Conflict is the key to keeping readers interested in a story. Characters act and react in ways they never imagined when their worlds collide in disagreements and problems. Compel your character to take action and expose his/her imperfections throughout the plotline. Here are a few more ways to up the tension with conflict.
-Surprise the reader by taking the story in an unexpected turn of events with new obstacles to confront and overcome.
-Craft an external conflict with another character or with an external force.
-Craft an internal conflict by subjecting the character to uncertainty or a predicament in which s/he doesn’t know how to deal with the problem or expose the character’s fear.
-Vary the intensity of the conflict. All scenes should not be loaded with high drama. As in life, some challenges are greater than others
-The intensity of the conflict should be the greatest at the climax of the story.
-Readers will appreciate your efforts when you allow conflict to drive your story.
Call for submissions for adult writers:
The Flagler Review, the literary journal of Flagler College, is seeking submissions of high-quality poems, short stories, creative nonfiction, screenplays, plays and artwork for our Fall 2012 issue, which may be published in print or online formats. Submissions must be previously unpublished. Submit work as a Microsoft Word attachment; include cover letter with contact and biographical information. Submit to flaglerreview@flagler.edu.
Deadline: AUGUST 15, 2012.
Details at www.theflaglerreview.com.
Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label confilct. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confilct. Show all posts
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Picture Books: Problem Resolution Tales
The plot structure for Problem Resolution stories has a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning introduces the characters, setting and conflict. Most picture books have a third person point of view [he/she said] but first person [I said] also works. Sometimes dialog is used and sometimes authors choose an all narrative telling. Both work. In my book, Trouble in Troublesome Creek, I used dialog to help develop the individual personalities of the characters and to move the plot forward.
Rising action occurs when the character faces conflict. The Troublesome Creek kids found dead fish floating in their swimming hole. Yuck! That was no place for swimming. To make matters worse, no one knew what was killing the fish. By accident, they opened up a cave and decided to explore. Deep inside the cave, they dropped their flashlight and were swallowed by black. When the light worked again, they kids couldn’t remember the route out of the cave. Bats swarmed them. The way to build conflict is to create problems for the character. To keep the conflict high, create more problems. The conflict continues until the story reaches a climax, where the character confronts the problem.
The resolution comes quickly and suggests that the character has changed or solved the problem. The kids found strange rocks in the cave and later identified them as Minnie balls, Civil War lead bullets over 150 years old. The bullets were removed and the water in their swimming hole was safe for fish and swimmers. Problem solved.
This structure is the most popular in picture books.
Contest for young writers:
Gumbo Teen Magazine, a bimonthly print publication with a multicultural focus, accepts inquiries for submission by 13- to 19-year-olds on contemporary social, political and global issues of interest to teens, as well as news highlighting fashion, sports and entertainment.
Details at http://www.mygumbo.com/gumboteenmagazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=46
Call for submissions for adult writers
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
CURRENT NEEDS: "Three general criteria are employed in
evaluating submissions: We look for strong writing, an
original and exciting plot, and professional craftsmanship.
We need hard-boiled stories as well as "cozies.
Details at http://www.themysteryplace.com/eqmm/guidelines/
Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/
Rising action occurs when the character faces conflict. The Troublesome Creek kids found dead fish floating in their swimming hole. Yuck! That was no place for swimming. To make matters worse, no one knew what was killing the fish. By accident, they opened up a cave and decided to explore. Deep inside the cave, they dropped their flashlight and were swallowed by black. When the light worked again, they kids couldn’t remember the route out of the cave. Bats swarmed them. The way to build conflict is to create problems for the character. To keep the conflict high, create more problems. The conflict continues until the story reaches a climax, where the character confronts the problem.
The resolution comes quickly and suggests that the character has changed or solved the problem. The kids found strange rocks in the cave and later identified them as Minnie balls, Civil War lead bullets over 150 years old. The bullets were removed and the water in their swimming hole was safe for fish and swimmers. Problem solved.
This structure is the most popular in picture books.
Contest for young writers:
Gumbo Teen Magazine, a bimonthly print publication with a multicultural focus, accepts inquiries for submission by 13- to 19-year-olds on contemporary social, political and global issues of interest to teens, as well as news highlighting fashion, sports and entertainment.
Details at http://www.mygumbo.com/gumboteenmagazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=46
Call for submissions for adult writers
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
CURRENT NEEDS: "Three general criteria are employed in
evaluating submissions: We look for strong writing, an
original and exciting plot, and professional craftsmanship.
We need hard-boiled stories as well as "cozies.
Details at http://www.themysteryplace.com/eqmm/guidelines/
Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/
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