Congratulations! You know your characters backward and forward and maybe a little sideways. It’s now time for the next step in crafting your story. Let’s talk about creating conflict for those characters. Now that you know what makes your people tick, the next question you should be asking yourself is: “How can I really mess them up?” You want to start brainstorming ideas and scenes that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
This is where creating conflict comes in. Conflict drives the narrative; pulls readers in; and tests your characters, forcing them to grow, change, or reveal their true nature. The deeper and more intense the conflict, the more emotionally invested readers become. Here are some strategies to help you do that:
- Understand Your Characters: I believe we have this one down. (Please see previous five posts on characterization.) For those of you just joining us, understanding your characters allows you to create conflicts that are deeply personal and challenging.
- Prioritize Internal vs. External Conflicts: Depending on the story you’re writing, you may have more of one than the other. For example, in a suspense or a thriller or action-adventure, you’ll most likely have more of the external conflicts. In a romance, the internal conflict may be more pronounced. But in all stories, there must be both types of conflict. External conflicts (man vs. man, man vs. nature) and internal conflicts (man vs. self).
- Set High Stakes: Make sure something significant is at risk. When characters readers care about have a lot to lose, it puts the tension on the page and keeps the reader closely engaged in what happens to those characters.
- Throw Them into a Moral Dilemma: Force your characters to make choices that compromise their beliefs or values. When a character must choose between two equally undesirable outcomes (so I save my wife or my child?), the internal turmoil can be gut-wrenching for both the character and the reader. And, of course, since the hero/heroine is amazing and brave and smart, he/she figures out a way to save both in the end. But getting there should have readers chewing their nails and doing deep-breathing exercises to destress.
- Deepen Relationship Tension: Personal relationships are a goldmine for conflict. Betrayals, unspoken feelings, misunderstandings (one thing about misunderstandings—make sure they can’t be solved with a simply conversation; misunderstandings have to be deep and complex to keep the reader from rolling her eyes) and clashing goals or values between characters are all ways to ramp up the tension.
- Take Away Their Control: Boy, this one really hits home! Characters, like real people, want control over their lives, their futures, etc. Stripping them of this control—whether through circumstances, other characters, or their own mistakes—will push them to their limits. Think about a parent with a sick child; a husband who loves his wife, but she continues to cheat on him, apologize and swear to never do it again, then does; a blackmail situation. One wrong decision leads to a lifetime of hiding that shame, but someone knows and uses it to profit from it. Lack of control is horrible and can really have the reader flipping the pages to see how it all turns out.
- Work with Setting and Environment: Here’s another reason why it’s so important to know your characters right off the bat. You want to know what their greatest fear is so you can put them in settings that bring out their fears or test their weaknesses. For example, someone with claustrophobia might be trapped in a coffin. (Ahem, yes, I might have used this one. Read No Place to Hide to see how that turned out.)
- Bring in Unpredictable Twists: Just when things seem to be settling down, introduce an unforeseen complication. This keeps your narrative fresh and readers on their toes.
- Let the Past Haunt Them: Backstory! Every character has a history. Using elements from their past—like old rivals, past mistakes, or traumatic events—can add depth to the conflict, making it feel more layered and complex. This is the whole knowing your characters’ MPLM (Most Painful Life Moment) comes in handy and can help you take your conflict to another level.
- Avoid Easy Resolutions: Once you’ve thrown your characters into the deep end, don’t be too quick to pull them out. Let them struggle, flounder, and fight their way out. And it’s okay if they have a I’m-giving-up moment. That’s real life. Real people sometimes want to surrender and say, “I can’t fight anymore.” But real heroes and heroines pull themselves up and jump back into the fray. Because, in the end, fighting is the only choice they can make. This not only heightens tension but also makes eventual resolutions more satisfying.
Deep conflict stems from a razor-sharp understanding of your characters and a willingness to put them through the wringer, both externally and internally. By integrating these strategies into your storytelling, you can craft a narrative that’s emotionally resonant, gripping, and unforgettable. Remember, it’s through trials and tribulations that characters—and their stories—truly come alive and keep the reader flipping the pages long into the night when they should be sleeping. Nothing pleases me more than to have a reader accuse me of lost sleep!
How about you? Think about your WIP (Work in Progress). Do you have heart-gripping conflict? Will your readers lose sleep over your story? If not, you might take another look at your characters and see how and where you can focus to bring out the conflict. More next time!
