10 Tips For Creating Conflict

915 12 0
                                    

1. Introduction

Every novel needs conflict. Without it , your characters have nothing to disagree on and no arc to develop. Without it your plot will flatline.

2. Source Of Conflict

Your protagonist should face conflict from lots of sources, but the main barriers should always from your antagonist.

3. Make The Conflict Specific

Don't be broad and start a war because your hero and villain dislike each other. Start a war because your villain killed your heroes wife.

4. Target The Conflict

If you want your hero to invest in saving the world then give them a specific reason. Make the conflict personal to them.

5. Make It Emotional

Make the conflict mean something to your hero. If it means something to them it will mean something to your reader too.

6+7. Realism = Believability

Make sure your conflict is plausible to your world/genre/plot. If it's plausible, it's realistic which makes it believable.

8. Time Is Of The Essence

Add time pressure to your conflict raises the pace and tension in your novel.

9. Go All In

Don't just raise the stakes once with your conflict. Add layers, keep raising the stakes and throwing barriers in your protagonists way until winning seems impossible. Only then does he/she become a hero to win.

10. Torture Your Hero

Conflict is there to torture your hero. In order to win they have to suffer and lose something.


Writing tipsWhere stories live. Discover now