Writing Conflict as a Story Engine

Conflict is the engine that drives a story forward, captivating readers and keeping them engaged until the final page. But creating effective conflict requires more than just throwing obstacles in a character’s path. Let’s explore how to generate powerful, meaningful conflict that resonates with your audience.

The Three Pillars of Strong Conflict

1. Character Connection: Readers must care about your characters for the conflict to matter. Develop relatable, multi-dimensional protagonists that your audience can root for.
2. Challenging Resolution: The conflict should present a genuine problem that isn’t easily solved. Quick fixes diminish tension and reader engagement.
3. Originality: Even when working with familiar conflict scenarios, find ways to make them fresh and unexpected.

Strategies for Enhancing Conflict

1. Create Uncertainty: Don’t make outcomes predictable. Put your characters at a disadvantage or introduce unforeseen consequences to their actions.
2. Remove Essential Resources: Think about what your character needs most to succeed, then take it away. This forces creative problem-solving and potential missteps.
3. Raise Personal Stakes: Endanger what your character values most, whether it’s relationships, reputation, or personal beliefs.
4. Present No-Win Scenarios: Force your character to make impossible choices where any decision leads to negative consequences.
5. Maintain Momentum: Keep your characters moving, both physically and emotionally. Stagnation kills tension.
6. Introduce Team Dysfunction: If your character relies on others, create friction within the group to complicate matters.
7. Impose Time Constraints: Nothing ramps up pressure like a ticking clock. Shorten deadlines or create urgent ultimatums.
8. Trigger Past Trauma: Force characters to confront unresolved issues from their past, especially if it relates to their internal conflict.
9. Demand Sacrifice: Make your character give up something meaningful to achieve their goal.
10. Leverage Genre Elements: Use specific challenges inherent to your story’s setting or genre to create authentic conflict.

Additional Considerations for Writing Conflict

• Avoid Relying on Violence: While sometimes necessary, don’t use violence as your default conflict solution.
• Genre-Specific Opportunities: Every genre has unique ways to introduce conflict. Explore historical limitations, futuristic technologies, or supernatural elements as appropriate.
• Balance External and Internal Conflict: Remember that a character’s inner struggles can be just as compelling as external threats.

By employing these techniques, you can create layered, engaging conflict that drives your story forward and keeps readers invested in your characters’ journeys. Remember, the goal is not to torture your characters needlessly, but to present them with challenges that allow for growth, reveal their true nature, and ultimately lead to a satisfying resolution.

Originally published at https://www.hireawriter.us.