Opposing Conflicts
As I’m plotting out my new project (stop cringing, pantsers), I’ve been reading through a couple craft books. I’ve read these already, but some material is worth reading again. I’ve brushed up on POV and show-don’t-tell. I would imagine that stuff has been drilled in to my head enough, but always good for a refresher.
While I was reading, though, I had a bit of an epiphany. Not that I didn’t “know” this already, but I was reminded again that some of the best conflicts are directly opposing conflicts. Maybe they’re external opposing conflicts. A builder and an environmental consultant. Lawyers on opposing sides of a criminal trial. An adrenaline junkie and a timid mouse.
But equally important are internal opposing conflicts. The woman who fears being left and the rolling stone. The man who doesn’t want children and the single mom.
I particularly love when an author flips a commonly used conflict on its ear. For example, in JR Ward’s Lover Awakened, the hero has been sexually abused and the heroine has to help him work through his feelings of inadequacy and anger instead of the other way around. I think Ward does it brilliantly but I love Ward’s voice so that probably doesn’t hurt.
I’m not sure why this really hit me while plotting this book. Maybe because I always hit the 2/3 point in my stories and question motivation. I think I wanted to make sure I had these motivations and conflicts decided before I started writing this time, instead of just letting my characters tell me later on what their baggage is.
I am still figuring out what my characters conflicts are in this story, but I’m going to make sure I know before I start writing. No matter how much my characters nag to get going without it.
What are some of your favorite opposing conflicts? Anyone who’s flipped a common conflict that you want to give a shout out? What opposing conflict do you use in your current work?
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52 comments:
The rake and the wallflower personalities (though I prefer it traditional rather than flipped). The two nemesises who are forced to work together against a common enemy.
I prefer conflicts where the characters have known each other some time rather than hating each other at first sight five minutes ago. Even if Mr. Darcy says something cutting--and that's a good reason to hate him--it's when he then proceeds to spend the next several months continuing to be a snobby prat that really seals the deal and you can't imagine ever liking him.
I prefer novels where the conflicts are more internal than external (i.e. I'm not into overly actiony books where the conflict would be like SPEED. All that sexual tension from being almost killed by the bad guy, but two days later when he's caught and you're fine, are you REALLY in love with the hero and want to be with him forever? Seriously?)
Very timely, Marnee. This is exactly what I'm wrestling with right now. I think that I would be much more comfortable being a plotter than a pantser so I'm moving in that direction. I see my H/H in several situations but haven't nailed down the conflict yet. And it is becoming very clear that unless I do I can't really go any further.
I love the shy bookish heroine paired with the overly experienced world weary hero. That has to be one of my favorites. I like when the hero starts to re-experience innocence through her eyes.
What are some of your favorite craft books on this (or any other subject actually)? Do you have any useful outlines or guidelines for plotting?
I think I'm with you all the way on the SPEED example, Hellie. I tend to like when the H/H work through childhood conditioning, long held ingrained beliefs called to question or just plain old differing opinions rather than life or death situations. I like to watch the characters grow throughout the story and maybe change what they always believed to be true about either themselves or the way they do things.
I like this one to get a brief idea of how "conflicting" personalities would behave with each other, to inspire scene ideas and possibilities:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Writers-Guide-Heroes-Heroines/dp/1580650244/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258037451&sr=8-1
AND pretty much anything by this woman:
http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Guide-Fiction-Compass/dp/039952858X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4
Though this book might be the most fitting.
I'd probably limit myself to about 2 craft books. After that, you get a little nutty and you really don't write. *LOL* You want just enough knowledge to be dangerous.
You're right, the best conflicts are opposing conflicts. So much so that it takes me a while to think of conflicts that aren't opposing.
I've begun stories that that go nowhere for lack of conflict - any conflict. I do think it helps (for that light bulb moment I need for something to sink in) to ask myself what the opposing conflict is.
