Tayari Jones on adding conflict to wake up a sleepy story.
When I was in high school, a harsh reprimand was, “Stop instigating!” (Odd diction for kids, but it’s what we used to say.) In a more formal parlance, it meant, stop provoking conflict. While this is a good rule for life, it’s not such a good rule in fiction. In an earlier post about personal problems morphing into writerly problems, one of the commenters shared that her real-life aversion to conflict, spilled out onto the page. Many of us have this same issue, so this post is going to be all about learning to be a proud instigator.
There are plot tics that may indicate a problem.
Try making the plot point—the discovery—the next-to-the-last thing to happen and end with the fall-out of the discovery.
As always, I hand the disucssion off to you. Are YOU good at conflict in writing or in life? What are the techniques that help you face conflict?
@Kimberly I actually had waayy to much drama in a pivotal scene in my latest novel. I acted it out with my friend and decided that there was no way two people could create that much drama. I then toned it down and got it where it's hot, but not blistering.
DRAMA QUEEN here stepping itoo the room. I have noooo probelem whatsoever with drama. In fact, I go way over the top with it (I may then go back and tone it down). Conflict=drama. In my novel, the three main characters are very strong women, though one is on the shy/quiet end. But as part of her growth process, she becomes less and less afraid to speak her mind. Then it's all out with her. It is funny, she did have a scene were she just walked out from confrontation, but it worked for where she was with herself at the time.
I have to laugh at this blog post as it seems to be a case (for me) of: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I was just grumbling at myself that the character interactions are always too lukewarm and how I needed to give the characters more backbone. Glad to read here that my characters following Miss Manners's advice and always using their "indoor voices" is not just me.
Thank you for this. Gives food for thought. Reminds me of my improv classes (raising the stakes, they called it).
@Ariana, you might want to try writing with this prompt. "what she COULDN'T say was......."
I love this blog, Tayari. And it rings so true for me (in life and on the page). I love the acting it out advice.....what fun. Fake fighting. Or maybe real.....
@Honoree, this is not about conflict, but ask yourself, what's in it for him? Why does he stay with this difficult woman. Short-cut answers like "convenience" don't count. Really ask yourself, when she's giving him something he can feel-- what is it?
Oh my gosh - I love this post, Tayari.
This was fabulous advice that I needed. I am writing a story and it's all about the woman, but she's married to this long-suffering man. I need him to do SOMETHING, but I just like him too much and she's rather annoying and I'm afraid if they get into talking it could get bad.:-) I'll try this!
To me, it entirely depends upon the way I'm feeling at the time. When I'm annoyed or angry, then my characters will reflect it. We may all do this to some extent. I think for me personally, I try to balance conflict with more harmonious settings.
@Sasha, try writing all the dialogue you want. Just go for it. Then, pare it back, saving only the most significant lines. That way, you condense the scene but without dousing the conflict.
I sometimes ask myself, "What would break my character's heart?" I think I write a scene where it actually happens.
Great advice. Acting out is a super exercise--and fun.
I still call troublemakers instigators. And this is the advice I just got back from my agent so I'm working on turning up the conflict right now. I think some of us are also so scared of being overly dramatic that we forget to be dramatic. That we forget the differences between fiction that seems real and reality.
Great tips! Of course, in real life people do what is easy; avoid conflict. But in stories, conflict is King (or Queen:) Thanks for sharing this great post!
Great suggestions and perfect timing for me. I recently posted on Literary Fiction Writers about being stuck in a story after realizing that nothing much had happened for five pages. Amping up the conflict is exactly what is needed. Thanks, Tayari!
Good article. I'm pretty weak with conflict--always have to beef it up. Good observations and suggestions in this piece. Thanks!