Conflict is story. If you have no conflict, you have no story. In my children’s novel, AMAZING GRACE, I began the story with the family receiving a mysterious letter. When the parents revealed the contents of the letter, conflict began for the daughter, Grace. The long-range conflict running from the beginning of the story to the end revolves around Grace’s emotions and coping abilities. She is forced to move away from her home and friends. Even worse, she misses her father and worries that he may never return home.
Short-term conflicts flare up. Grace deals with
a bully, a younger brother who frustrates her, a lost dog, etc. As she resolves
a short-term conflict another rears its ugly head. Conflict is the driving
force that propels the story. Conflict is all about struggle and pain. As
writers we sometimes want to shy away from the troubling situations and keep
our characters safe from harm. Think of conflict as a sense of need. The character
needs something badly, and if s/he doesn’t get it, something even more drastic
will happen.
A story about children happily playing marbles is
bland. A story in which a child walks over, picks up the marbles, and runs away
with them is more likely to grab our attention.
Next week, I’ll continue this series.
Call for submissions for young
writers:
KidSpirit Online is a free teen magazine & website for kids created by and for young people to tackle life’s big questions together. Teens share online writing, poetry, artwork, volunteer opportunities and examine their spiritual development in a non-affiliated and inclusive forum. Join the conversation!
Submission guidelines at http://kidspiritonline.com/help/
Call
for submissions for adult writers:
Short Kid Stories. If any you would
like your work showcased on the site when it is launched, we’d be delighted to
evaluate any children’s author submissions. In return, accepted authors will
have a profile page with bio and links to any other material they wish to
promote. My goal for the site is to deliver significant author exposure to tens
of thousands of unique visitors per month visiting the site from all over the
world.
Submission guidelines at http://www.shortkidstories.com/author-submissions/
This is something beginning writers really need to hear. I've run across some real newbies who thought they had stories when they had nothing but a slice of life, and usually a very boring life.
ReplyDeleteI love your humor and your accuracy.
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