How to Create Good Conflict

Hello, @gretald! I found this volcano on here just waiting to happen… awesome topic! One of my favorite tactics for conflict is sparring between characters. Yeah, we have the overall conflict (which is the story-goal) but it really helps move things along if you have a lot of heated exchanges between the characters on a scene to scene basis. If you have two characters working in perfect harmony towards the story goal, well, okay, that’s sweet… but let’s be honest and admit we would all enjoy it much more if they see eye to eye on absolutely nothing and are constantly at each others’ throats. Not only does that kind of conflict have enormous potential to be hilarious, it also makes the completion of the main conflict much, much less likely, and so adds a lot of suspense.
In fact, one thing I’ve noticed is that there are three main ‘layers’ of conflict in a good story— number one is personal conflict. The conflict within each separate character. This conflict leads to the second kind of conflict, though it is certainly not inextricably linked. The second kind of conflict is conflict between characters— like I was talking about up there. This kind of conflict leads into your M+G+O, which is the main story goal. But the goal does not necessarily equal the conflict. The conflict is in reaching the goal, not the goal itself. Savvy? 🙂
Or is that what you were saying already…? 😛

Um… well… stop the bad guys, stop the bad guys, and… stop the bad guys. 😛 They all pretty much boil down to the same thing.

And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, @gretald.

Let me explain. Though the story goal can certainly be very cool and epic and all that, it’s not the goal that makes the story interesting. It’s the process through which the characters accomplish the goal that makes a story interesting. And that’s why I’m not too worried about cliched story goals.
It’s the conflict that makes each story unique and interesting and different— more often than not, the personal conflict for the characters. Say we have two evil kings and two good princes, one set for each of two stories. The objective for both stories is to defeat the evil king.
But here’s the difference. The prince in the first story struggles with pride and arrogance and rashness— he leads boldly, often without stopping to consider the consequences of his actions until they’ve landed him in a smoking wreck.
The prince in the second story has a problem with accepting responsibility— he doesn’t want to lead. He doesn’t want to be looked up to. He’s afraid he can’t be good enough. He’s afraid he’ll mess everything up and then have to face harsh consequences.
See? They will both be very different and unique, though the premise and the story goal is the same.
That’s why it’s so important to have your MC struggling internally with something that will keep him/her from accomplishing the story goal, otherwise it becomes very dull if you have a cliche goal, and no conflict to make achieving it difficult. And most goals are cliche— probably because humans are always in pursuit of the same things, I would guess. 😉

To further prove my point, let me give you an example from the Inheritance Cycle. (You’ve read that, I think you said). Take Eragon— he had no real internal struggle. He was just sort of drifting… his only objective was to defeat Galbatorix, and though he had moments of internal doubt and fear, there was nothing he really had to change about HIMSELF to accomplish that goal.
Now. Take my top favorite character from the Cycle, and draw some contrasts.
Murtagh.
He had a very real, tense, fascinating inner struggle that he had to defeat before he accomplished the goal. His anger— his selfishness, his bitterness about the past, his unwillingness to trust anyone or love anyone because no one had ever loved or trusted him. In the end, he was only able to come clean because he defeated that part of himself that was keeping him from accomplishing the goal. And if he had not conquered his struggle, the entire climax of the series would have been ruined. Everyone would have died. That is good conflict.
And is it a coincidence that Murtagh— broken, angry, bitter; struggling as he was— is so much more fascinating and gripping and interesting than Eragon, who had no real struggles? I think not.

Oh boy, do I rant. 😛

Thoughts? What are some story goals/conflicts you’ve used, and what do you have to say about them?

Conflict doesn’t even have to be open. Sometimes there is friendly conflict such as when a friend suggests to another friend that he may have made a bad decision. The other friend does not have to respond harshly, he may just gravely consider that suggestion. There can be conflicts that aren’t even spoken. For instance (and this is a rather blatant example), wearing neon to a funeral.

In the overall story, conflict that keeps the MC from obtaining his goal is the most important conflict. Not all conflict can be of this type though. Sometimes there will be scenes where developments need to take place but nothing is impeding the MC’s goal. In these circumstances, minor conflicts become very important to keep things spicy. Minor conflicts are mainly for character development. Such character development needs to be important for the story of course.

Here’s an idea. What if the protagonist and the antagonist are working for the same or a similar goal?

@Leumeister yes, excellent idea. That way the emphasis is not on the goal itself, but why the antagonists/protagonist should or should not deserve/accomplish it, based on the rightness of their worldview.

Also a very good point, @Anna-Brie. I agree.

@Leumeister welllll… should I say it?
*thinks*
No, better not. Think of an unrelated example.
*thinks again*
No…
Yes…
No…

I’m gonna say it. 😛 I actually already had a story idea with this thematic premise. The hero and the villain both have the same goal— accomplishing world peace and ending all wars. The hero doesn’t know exactly how he plans to do that, but the villain has his plans all laid out— he’s gonna bring world peace through force. Conquer everyone and force them to be peaceful for their own good and the good of humanity as a whole.

I think you could pull this trick with just about any goal though. The heart of theme is opposing worldviews, not necessarily opposing goals.