by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I usually don’t open forwarded videos (or forwarded emails of any kind) unless it’s something I’ve heard a lot about or something that’s gone especially viral (and I mean viral in a good way.) This video is a fast-paced 1:46.
You’ve probably seen this, actually…it’s hard to avoid the video online or in your email inbox right now.
As a writer, I found it especially entertaining because I feel like that’s practically my whole life right now—throwing conflict, complications, and assorted drama at my unsuspecting characters.
Need drama? This video succinctly sums up many of the ways to do it (of course, the video’s take is random and campy):
Arguments
Health calamities
Accidents
Physical confrontation
Political intrigue
Sex (which can add a slew of different complications to a story)
The element of surprise (pretty much the running theme of the whole video.)
This video doesn’t even cover internal conflict…which adds even more tension and complexity to a story. Does your protagonist have inner demons? Flaws that are holding him back? Personal struggles he’s up against?
Usually adding conflict to your story is key to fixing a slow-paced or boring story. You also need to know what your character wants most and then throw up obstacles to your character receiving it.
Conflict doesn’t have to be a shoot-out resulting in a victim being dragged off by American football players. For the story I’m writing now, I’ve got conflict as minor as a tedious search for a missing suspect at a busy festival. Then I’ve got conflict as major as a physical fight preceding the discovery of the stabbed victim.
Simple tension in the form of worries can also help readers relate to our main character. Worrying is something we all understand. My protagonist in my current WIP is worried about different people who are important to her. Those characters are creating conflict through their own personal problems (some of which play into the mystery I’m writing, some of which are side issues that act as a subplot and provide tension.)
As we all know, worrying eats up hours for most of us—this keeps our protagonist from his goal, too. The key with worries is that the protagonist has to act on his worries. Protagonists don’t just uselessly worry over stuff or they’d be as boring as we are. :) They’ve got to try to effect change. Maybe their butting in also creates tension and conflict. Sometimes we aren’t happy with people who try to fix our problems for us.
Do you use a lot of conflict and tension in your stories? Is your conflict on a smaller scale, larger scale, or both?
Elizabeth – That video is a perfect example of what you mean about sudden conflicts and drama. You’re right that those bits of drama, even if they’re not central to the plot, can add to the tension in a story. And everyone’s got different kinds of drama, so we can be creative about creating it. It can be as simple as an argument with a teenaged child about what “counts” as curfew. Anything that gives the story a little drama without going overboard can keep the reader turning pages.
I have not seen this. Very cool. I would have been one of the people pushing the button–even though I know I shouldn’t.
I’m not sure I do conflict well in my stories, but I’m certainly not a stranger to conflict in life. :)
T
Hi Elizabeth – this is 2nd time I’ve seen it – and my heart has gone into tension mode, even though I knew what was happening .. heaven alone knows what the people in the square felt – it’s a great ‘story line’ .. and your take on it is excellent .. my internal conflict = heart tension!
Cheers Hilary
I had not seen this before, Elizabeth, but it is a great visual for creating conflict. Thanks for sharing it. THis is something I definitely need to work into my novel. These are some really good tips.
Karen
Haha, I must live under a rock, because I had not seen this! Thanks for sharing it–awesome. :)
I like using the inner conflicts and throwing up barriers to my characters’ goals.
Oh, that video is too funny! I hadn’t seen it before. I need to be a little less cautious about conflict. I tend to only insert it if it seems part of the natural flow of the story, but the fact of the matter is, life isn’t like that, so throwing something a little strange in there once in a while should be just fine!
Hi Elizabeth! That is actually the first time I’ve seen that video. I have to wonder if I’d be curious enough to push the button, if I was presented with a button and a sign saying to push the button.
I’ve got both inner and outer conflicts in my story – inner for the female MC, outer for the male MC. It’s fun when they overlap! :)
Oh, how funny! I loved watching the facial expressions of people. TNT had that set up well.
Many think conflict is external. Internal adds a rich layer to the whole story.
Congrats on your book Elizabeth!
~Sia McKye Over Coffee~
Hilary–Ha! I was the same way when I watched it the first couple of times. Starting with the guy falling off the stretcher…even though I knew if it was TNT it was some sort of stunt.
Margot–We all relate to day-to-day minor dramas…life is full of them.
Teresa–I can see you pushing the button!
Alex–And your characters love you for it. ;)
Karen–A little conflict is great for stories!
Hart–Life *is* strange and full of coincidences! It’s funny that some editors think readers won’t accept them in a story…
Susanne–I wouldn’t be that curious…I’d be getting a cup of coffee, sitting down at one of the outdoor tables, and watching the action from a distance. Ha!
Angela–I usually live under a rock too, but this one landed in my inbox. :)
Sia–I think the faces were the best part. :)
And thanks, Sia!
Funny video. Brilliant marketing.
Personally, I’m not so fond of the physical drama with fighting and violence. I enjoy sexual tension and internal conflict, and psychological drama. But anything goes if it’s well written >:)
Cold As Heaven
Thanks for posting this. I thought I had seen everything worth seeing but this was completely worth the time. The music really added to the tension. Every time I thought it was over, something else would happen.
In addition to all the elements you posted about, I’d add “The Outside Observer.” All the people on the street watching this drama unfold are like the minor characters in every detective story. They complete the setting.
Jemi–Exactly! Or when the inner conflict of the protagonist clash with the external conflict in a way that keeps him away from his goal. Tension!
Cold as Heaven–Oh, the marketing…absolutely. Couldn’t have been better thought-out.
Yeah, I’m not the action gal, either. But my husband and I find common ground at the movie theater with “adventure.” Different tastes! :)
Peter–The music was the perfect touch. One of these days, this is an element we’ll be thinking about in regard to our books (ebooks), too.
Outside observer…exactly. My favorite role and one that many writers play in their everyday life.
OMG, believe it or not I had NOT seen that video! The guy rolling out of the ambulance was awesome. And random motorcyclist wearing a bikini and football players coming to the rescue…so funny!
I think I’ve added enough conflict to my story, but by this point, I’m losing perspective. We’ll see what my critique partners have to say :)
THAT IS HILARIOUS! I hadn’t seen it either. What a hoot. Now I have something to strive for in my story. :-D
Julie–That guy on the stretcher already looked like a corpse to me! Must be the mystery writer in me. :)
Elizabeth–Our readers heads would really be spinning if we throw this kind of stuff at them…ha!