Episode 64: Mastering Narrative Tension: Ways to Add Conflict to Your Story

Today's episode will be in two parts, as always.

In part one, I wanna go over some ways you can add external conflict, and then in part two, we'll go over some ideas for internal conflict.

So before we get to either of them, one of the big questions is why you should consider adding conflict to your story.

So the two biggest reasons to really want to add conflict to your story are, one, it's really great for character development.

I mean, the way your character reacts to situations of conflict is a great way to introduce aspects of your character that they, the reader may not otherwise see.

And the second probably best reason for adding conflict is it's a great way to drive the plot.

I mean, you really don't want, like, the sort of boring, you know, not moving forward, nowhere to go, non-momentum story.

You wanna throw some obstacles at your poor protagonist so they have things to overcome, and of course, conflict is a great way to do that.

So let's get down to it.

Let's start with part one and some ideas for adding external conflict to your story.

First of all, external conflict is the ones in which your main character is battling some kind of outside force, and there are many, many different kinds of external conflict.

I'm just gonna give you a few examples.

So I mean, there's, like, the obvious, like, oh, fighting aliens or fighting Nazis, and of course, both of those are great because how does your character react to fighting Nazis? How does your character react to fighting aliens is also wonderful and a great way to drive the plot.

But many of you are like, "Yeah, but I'm, I'm not exactly writing a war story.

I mean, I'm writing, like, a rom-com or a mystery or romance, and I really don't wanna have to battle aliens for this." No worries.

There are lots of other ways to add external conflict.

Probably the biggest one that most rom-coms do use is to have another character be the battling force, right? The one that your protagonist is up against, and maybe it's that, you know, you've got competition for winning over the girl, or your main character has, you know, competition for this promotion.

Anything like that is a great way to, one, how does your character respond to having competition? And of course, a great way to add comedic, you know, elements to your story as well.

But also, you know, what would they do for this promotion? What are they willing to do? And this is one of those things where character development and driving the plot kind of go hand in hand.

But there are, again, lots of ways to add conflict.

Maybe your conflict isn't with another person, but maybe with society in general.

Like, something about society is just wrong, and your character wants to change it, and this could be anything from, say, having, you know, a government that's tyranny.

I mean, you're thinking, like, maybe 1984 or The Hunger Games, where you actually have a society that is the enemy.

That's what your protagonist is battling, and that is, of course, great for character development and for driving the plot forward.

But it could also even be like, well, I don't know, I don't really wanna write about the government, but what about if you want to write something about, say, racism, and racism is what you are trying to combat.

Today's episode will be in two parts, as always.

In part one, I wanna go over some ways you can add external conflict, and then in part two, we'll go over some ideas for internal conflict.

So before we get to either of them, one of the big questions is why you should consider adding conflict to your story.

So the two biggest reasons to really want to add conflict to your story are, one, it's really great for character development.

I mean, the way your character reacts to situations of conflict is a great way to introduce aspects of your character that they, the reader may not otherwise see.

And the second probably best reason for adding conflict is it's a great way to drive the plot.

I mean, you really don't want, like, the sort of boring, you know, not moving forward, nowhere to go, non-momentum story.

You wanna throw some obstacles at your poor protagonist so they have things to overcome, and of course, conflict is a great way to do that.

So let's get down to it.

Let's start with part one and some ideas for adding external conflict to your story.

First of all, external conflict is the ones in which your main character is battling some kind of outside force, and there are many, many different kinds of external conflict.

I'm just gonna give you a few examples.

So I mean, there's, like, the obvious, like, oh, fighting aliens or fighting Nazis, and of course, both of those are great because how does your character react to fighting Nazis? How does your character react to fighting aliens is also wonderful and a great way to drive the plot.

But many of you are like, "Yeah, but I'm, I'm not exactly writing a war story.

I mean, I'm writing, like, a rom-com or a mystery or romance, and I really don't wanna have to battle aliens for this." No worries.

There are lots of other ways to add external conflict.

Probably the biggest one that most rom-coms do use is to have another character be the battling force, right? The one that your protagonist is up against, and maybe it's that, you know, you've got competition for winning over the girl, or your main character has, you know, competition for this promotion.

Anything like that is a great way to, one, how does your character respond to having competition? And of course, a great way to add comedic, you know, elements to your story as well.

But also, you know, what would they do for this promotion? What are they willing to do? And this is one of those things where character development and driving the plot kind of go hand in hand.

But there are, again, lots of ways to add conflict.

Maybe your conflict isn't with another person, but maybe with society in general.

Like, something about society is just wrong, and your character wants to change it, and this could be anything from, say, having, you know, a government that's tyranny.

I mean, you're thinking, like, maybe 1984 or The Hunger Games, where you actually have a society that is the enemy.

That's what your protagonist is battling, and that is, of course, great for character development and for driving the plot forward.

But it could also even be like, well, I don't know, I don't really wanna write about the government, but what about if you want to write something about, say, racism, and racism is what you are trying to combat.