"Brings alive almost every tough issue a writer
of fiction must confront . . . friendly and fun to read."— Albert
Zuckerman, founder of Writers House literary agency
The following is an excerpt from Page-Turner.
WHAT
COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?
by Barbara Kyle
I once heard an interview with bestselling
author John LeCarré in which he spoke about the necessity of conflict in a
novel. He said, “The cat sat on the mat—that's not a story. But, the cat sat on
the dog’s mat—that's the beginning of a story."
All stories spring from conflict. A
character who has no problems, no obstacles to overcome, is a boring character,
and they are living in a non-story. So, as a writer, you want to make choices
about plot that highlight the conflict between your story’s protagonist and
antagonist. These counterbalanced characters are at the heart of all compelling
fiction.
Science fiction author Nancy Kress puts the
concept succinctly: "Fiction is about stuff that's screwed up."
Emotional
Bonds
Why do we, as readers, love to see
characters thrown into crisis, forced to grapple with problems. I don't think
it's because we're sadists. Rather, it's because we want to experience the
emotional bond with a character who faces a dilemma. We get that intense
feeling: What would I do in that situation? It’s one of the reasons we read
stories.
Yet new writers often shy away from
depicting their characters’ conflict. This only undermines the power of their
stories. Instead, I advise you to embrace all the richness that conflict gifts
you as a writer.
My
Mantra
When I'm planning a book, scene by scene, I
focus on what the characters do to try to get what they want and how the
results of their actions increase the conflict. I do this so constantly, it's
become a kind of comic mantra: "What could possibly go wrong?" I
slyly mutter.
But I’m dead serious. And I recommend that
you ask yourself the same question, very soberly, about every step of the story
you're developing: "What could possibly go wrong?" Then, make that
happen.
Remember, nothing moves forward in a story
except through conflict.
Revelations
Even more important, conflict under
pressure is the only way that characters truly reveal themselves.
Here’s a guiding principle: The compelling novel is built on situations that put increasing
pressures on characters, forcing them to face more and more difficult
challenges, so that they must make increasingly risky choices, leading them to
take actions that eventually reveal their true natures.
Three
Tips about Conflict
Tip #1. Conflict does not mean combat.
Don’t be intimidated by the word conflict.
Conflict isn't about fighting. It just means “problems.” What problems does
your protagonist—your main character—face in trying to achieve his or her goal?
Tip #2. Escalate the conflict gradually.
To be believable, characters in a story,
just like people in real life, will naturally start by taking the most
conservative action to get what they want. If they don’t—if they instantly leap
into taking extreme action—they’ll come across as unrealistic, maybe even a
little crazy, and you’ll lose your reader.
Therefore, the long middle section of your
book will be composed of a series of events that spring from conflict that
escalates gradually. That is, events
force the main character to make choices in an ever-escalating succession of
risks to try to achieve their desire.
Tip #3. Your protagonist can be in conflict
on three possible levels.
1. Internal: conflict with oneself.
2. External Level 1: conflict in
interpersonal relationships such as with family, friends, colleagues.
3. External Level 2: extra-personal
conflict with the larger community in the form of institutions, such as the
government, the church, the school system, the army—institutions that have
power.
The most compelling stories, the stories
that move us most deeply and stay with us forever, often involve conflict on
all three levels: personal, interpersonal, and extra-personal. That’s partly
what creates the enduring power of books like David Copperfield, Frankenstein,
A Passage to India, Heart of Darkness, The Age of Innocence, The
Grapes of Wrath, Gone With the Wind,
and To Kill a Mockingbird.
In contrast with those potent stories, it's
instructive to examine the form of "soap opera." The term is often
used as a pejorative. Why? After all, soap operas are highly engrossing stories
that are loved by millions of viewers. I think the reason we sense weakness in
the soap opera form is that it shows us conflict on only one level: the
interpersonal. It does that with great panache; it's soap opera's tremendous
pull, because interpersonal relationships are so engaging.
But it’s also incomplete. Characters in a
soap opera hardly ever face internal conflict; there’s rarely a crisis of
conscience. And they never do battle with the larger community. For example, if
a cop enters a storyline in a soap, you can be sure he’ll soon be caught up in
the highly personal concerns of other characters; the story will not be about corruption in the police
department. So, there's virtually no conflict with the self, nor with society.
It’s all one level—momentarily highly engrossing, but ultimately unsatisfying.
Not every story can involve conflict on all
these levels, but if you can bring all three into your story, I recommend it.
The important point is this: never shy away
from catching your characters up in the swirling currents of conflict. It will
prove their mettle, and make them reveal their true selves. That's what
enthralls readers, and leaves them saying, “I couldn’t put it down!”
In other words, you’ll have created a page-turner.
Barbara Kyle
# # #
About the Author
Barbara Kyle is the author of the acclaimed
Thornleigh Saga series of historical novels, and of award-wining
thrillers, with sales of over half a million books. She has taught
writers at the University of Toronto, and is a popular presenter at
international writers’ conferences. As a story coach, she has launched many
writers on the path toward published success. Find out more at Barbara's website
