Conflict

Conflict comes in two types:

Internal

External

We're going to discuss here both...as well as GOALS and MOTIVATIONS which must go along with them.  IF you haven't heard of this:  Check out Dwighty Swain's books and Debra Dixon's books.  Do a search on the net

Let's start easy:

External Conflict:

This is what brings your hero and heroine together.  It's not squabbling.  It's the 'force' that drives your story.

Examples:  Star Wars:  Luke must save the princess, ObiWan must get him there.

Lord of the Rings:  Frodo must destroy the ring and the men have pledged their sword to help him.

A Romance:  The heroine is a firefighter and there is a fire investigator who knows she has witnessed the fire but can't remember what she saw...this FORCES them to work together...

NOte on external conflict..it brings the people together and FORCES them to stay together

For more on this..you now need them to have goals and motivations

Obviously:  Frodo's goal is to destroy the ring  WHY...and here is your motivation..every action MUSt have a motivation...because it's the thing to do

In the firefighter scenario..she wants to remember ...why?  because she must to prove herself innocent of not setting the fire

NOW THE TRICKY ONE:

Internal Conflict

That's what you can't see...you can only FEEL it inside.

It's the emotional side of the story.

Let's do the firefighter one

She FEARS history repeating itself.  Her father was found guilty of arson and she has always known he was innocent and so now here she is in this sitatuion...and the very person who was helping her father is the one who put him away,....so...SHE IS AFRAID TO TRUST THIS MAN....that is your internal conflict....WHY? ;; BECAUSE (motivation) she is afraid of history repeating itself.  SO, her GOAL would be...to prove herself innocent without any help by GUARDING HER HEART FROM THIS MAN

So look at this...ALL of the internal is just that, internal.....it's the secret fear that is going to keep her from saying 'i love you' to this guy or 'i want to be with you' or 'i trust you'.

Now, for the story to work you must have each character with an internal and external goal motivation and conflict.

Then, after you have all of this, you'll see what 'dark moment' the must come to...the internal conflict...they will be at an impasse because of it...and you'll figure out what Must happen to resolve the impasse and make the character grow past her fear.

Look below to see the table I use

I usually write it up like this:

Hero                                    HEROINE

                    EXTERNAL GOAL

                    External Motivation

                    External Conflict

                    Internal Goal

                    Internal Motivation

                    Internal Conflict

                    Dark Moment

                    Resolution

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