AWESOME. I had to moderate my own comment because I used website links. *shakes head* Spammers. They ruin everything.
Hellsie - I love the wallflower/rake story line. My favorite wallflower is Penelope Featherington. But I don't think Colin Bridgerton is the average rake.
And I think Speed or any other action based/thriller that doesn't focus on character is fairly unbelievable. At least I don't believe it'll last forever, that's for sure. I do like stories that stretch out the relationship too. Though I do think that it's possible to know you love someone, even want to marry them, after only a few weeks.
Irish - I love the bookish heroine too. I think because I trend a little bookish sometimes, personally. :)
As for plotting... welcome to the dark side! LOL!! I don't know if there are any craft books about it. I know what works for me. I storyboard (set up my story on a spreadsheet, divided into scenes). More important, I set up my stories by 4 acts. The first - set up their inciting incident, what throws them together. Second - up to a middle "gray" moment. The third, working up to the black moment, the fourth-the resolution.
Email me any time if you have questions about how I do it. Just a matter of finding things that work for you. I know people who do outlines or use post its on a wall. Whatever swings your rope.
A lot of time is spent on finding the "perfect" conflict, when honest to God, all you need is one man and one woman and you'd have enough conflict for 50 years. It might not always be fiction worthy...but definite conflict.
Whenever I try to come up with characters, I think of George Carlin: "There is only two things you need to know about men and women. Men are stupid and women are crazy. And the reason women are crazy are because men are stupid."
I mean, I can so totally work with that. Let's open up that fight about "I'm STILL having sex with you, right?" See where that takes us...
Kind of sent that previous post before I was finished but sometimes it's better if I don't get too long winded! LOL
Oh, and I guess from the SPEED sequel they didn't wind up forever!
Melissa - I wish this happened easy for me. My dynamics aren't ever that clear cut, I don't think. But thinking about opposing conflicts is helpful I think.
Good links, Hells! I like this one....
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Writing-Fiction-Characters-Viewpoint/dp/0898799279/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258038246&sr=8-1
Orson Scott Card is wonderful.
Yeah, I get the conflict created by stupidity. But to read about it would have me throwing the book at the wall. Men should love romance writers to death for making them better than they sometimes are. :)
LOL! Men are stupid and women are crazy. That definitely simplifies my topic today, doesn't it? LOL!!
I have that one!! That one is also really good. But I always figure by the time I'm flipping through that one, I've already figured out my characters enough to have basic conflict and I'm using this to tweak it up a few notches.
I also like Chris Vogler's for plotting, but that gets bogged a bit with The Hero's Journey (and so it's more epic and actiony sort of plotting rather than the girly character conflict sort of thing)--so it doesn't always feel like it applies to what you're doing. Sometimes though, sometimes it works.
Hell, almost any craft book will tell you something to inspire you again.
I loved Stephen King's On Writing. That should be on every bookshelf too. Only book I've read front to back and would read again.
I like King's On Writing too! :) That is a ogod one.
I haven't read Chris Vogler's plotting book. Maybe I need to check that out.
And Melissa, I agree. But that's why we write fiction. Fantasy. Many a critic of our genre runs into trouble when they assume women can't tell the difference between the fiction we read and the reality of the world around us. When I pick up a book about aliens or dragons, I don't believe those are real either.
Thanks, guys! I know that venturing into the craft book area is very dangerous for me - like Hellie said I'd end up reading about it instead of doing it. I'm a little perfectionistic when it comes to certain things. I can definitely see myself studying to be a writer for the next few years before I even put pen to paper. I'm going to try to go against my nature though and see if I can just skim a little and pick up some pointers.
