Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Conflict and Change #MFRWriter

Interesting how sometimes what you're reading fits together. Yesterday I wrote about how your characters have to be changed by the end of the story. Then reading more of Techniques Of The Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain, the segment was on conflict and how that led to change.

Every character should face two kinds of conflict. Inner conflict belongs to his nature and his emotions. Outer conflict comes from the world around him or her and also involves emotion. If a character can't feel anything there is no reason for them to be part of a story.

All stories focus on some kind of change. But change isn't enough to make a story come alive. The focus character and other characters as well need to come to a different place in their lives. Without conflict in his or her life, there can be no change. A character being pulled in more than one direction be an internal struggle or being battered by events outside himself is more interesting that a character whose life goes smoothly.

External events have meaning and touch on a character's emotions. No matter what he or she sees in the external world can show a side of the character you want to reveal. A rainstorm, seeing an elderly couple holding hands, a magnificent castle. Any of these can show and reveal a character's emotions and nature.

Relating what each moment of a story reflects on a character makes the story stronger. So delve into the conflicts and use both inner and outer events to show your character.