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Hello, everyone!
The other day, I was reading in this novel book I own that good conflict is made up of M + G + O. In other words, the MC + his/her Goal + the Opposition to that goal = Conflict. I thought this might be an interesting topic to discuss with you all. So what are your thoughts about this? And how do you create good conflict in your novels?
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…? 😛The conflict is in reaching the goal, not the goal itself.
@kate-flournoy, yeah, that’s what I was trying to say, but you said it better. 😉 😛
Yes, character conflict is quite interesting. In the novel I’m working on with my sister (@ingridrd), we use some of that (MC and a snobby girl [aka Sheryn Slade] are always at each other’s throats). It’s a lot of fun to write. 🙂
So what are some good main story goals that you’ve used before, @kate-flournoy?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?
One tip I’ve heard about creating good conflict is to give the character two things he wants and force him to choose; perhaps he really wants one thing, but the second thing is better for the kingdom or for other or even for himself. Now, in many movies where the bad guy has the girl friend in one hand and the lives of a whole city in the other and makes the hero chose, he manages to save everyone. Now I’m not completely opposed to that, but I think that sometimes it will be even more powerful if the character really does lose one thing that is important; he has to decide what is really important, and then he has to live with that choice.
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
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.
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@kate-flournoy, Ah! Thank you for clearing that up! I was getting confused between personal character goals and the main story. So now that I think about it, in my WIP the main story goal is to defeat the bad guys, like you said, but the MC’s goal is to find love. The MC is an orphan, and she’s had a pretty bad life so far…so her goal is to find someone who really loves her. I know she sounds kind of selfish, but she is only out for herself in the beginning of the novel. Throughout the novel, she learns the importance of putting other’s need before her own. Thanks for making that distinction clear, @kate-flournoy! 🙂
@hope, hmm, that’s an interesting way to do it.
@Daeus, Ohh, okay. Thanks for explaining!Here’s an idea. What if the protagonist and the antagonist are working for the same or a similar goal?
Conflict is really when two people cannot both get what they want. If both sides want something only one can have, There’s conflict. If they want opposite things, also conflict.
What really makes conflict engaging, is the stakes. It’s not what you character wants, but why they must succeed.(I’m quoting Tosca Lee here.) In other words, why they cannot afford to fail. And it must connect to some deep emotion, or fear that resonates deep in people.
@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.
Ah yeah, I see. 🙂 What kind of goals do you think they could be?
@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.
Ah, interesting… 😛 The villain’s way could probably work… 😛
Here’s an interesting twist…what if the villain actually wins? That would make the story broken, but it may be an interesting twist.
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