The Importance of Conflict in Fiction
how to create tension and keep your readers engaged
Conflict is one of the most important elements in fiction because it creates tension and keeps readers engaged. Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces and is necessary for a story to have drama, suspense, and interest. Without conflict, a story can be dull and unengaging.
Here are some tips on how to create conflict in your fiction:
Determine the type of conflict: There are different types of conflict such as man vs. man, man vs. self, man vs. nature, and man vs. society. You need to decide what type of conflict you want to create in your story. In ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ the conflict is between Billy & Merry (man -v man).
Create believable characters: Your characters should have flaws, desires, and goals that are in conflict with each other. This will create tension and conflict between them. The character of Billy in MSH wants to be his own man but Merry wants Billy to work for him – this creates the initial tension between them before things escalate.
Use obstacles: Give your characters obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goals. These obstacles can be external or internal.
Use dialogue: Dialogue is a great way to create conflict between characters. Have your characters argue or disagree with each other. This will create tension and keep readers engaged. This happened a lot in MSH!
Increase the stakes: Make the consequences of failure high for your characters. This will increase the tension and keep readers invested in the story.
Use pacing: Vary the pacing of your story to create tension. Use short, snappy sentences to create a sense of urgency during action scenes, and longer, more descriptive sentences to slow things down during quieter moments.
In conclusion, conflict is essential to creating a compelling story. By creating believable characters, using obstacles, dialogue, increasing the stakes, and pacing your story effectively, you can create tension and keep your readers engaged.