I read a comment in Mark Terry’s blog the other day by Spyscribbler, where she says she used to have a motto: Never write a word without conflict. Yikes! Spy, that is a challenging motto. It gives me a headache, just thinking about it.
I’ve been thinking a lot about conflict, recently. There is plenty of external conflict in my WIP, and personal conflict in the lives of the protagonists, but their relationship with each other is hardly conflicted at all. It has its moments, but in general, when they have a spare moment, and sometimes even when they don’t, each offers the other calm, strength and support. And they have felt this way from the start.
Because this isn’t a romance in the traditional sense, although a love story runs through the book, I don’t think I need to worry about it. There are a LOT of other things happening, to the point that this novel is turning into a thriller, which I never envisaged at the outset. And I wonder whether this peace and calm my characters have with each other is just the breath-catcher the reader needs between street fights and assassination attempts and numerous other events.
I thought up a great new story two days ago, and started writing the first page, as I usually do, and then reached a point were the story just felt flat. Then during my walk yesterday, I realized how to make everything in the book a conflict, including between the two protagonists, and I’m excited about the story again.
Do your stories come to you, conflict already in place, or do you sometimes have to work at adding more in?
I know the external and internal conflicts before I start. Unlike you, I figure that out before I start writing. (And I’m the Libra and you’re the Virgo. What’s wrong with this picture?)
I know I have problems with tension and I work on that. I’m guessing Spy means every word leading to tension, because separately a word is just a word.
I forgot to mention, great picture to go with your post!
Michelle, my story conflicts start internally, and since I don’t write suspense or thrillers I can avoid the exhausting pace of having an outside conflict at every turn.
That said, in life I avoid conflict like the plague… who needs it? But, my characters always have wounds that need to be healed. That’s the angle I take, since that requires the stir of the ol’ story pot.
LOL, it exhausts me, too, just thinking about it! But I have to tell you, when Hope Floats came out, I was just bowled over by the pacing. I mean, WOW. If there is a more perfectly-paced movie out there, I can’t think of it. I’m thinking of the middle, where you have that whole funny part? Where Bernie is followed home by the group of bullies, and then the family all bounces on the bed to happy music?
Those moments are priceless!
(LOL, Edie! Yes! Totally. Always underlying tension or suspense pulling the reader. I can’t tell you how afraid I am to bore my readers!)
Since I’m a pantser, my conflicts comes to me during the course of the story.
I don’t think I tend to have huge conflicts between the protagonists. I’d much rather have external conflicts which forces them to work together to resolve things.
Oh I have to slog every single conflicting sentence out onto page. What I think is the conflict usually ends up half way through the book to be just a sidebar. It’s only when I’m at page 130 that I hit my stride or my characters take over and really start interacting that way.
I sometimes have to work on adding more in. But I try to also give the reader some breathing room where it isn’t just constant “eeeek” because sometimes too much conflict becomes more stress than enjoyment for the reader.
Because I just sit down and write, based on a character or scenario that appeals to me, I think I over analyze when I’m almost done, Edie. Listening to some of the RWA SF conference tapes makes me realize how much I do subconsciously, and I second-guess myself.
LaD, I like that there are all types of conflict, and we can find exactly what we need for our story while still being true to the story itself.
Me, too, Spy! Boring the reader is something I really don’t want to do. Which is why I sometimes think back to a book I enjoyed and realize if I’d written it, I’d have been afraid a lot of it might bore the reader. And I feel a lot better about my own work, LOL.
Weeeeeeell, Liz. Your current WIP H/H have a lot of conflict. He is trying to kill her brother, after all. LOLOL.
Great that you have your process so sussed, Natalie. I love hitting my stride, but I usually hit my stride from page one, falter around page 200 and then limp through to page 300, then I’m off again.
I agree, Zoe. That’s why I think the harmony of my characters relationship acts as that breather for the reader, as the plot cannot allow much of a breather in any other respect. I once went back and added a whole extra thread of conflict through a book, because when I reached the end, I realized it needed more.
You may have already said this, but did you take the photo? Those fellows are experiencing some serious conflict.
Edie mentioned tension, and I’d say that I go more for tension between my protagonists than conflict. Sometimes it seems this is as simple as giving one character a particularly raw/exposed feeling or emotion. The other character then reacts to it, and the scene heightens. Having someone react in an unusual manner with such a feeling (or out of response to seeing the feeling exhibited) then furthers the tension. Enough rambling from me … I loved the post and photo!
I googled the pic, D.A., but thanks, I love it too!
And you make an excellent point. Tension is the best kind of conflict between protagonists, be it sexual or otherwise.