Comments on: Are You Making This Conflict Mistake?

By: Cynthia Ziegelman

Cynthia Ziegelman — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 17:22:23 +0000

Loved your article and would love to check out your Fiction Academy but your links to your sight aren't secure. LMK when you find a solution to that. I'd love to pick your brain!

By: 🖋 Writing Links Round Up 6/24 – B. Shaun Smith

🖋 Writing Links Round Up 6/24 – B. Shaun Smith — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 19:32:12 +0000

[…] Are You Making This Conflict Mistake? […]

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:04:52 +0000

In reply to Kathryn. Thanks! You got it :) Causality is a great way to look at it, too. The protagonist causes the plot to happen through their actions and choices. Grats on the revision! That's awesome :)

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 19:33:30 +0000

Excellent post, Janice! :) This is an issue that I struggled with for many years. My attempts at plotting largely felt like filler that happened to or around my characters but ultimately didn't mean anything in the greater scheme of the story. What finally helped me get a handle on it was the idea of causality - the obstacles encountered and choices made in Act 1 affect how those in Act 2 play out, which affects those in Act 3, etc. That everything happens to, or because of, the characters affects subsequent events, either plot-wise or character development-wise (preferably both, of course!). Plotting is still my weakness (I'm all about the characters) but thankfully I no longer let that stop me from writing. Just last month I finished revisions on my 90k novel, which is something I never thought I'd be able to accomplish!

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 14:11:30 +0000

In reply to Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt. Maass has a lot of good info on writing :) Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi's Conflict Thesaurus is another good one. The options are endless when you really get into your character and story and learn more about both.

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:16:39 +0000

In reply to denise. You're most welcome :)

By: denise

denise — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 01:48:51 +0000

This is such a valuable post. Thank you.

By: Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt

Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:04:38 +0000

I find Donald Maass' The Fire in Fiction a wonderfully convenient way to create tension and conflict. He details 14 different situations, points out where the conflict comes from, and gives examples. I use them as a template/checklist to write every scene - don't have space for many obstacles because it gives me so many ideas of places for conflict I might have missed.

It's amazing how many details you can turn into something even better and more interesting for the reader. Much of it comes from exploring the inner conflict in the pov character caused by the many implications of the circumstances - because I stopped to think.

The chapters about other craft basics are also solid and full of ideas. Many levels up from beginner.

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 19:07:21 +0000

In reply to Kris. You are most welcome :) I hope it leads to wonderful and fun plots for you.

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 19:06:43 +0000

In reply to Eldred Bird. Thanks! I agree :) You sum it up perfectly!