Conflict Makes the Story
By: Renee Kirchner
Conflict is necessary to every story. Why without conflict, there is no story. Would the Three Little Pigs be exciting if the wolf didn’t huff and puff and blow their houses down? How would children enjoy reading Cinderella if she met her handsome prince and married him without any struggle or drama? Ho, hum. No conflict, no story.
How can a writer put conflict into their stories? First, let’s talk about the various types of conflict. External conflict is a struggle between a character and some outside force. An example of this is the three little pigs and the wolf. Another type of external conflict could be weather related such as the dust storms in the novel Out of the Dust. Internal conflict is a struggle within the character’s own mind. In The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter is faced with the internal struggle of whether to do right or wrong. Other characters in literature face problems such as lack of self-confidence or anger over their parents’ divorce.
Books for younger children, such as picture books or easy readers may only have one type of conflict, usually external. However, middle grade books or young adult books normally contain both internal and external conflict. The important point to remember when creating conflict is that your character must overcome obstacles and the tension must increase throughout the story. Also, you cannot resolve the conflict before the end of the story.
Keep these pointers in mind next time you write a story. If you create the right amount of conflict, readers will keep turning the page. Good luck.
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