| This topic sheet was originally
devised for the Exciting
Plot Writing course. There is a table of links
to other teaching resources towards the bottom of this page.
|
Conflict is an essential feature of plot. Without it there is
no resolution, indeed nothing to resolve.
Readers lose interest quickly if they feel no sense of anticipation
that something unexpected will happen, or if that sense of anticipation
remains unfulfilled for too long.
Good plots depend on the exercise of friction that might at any
moment result in conflagration.
The friction that is the driving force of good storytelling and
drama is derived from two main sources:
- the conflict between characters and
- the upsets and other changes caused by events.
This topic sheet focuses exclusively on the issue of conflict
between characters.
The essence of conflict is difference. Notice how the unfolding
plot of history is driven by conflicts of all sorts: ethnic, religious,
political, social, etc. Arguably it is the inherent lack of resolution
in this plot that causes thinking people to engage with events
and perhaps to become leaders, priests, activists, etc.
But whereas those who engage directly with the conflicts of the
world are at the mercy of the world, the writer in her/his sphere
is all powerful. The writer may choose to create the world her/his
characters are to inhabit, the characters, the conflicts between
them and the events that shape their lives.
With that power comes the responsibility of engaging and holding
the reader's attention.
In short, the writer must appeal to the reader by deploying strong,
credible characters, but without omitting to test those characters
through conflict.
Conflict in storytelling and drama, as in life, comprises two
major categories which may be considered separately:
- the inconsistencies between the thoughts and actions of a
single person and
- people's behaviour towards one another.
Conflict within a Single Character: "Split Personality"
Since we are incapable of fully understanding the minds of others,
even those who are closest to us, we can only ever hypothesise
about others' values and beliefs. Whereas news reporters revel
in such hypotheses about the rich and famous, with all the sales-inducing
conflict created by their hypotheses, the writer is uniquely placed
to expose unequivocally the minds of her/his characters.
Characters seen in isolation, for example in dramatic monologue,
alone on screen or in a self-exploratory chapter of a book, may
be persuaded to reveal internal conflicts that they would carefully
withhold from public scrutiny in any real-life situation. Such
conflicts include;
- the desire to present oneself as something one is not (e.g.
to cover up a lie, or simply in the hope of commanding greater
respect);
- unwillingness to come to terms with an uncomfortable truth
about oneself (e.g. a serious weakness or a shameful past event)
- allowing one's beliefs to be overcome by one's desires (e.g.
the wealthy christian or the self-proclaimed socialist whose
children attend exclusive schools; think of the seven deadly
sins)
- blaming others for one's own shortcomings
- refusing to give others the credit they deserve for one's
good fortune.
In a sense it is as if the character is two characters with conflicting
personalities. Audiences' enjoyment of internal, split personality
conflicts may be particularly enhanced when the audience is able
to perceive internal conflicts that the characters themselves
do not seem to grasp.
Conflict between Characters
When two or more characters are brought together within a plot,
the potential for conflict is made limitless as their split personalities
come into play with the broader range of conflicts that result
from interaction with others.
Insofar as the essence of conflict is difference and no two individuals
are truly identical, there is conflict to be found in every character
pairing.
However writers must take care to choose conflicts that are sufficiently
sharply drawn to be readily grasped by their audience. For example,
a conflict between two philosophers about the precise nature of
existence is unlikely to make a compelling plot without the addition
of some spicier ingredients.
Having said that, philosophical differences make excellent plot
devices when they are powerful enough to motivate confrontation.
Perhaps the best example of all is religious difference, made
all the more piquant by the fact that the parties in any conflict
usually claim to act in the name of the same God, while often
deploying confrontational tactics that are at variance with their
professed beliefs.
Arguably the popularity of murder mysteries, too, lies only partly
in the conflict that provided the motivation for murder, but mainly
in the philosophical quest for truth: the detective's desire to
reveal the truth stands in open conflict with the murderer's determination
to conceal it.
Another important category of philosophical conflict is the issue
of perception, where one character's self-aggrandising self-perception
is at odds with others' less flattering perceptions. In one sense
this is similar to the earlier point about the audience's perception
of the character being different from the character's self-perception,
but the important difference is that other characters, being within
the story, may challenge the flawed self-perception in a way that
gives rise to open conflict. This challenge might be the spur
to a journey of self-discovery: the crook who finds religion,
the crash victim who learns to walk again in the face of medical
scepticism and self-doubt, and so on.
But perhaps the largest category of all is also the most obvious,
which is striving after material or otherwise tangible goals (such
as power) that are in direct conflict with others' goals: two
men fighting for the love of one woman, townspeople in a stand-off
with conservationists over the routing of a proposed bypass through
ancient woodland, the poker game in which the loser loses everything,
etc, etc
Characterisation
The subject of characterisation is not being addressed directly
in the Exciting Plot Writing course. However, students may wish
to refer to topic sheets from previous courses, as follows. (Topic
sheets will appear in a separate window.)
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