This week: Conflict is King Edited by: Kit  
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What is your favourite type of conflict to write? Conflict is at the heart of drama stories. How will you build it, and resolve it?
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about building that tension.
Kit |
Conflict is at the heart of drama stories. Whilst I love a good cosy story in which nothing much goes wrong ā yay for those becoming more popular now ā every great drama story revolves around conflict. Without conflict, thereās no tension, there are no stakes, thereās no emotional journey. Itās what drives the characters and shapes the entire plot.
Many drama stories are based on conflict between people, but it can also be internal (the character versus the self), or our hero or heroine can find themselves in a struggle against their society, or trying to survive natureās brutality. Indeed, for a well-rounded story youāll probably want at least two of these types of conflict ā the internal and the external.
Some classic conflict types are, then:
The internal struggle: this can be with doubt, or fear, or the characterās trying to overcome their own worst urges. Itās an interesting type of conflict because it gives the reader a deep insight into the hero/heroine. One novel that will always stick with me is Gerald's Game by Stephen King ā a couple in a secluded lake house have a bit of an adventurous night. The husband dies, leaving the woman handcuffed to the bed, alone with his body and no means of escape. What follows is a psychological thriller as the woman tries to cope with her past, her present and her future.
Character versus character ā the hero and the villain, conflict between partners, or within families, and between friends. We love people and get hurt by people. Just because we fall in love, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Itās the type of conflict that is suitable for pretty much any genre, but at its nature it adds that dramatic touch to a story. Conflict between people can drive them into the very depths of despair ā and pretty much everyone can relate to it.
Everyone is a part of some kind of society, be it fictional or real. And some people fit into their society more than others. Societies can change, too, over the years. You can have grown up somewhere quite happily and suddenly find yourself no longer at home in it. A look at history shows many examples of societies that have become problematic. But even regular societies tend to be formed to suit the norm, and because of this they all have their outcasts, even though it's not those people's fault.
My husband loves survival stories about men and women who found themselves at odds with nature. He and I both love nature and spend as much time in it as we possibly can, but itās a fact that actually surviving in the wild is far from easy. Those who leave behind the comforts of their home and set out to climb mountains, or explore caves, or spend time in the jungle or frozen wilderness, for example, can see it go wrong in the blink of an eye, no matter how prepared they are.
A perhaps less-explored type of conflict is that between a character and their fate, or God. This can be someone having a crisis of faith or, when writing a fictional piece set in a different type of world, can be very literal ā a battle between a hero or heroine and a divine being, or the universe working directly against the character.
Whatever type of conflict you choose, it is generally a good idea to introduce the central conflict as early as possible to engage the audience right away. Or, to give the reader a hint of what is to come. We all know that in a romance novel it is likely that the two main characters meet, fall in love, face some kind of problem thatās going to cause them to part ways, only for them to reunite at the end and hopefully have a happily ever after. Even in this standard set-up there are some hints at, exactly, what will cause trouble at some point ā a secret, a family issue, a part of someoneās history. Itās even more important to drop a little hint or two when youāre going in a more complicated direction ā what is it about your character that will eventually see them in conflict with someone, or something?
It is likely that, from there, the tension will build. The stakes will get higher, and just as the reader becomes more involved in the story and its characters, so will the characters themselves struggle, eventually leading to a climax.
This is an important part of a characterās growth. As readers, we donāt want to see a character remain the exact same throughout ā we want them to experience, to learn, to grow, to evolve, just as we human beings learn from the situations we find ourselves in, and evolve throughout our lifetime. Through conflict, characters reveal who they really are and what they are capable of.
The typical structure of a conflict is, then: the introduction of the conflict, the intensifying of the conflict (often resulting in some point of no return), and the resolution, where the conflict reaches its peak and is either resolved or leads to tragedy. Of course, what classes as āresolvedā can vary ā someone finally confronting their abuser and deciding to leave rather than fall back into old patterns is a positive way to resolve character vs. character conflict.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter, every great drama story has conflict at its very heart. Conflict doesnāt just drive the plot; it can reveal the deepest truths about your characters. It can be interesting to explore the different types of conflict in your writing. It can be subtle, and it can be powerful. It can make or break a person, and make or break societies.
Writing drama isnāt easy, but it can be deeply rewarding. I wish you all the best resolving your conflicts,
Kit
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I invite you to invite someone to write with you. Let's be poetry pals!
#2302288 by Kit |
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Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Drama Newsletter Team |
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Drama: September 17, 2025 Issue [#13349]
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