7 Ways to Write the Conflict in your Story
Writing a story is a multi-faceted process that has various stages. One particularly important aspect of story writing is the conflict. In layman’s terms, the conflict is the trouble or challenge in a story that needs to be overcome. It usually comes in the form of an unforeseen event that changes the entire feel of the story. It goes without saying that the conflict is a necessity for any story to thrive. You will need to make sure that the conflict fits perfectly into your overall story. Here are 7 Ways to write the conflict in your story.
1. Slowly build up to the conflict
If you are going to write the conflict in your story, you should never rush it. If you just plop the conflict in the middle of your story, it will just seem too contrived and far-fetched. So take the time to slowly build up to the conflict. This will allow your readers to see the minor events and factors that lead up to the conflict itself.
2. Create sub-plots to support it
A conflict should always happen organically, this means that it should not just happen out of the blue. So make it a priority to create sub-plots that will support the conflict. These sub-plots could be written in a minor or major character’s point of view and could be used to support the conflict once it happens.
3. Have your characters react accordingly
When the conflict does appear in the story, you should have your characters react accordingly. It would seem weird if your characters did not react to the conflict at all. When you write their reactions though, they should be as realistic as possible.
4. Surprise your readers
When you write your conflict, it should not be obvious. Nothing ruins the slow build up to the conflict in a story than being too obvious. So make it a priority to surprise your readers with your conflict. Although there should be a slow build up to it, the conflict should still be able to surprise your readers.
5. The conflict should be realistic
One of the trickiest parts of writing conflict in a story, is keeping it realistic. Remember that real life is chaotic, and there is no set conflict in our lives. Whatever happens seems random, and there is really no villain behind the scenes pulling strings to ruin our lives. So it is important that you know how to make your conflict realistic. You should make it feel as if the conflict could happen in real life as well. This will make your story feel more believable in the long run.
6. Have a set motivation for your antagonists
The antagonist is the main perpetrator of the conflict of your story. He or she will be the one who sets the events into motion. So it is important that you have a set motivation for your antagonist. By giving your antagonist a set motivation, your readers will see why the antagonist does what he or she does. It will also make your overall story more interesting. The motivation could be practically anything, from revenge, greed, domination, jealousy, love, etc. Just make sure that the motivation is believable and could be combined effectively into your overall storyline.
7. Have your characters grow through the conflict
Once the conflict has been revealed and it has been overcome later on, it is imperative that you show how your characters have grown through the conflict. It would be sloppy storytelling to have your protagonists go through a harrowing experience, only to escape from it unscathed and unchanged. So you should write your characters in a way that shows how they were able to overcome a great ordeal, and that they were able to grow in the process. You could even give them realistic conditions such as traumas or a more hardened outlook on life because of the obstacle that they had to go through. This will make your story more multi-faceted in the long run.
Conclusion
Writing the conflict in a story could be tricky because there are many facets that you have to take account of. With these 7 tips, you’ll be able to incorporate a truly memorable conflict in your story.
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