The flying by the seat of my pants isn't really working for me. I need just a little direction. A fill in the blanks worksheet would work wonders. You know... hero______, heroine______, conflict_______, etc. etc. Maybe 200-300 pages of fill in the blanks should do it, I would think. :)
I think I need a HUGE, possibly external, opposing conflict to get me enthused about writing a story and even thinking I'll have a chance in hell of sticking with it. My current WIP, the ghost story, couldn't be bigger; life and death. Just writing the "what happened" set me on a roll. Possibly the fastest I've ever written anything. But then, I ran into the brick wall once the action of the first few chapters wound down.
The internal conflict was and is the hardest. Figuring out what the characters had wasn't perfect before the "big inciting incident." I don't think I would have written anything if I'd stopped to try and figure it all out though.
All the craft books and plotting is so out of my league.
I'm like Hells, I love the wallflower and the rake. No one will believe this but I am a bit of a wallflower, so when I read about heroines who are a bit on the painfully shy end of things, I can relate. And you can't go wrong with a rake. You just can't.
In my own writing, I tend to do the internal conflict vs the external.
Well, Irish, writing a book is a lot like sex. You can read all the books you like about it and get some really great ideas, but honestly, the only way to figure out what works for you is to just do it already. The first couple times aren't going to be that hot...but then you'll get a rhythm down. You know, one you like. *LOL*
Sin, when you express your introverted side by having wild sex parties, anyone is bound to be skeptical.
Many a critic of our genre runs into trouble when they assume women can’t tell the difference between the fiction we read and the reality of the world around us.
Yes, it's escapism. I really don't want too much reality if it has all the real life conflict that makes be break out in hives. I was watching The Big Bang Theory where Sheldon could not escape the constant bickering of his friends wherever he turned. It built and built into sensory overload until he had a mini breakdown! I can so get those days of just wanting to make all that conflict stop.
The flying by the seat of my pants isn’t really working for me. I need just a little direction. A fill in the blanks worksheet would work wonders.
Irish, I bet you could find something like that. Or maybe something as simple as doing some writing exercises or going off of writing prompts. There's nothing wrong with needing some direction. It's really hard to start cold. Maybe all you need is a head start with an inciting incident and maybe the conflict will fall into place. Maybe not the first time, but several attempts are bound to land something that make you say...what if?...over and over. :)
When I pick up a book about aliens or dragons, I don’t believe those are real either.
How am I goin' ta take over the world if no one believes the fantastical things I write! Damn.
I'm readin' Techniques of the Selling Writer right now, very intricate readin'. Findin' it a bit encouragin'. Which I didn't expect!
Classic conflicts? He likes cats, she likes dogs. Or vice versa.
I'm a simple soul.
Who is bent on takin' over the world! Bwah ha ha!
Love the picture by the way...makes me wonder who's going to turn around first. :)
And congrats to Chance for finishing her WIP!!!
Great post, Marnee. In Bewitching the Highlander, my hero must squash all trouble makers along the borders in order to save his clan. My heroine just happens to belong to the most troublesome lot in his district.
In Cherish Me, (working plot) my hero is hired as a detective but he soon finds out the man paying his meal ticket is the villain and the heroine, well she's more than just a train robber, and when he finds out she rescued his young niece from his employer's brothel all hell breaks loose. (Gosh, I felt like I was writing a sucky pitch line.) :)
My latest ones-my hero is a bond-servant, my heroine is his master's daughter.(This one I'm having a lot of fun with)
And, my hero is a preacher in the Kansas Territory, my heroine's aunt is out for blood when she thinks he's not what he says he is. (This one needs serious work)
Thanks for making me think, Marnee.
Finally made it to the end. And I bet they'll be a couple more comments before I finish this one. LOL!
Home again today. Nor'easter shutting every damn thing down. They even called off school!
I seem to be the odd woman out here. I have the toughest time coming up with opposing conflicts. My muse seems to be of the "Can't we all get along" variety. That said, my current WIP does have the opposing conflict. Finally.
Irish - As a recent convert to the plotters team, I suggest starting with the turning points method. It's very basic but gets you thinking without overwhelming you with a hundred questions. Then all I do is start taking notes by hand. A character list - name, eye color, hair color and then various traits. Quiet or loud, stubborn or maleable, extroverted or introverted. Basic stuff.
