Conflict… not something we want to deal with in our daily lives, but it’s there, slithering along like a snake waiting to attack us when we least expect it. Is the conflict in our lives as intricate as that which the characters in a novel experience? Probably even more so, although we don’t spell it out and condense it to two or three hundred pages. We live it day to day and hope that we will overcome whatever the “giant” in our lives is. More often than not, childhood dramas follow us, sneaking into relationships, haunting us at every intersection, and driving us to strive harder to resolve the inner conflicts we struggle with.
What does this reality have to do with writing a novel? Ah… the plot must thicken, the blood must curl, and every novel must have a deeply seeded conflict within its pages in order to succeed.
When I delvelop a plot, I usually have a major form of contention in mind, which I hope will intrigue my readers. Yet, this conflict must revolve around many minor conflicts as it moves along in the story. The major conflict isn’t always addressed directly throughout the storyline, but it lies in wait, ready to spring to the forefront at the slightest twist of my pen. Many minor conflicts present themselves at just the right moment to pull the reader more deeply into the storyline and help readers emotionally connect to the characters.
Do the minor conflicts always support the major conflict? Yes and no… most minor conflicts occur and are resolved within a chapter or two, although more often than not this minor skirmish only enhances the underlying conflict that draws the reader more deeply into the story. Most minor conflicts hold a clue or a foreshadowing of what is to come. They keep the reader guessing, “Do you think that…” or “I wonder if…” . You know you’ve written a good story when your readers are asking themselves if they’ve really figured out the plot or the ending. And adding a “little twist” to keep the readers on their toes is always a nice touch.
Remember, don’t make the conflict too obvious or easy to solve. Most readers want that intrigue or suspense that keeps them guessing. They want to peel away the layers within the story, search for clues that they think will help them resolve the conflict, or try to determine how the characters will react when that “climatic moment” finally arrives.
Some readers ask if the conflict has to be resolved within the novel, or should it be carried on within a sequel. For me, I want the major conflict to be resolved to satisfaction. Then if a sequel follows, it should have its own special conflict, even though that original snake may at some point raise its head to strike and remind the reader of conflicts in the past.