An Easy Way to Create Conflict in Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Conflict is vital to a novel, but that doesn't mean it has to be a fight.

A common misconception with conflict is that is has to be antagonistic. Characters should fight, argue, and plot against each other in the worst ways, but this is just one of the many ways in which you can create trouble in your novel.

It's also one of the least interesting, because with most antagonistic fights, there's one right side and one wrong side. Usually, the protagonist is on the right side, so all we're really doing is writing an argument readers already agree with—which might work for reality TV, but it's not as much fun in a novel.

Friendly disagreements can also create conflict, especially between people who love each other dearly.
The disagreement you have with your spouse affects you much more strongly than the one you have with a co-worker you barely know. Having characters disagree on what to do or how to behave offers layers of both external plot conflict and internal emotional conflict.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com