If something else comes to mind, write it down. I love it because there are really no rules and no boxes I have to stay in. You'd be surprised how quickly scene ideas start to flood in, and this helps when you hit a block. You look back at your notes and realize there are several things you haven't even brought in yet.
Congrats on finishing (FINALLY!!!) MM!! I'm so proud of you!
Hells: Sin, when you express your introverted side by having wild sex parties, anyone is bound to be skeptical.
Blast the GPS. I knew that wench couldn't keep her mouth shut.
Congratulations, Chance! Yippeee!
As i say at every opportunity, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird is my favorite book about writing. I like Stephen King's On Writing and Annie Dillard's The Writing Life too. But I think the best textbook on the basics of writing fiction is Janet Burroway's Writing Fiction. It's in its seventh edition now, and it has been the most widely used book in creative writing courses for more than 20 years. It has good examples, useful writing prompts, and clear, common sense instruction. For example, Burroway talks about conflct not in isolation but as "conflict, crisis, and resolution." A couple of other things she says about conflict that I try to keep in mind are (1) "Only trouble is interesting" and (2) The struggle must be between two equal powers so that the outcome is in doubt (paraphrased). I think the latter is particularly important in romance since the HEA is nearly always a given.
Still, the most useful thing I found in setting up my conflict in TLWH was the character interviews we did on the old EJ board. The questions the group asked really pushed me into thinking through both sides of the conflict--and answering the questions as my characters helped with pov too.
Hurray for Chance!Such great news!
Ahoy ladies!!!
I can talk about conflict wit ye all day, but the truth o' the matter is...I've come to interrupt your regular scheduled program to tell you about this kewl "pirate thing" on facebook.
I'm on a "pirate fan loop" and they posted this:
"This is perhaps the coolest thing on Facebook. Scroll to the bottom of your page, click "English (U.S.)" and pick "English (Pirate)." It will completely change your outlook on life. Aye, matie!"
You get your emails and everything in "pirate"!
I"ve got it set up on my facebook page if you and the crew wanna check it out before jumping ship so to speak...
Now...back to conflict. ;) I find that when there is no conflict, put your characters in bed. They'll have lots come mornin'!
This is an excellently timed blog, Marn!
And congrats to Chance on finishing!! Woo hoo!
Hellie, LOL! The "I still have sex with you fight" would certainly make for good conflict.
My working plot is a mess right now. I don't have a clear cut conflict. That would be problem #1. Or maybe problem #47. Who knows at this point?
I have to second the Orson Scott Card book on Emotions, Characters and View Point. I know I hawk it a lot, but his chapter on POV is phenomenal.
My favorite professor at school has a saying that's stuck with me: use the how-to books for theory, use favorite authors for application. His theory is to look at how-to books to see what the rules are, and what the theory is, but then examine how your favorite authors (the ones you aspire to write like) actually apply it. That way you're still studying and learning, but learning in a way that inspires you to put it down on the page as well, rather than just getting stuck reading an endless string of how-to books without ever writing anything down.
*taking many bows, throwing kisses...mixin' drinks...
Aye, I found the endin'...now I gets ta dive back in, after a few days break, and edit, edit, edit!
Anyone know 'bout a good craft book on fantasy world buildin'? I be in a bit of a pickle on how much be too much, how little be too little...
It do be nice ta no longer be danglin' in the tangle from the yardarm... ;)
Is there too much in a fantasy world?
Nothing like a LONG nap on a rainy day. Sheesh, did not mean to sleep that long.
Kim - I did that to my facebook pages several months ago and got tired of trying to translate it to English in my head, so switched it back. LOL! But it is a fun way to go.
Aye, the pirate big on FB takes some gettin' used ta! I have it, but sometimes...I'm not sure what I'm readin'! Makes it part a' the fun, I s'pose!
