favourite sandwich that your girlfriend made for you. and you believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth superiority..