Ever wondered what, about the books you read, pushes you to keep on reading?
Is it merely down to interesting characters? Or is there a more subtle science at play?
The answer? You guessed it: conflict!
Conflict is the fuel of every story. It is what keeps readers enthralled.
In literary terms, conflict can be defined as a moment of tension or a challenge which your protagonist is subjected to.
There are two types of conflict, which are external conflict and internal conflict.
External conflict is essentially anything happening in the world the story is set in which causes the protagonist of your story to feel distressed, depressed, grieved etc.
Examples of external conflict include: a civil war which has broken out, a riot which your character finds himself in. Or it could be something less global, like a violent argument between people, a car accident etc.
Conversely, internal conflict is the ‘chaos happening within the protagonist’.
Typically, this inner chaos is rooted in a misbelief which the character has about himself or the world he belongs in.
Spelling it out, internal conflict could be an insecurity, an internalised type of anger, a depressing thought etc. Whatever the reason, the internal conflict should be strong enough to make your character think or act erratically.
As you can gather, the examples which one could give about both external and internal conflict are endless. So, it is left to your imagination.
However, it is noteworthy to state that, in order for conflict to enthral your readers, you should make sure to maintain the presence of conflict alive in every chapter.
Whether in small or high degree, conflict should be ever-present in your story. Otherwise you run the risk of boring the reader. And, let’s be honest, no one wants to read a ‘well-behaved’ story. WE WANT CONFLICT!