Sin - external versus internal? In what way?
And I think all of us have a little wallflower in us. :)
Hells - LOL! the sex book analogy totally fits. :)
Chance - Of course everyone will believe what you write. How can we not? LOL! And He likes cats, she likes dogs... very simple, but so apt.
Renee - your plots sound great! The servant and the master's daughter... all kinds of drama in there.
Chance - congrats on finishing the WIP! Go you!! You're well on your way to taking over the world.
Bo'sun - I have a hard time coming up with them too. That's why this seemed like such an epiphany for me. My characters don't get along, but getting at the reason why always gives me fits.
Sorry about the Nor'easter. It's just cold and rainy here, makes everything all dreary and miserable.
Marn - Thanks! I do think the basic conflict between cat people and dog people translate inta an entire spectrum of conflicts... And long as there be some animal love involved...
(not that sort a love! Get yer mind outta the gutter!)
(Geez.)
Anyway! Long as there be love fer a companion animal and appreciation fer the same, there be a path ta endin' the conflict and seein' the others side a' things.
Ya know, I actually ain't written 'bout dragons...yet.
And Ter - ya bet it be possible ta have too much world buildin'... Lessen I wants ta go wit' the big movie voice narration 'bout things... Maybe it be more about how much ta present, when and how, without doin' the big voice narrator...
In a world...where everything changed...where the survival of the strong ruled...where...
See? (Ya gots ta hear the nice deep, dramatic tone...)
Janga says: 'The struggle must be between two equal powers so that the outcome is in doubt'
Janga - I really like this. I'd never thought of it this way. Very interesting things to think about.
I know I read Bird by Bird forever ago, but I think maybe I need to pick it up again. I've read about doing questionnaires for them before but I've never done it. Do you have the questions?
Ahoy, Kim! Thanks for the Pirate speak on facebook application. :)
And throwing them in bed causing problems? That's very good advice. LOL!
Hal - I definitely love the idea of modeling yourself after your favorite writers. Not that any of us want to write their books, just that generally we like something about the way they write. I can get on board with that. And reading their books for ideas on how they do it just gives us all another excuse to read some of our favorites. :)
Chance - I personally try to give just as much world building needed to answer questions. Beyond that, I feel it's unnecessary.
Bo'sun - I had a nap this afternoon with my little man. It's just that kinda day.
I'm all about reading books to see how the good ones do the deep POV. Mostly because you can tell me how to do something all day, but if you don't give me examples, I won't get it.
Chance - Yeah, I was thinking of Star Wars and how they didn't seem to pull any punches. LOL! But without the big voice guy to set the stage, I can see where there might be a problem.
Marn - The character interviews Janga mentions were done very loosely on the EJ board. Anyone interesting could fire a question at your character. Could be anything from their favorite color to their relationship with their father. You never knew what the question would be, which made it interesting.
It might be interesting if anyone wanted to do that here. We could fire questions at your hero or heroine all day and you'd just answer as if you were him/her.
Marn, don't you love how everything is a metaphor for sex on this ship? You'd think this crew was underlaid or something. Or this was a website run by a bunch of 15 year old boys.
I resemble one of those remarks.
I *knew* you were a 15 year old boy!
There's that secret I can reveal in my first interview.
Wait! Are ya livin' in yer mum's basement, too?
Ya know, I think the interview blog would be a blast...
dude. firing questions at characters on here sounds like a great idea. That could be a lot of fun *g*
We can do that for blogs if you want...they are a lot of fun and very helpful...and God knows most of us would give up our blogging spots if some of our readers wanted to interview their characters this way...
Want to give it a whirl sometime?
Man, I blog tomorrow and didn't even realize it be Friday, the 13th... Well, I'm not supersticious...
:(
And I can't spell.
Yes, tomorrow is Friday the 13th...live it up, 2nd.
Black cats don't scare me.
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