We love to hate them, but really, what good is a story without a villain and major obstacles for our hero to run afoul of?
If you think about it, most of the best stories have dual conflicts. First, there’s the internal conflict, which usually stems from a past wound that is somehow hampering our protagonist when we first meet them. And there’s the external conflict—the people, places, and things that seem to go out of their way to drive our heroes off course. But in the end, it’s those conflicts that draw out the best (and worst) characteristics of our protagonists so that they can grow into the individuals they ultimately need to become.
For better, or for worse.
In How to Grow a Novel, Sol Stein writes that “the engine of fiction is somebody wanting something and going to get it” while being hampered by a series of events, physical obstacles, or other individuals. Without that conflict, Stein says, all you have is a broken-down car sitting up on blocks.
For example, without Captain Hook, Peter Pan would have just been a contrary child who threw temper tantrums because he didn’t get his way. We certainly never would have viewed him as a hero by any stretch of the imagination.
Without the ring, the Fellowship never would have formed, and each member would have missed out on life-changing experiences that would go on to impact Middle Earth long after the fall of Mordor. (Though to be fair, Boromir might have had a longer life.)
It’s time for some conflict resolution in your writing!
It’s easy to say we want to be a writer. It’s easy to dream of having multiple books published and earning awards for our stories. But if we want any of that to happen, we have to take action! Like our characters, we too will have conflicts to resolve and antagonists to face before we reach our goals.
And just as we have to dig into our story worlds and characters to better define and understand the stakes for our protagonists and how they should best proceed, we need to take the time to do so for ourselves.
What are some of the obstacles you’re facing this week when it comes to actively sitting down to write?
What is something you can do today to help you move past it?
Is there anyone who can help keep you accountable or who can encourage you along the way? How will you reach out for help?
Remember: perseverance is the “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.” It’s action, a practice, a resolve.
Published or not, you are a writer. Continue to write boldly and with courage, my friend!
Jen
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay