#creating conflict

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

When in doubt, Soup it out.

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[schemelin]

Palmer and Altairus

[bronzebookwyrm]

I hope this helps other people as it helped me.

CREATING CONFLICT

(how to plot good)

…

so you want to write a story. you have plenty of ideas about the characters, the setting, the way it all changes over time… but you’re at a standstill with the plot. it’s not interesting enough, not enough tension in there, not enough goes wrong.

if you’re anything like me, you’ve run into this problem countless times.

so here’s some tips on how to make an engaging, character-driven plot:

1. ASK THE QUESTION: WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

i’ll admit this is pretty generic advice, but hear me out.

plots needs problems, right? i’ve personally always found making things go wrong hard, and thinking like this helped me start coming up with much more interesting plots.

i started thinking: what’s the worst thing that could possibly happen, according to the main character? what’s the worst possible outcome in their mind, and how does this change over time?

(this establishes stakes, and gives you more of an idea of what matters to them.)

next, do this for a few other characters. this could help establish sub-plots, or just give some of those side characters more depth. and it doesn’t have to be anything huge, either. doesn’t have to be as big as the death of a messenger carrying vital plans for humanity’s survival, or a betrayal by an ally. the worst possible thing in the context of their world and the story could be their crush reading their diary, or getting stuck with their ex on a plane.

the point is, force them into a difficult situation. something largely out of their control, but where they still have choices to make.

2. ONCE ITS GONE WRONG, THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT CHARACTER RESPONSES

different people react differently to the same situation. people will have different ideas on how to solve a problem, and which problems take priority. this creates ample opportunity for conflict between characters, as well as for characters with little in common to form unconventional alliances.

the characters’ reactions to the problem and the choices they make after is the cornerstone of a good, character-driven plot. let them be put in an impossible situation and make choices that change them, or else further root them in their ways. let them make bad decisions, morally questionable decisions, relateable decisions. make those decisions cause more conflict and more problems than they solve, at first.

and, importantly - make them make sense with the characters, in the context of the story. selfish people don’t become selfless overnight, compassionate people don’t condemn thousands without trying everything else and being backed into a corner. there’s another thing - back your character into a corner. make them think they’re backed into a corner - but always give them that choice. many choices, even, if you can and it works. but their personalities and experiences will often make it so that only one choice is really clear in that moment in the story, and that is the hallmark of character-driven stories.

and don’t forget to think about the supporting cast, too - the antagonist should be faced with choices, too, as well as allies of your main character. internal conflict is just as powerful and creates just as much interesting and complex dynamics and tensions between the characters as external conflict.

3. THINK ABOUT YOUR END

(really i’d recommend you always start with your end in mind, but i understand sometimes the beginning and middle may come first to people. which is fine, but i’ve always found it harder to plot like that.)

so now you have a problem, and characters that need to react to that problem. now would be a good time to ask:

how do you want the characters to change throughout the story?

how would you like the story to end?

is there a message you’d like your readers to take away from the story?

(bare in mind you don’t need a message necessarily, not at this stage or at all, if that’s not the kind of writing you want to do. but some people have one in mind and now is certainly a good time to think about it.)

the answer to those questions should help you figure out which choices your characters are going to be making and which corners you’re going to need to back them into in order to get to your end point.

4. MAKE THE CHARACTER QUESTION WHO THEH ARE

this is honestly one of my favourite ways to create conflict in a plot, because it works so well. here’s an example:

pretend you’re writing a story about a young galactic war general, for example, well-respected and honourable but inexperienced in making difficult decisions. say they have a strong moral compass, and the deeply value their integrity and loyalty to their nation.

the best possible way to create conflict here is to back them into a situation where a clear right-or-wrong choice simply isn’t present. challenge their moral compass, and the integrity and loyalty they’ve so firmly made a part of their self-identity. make them question their superior’s choices, question who’s right and who’s not.

and then - and this is completely up to you - decide how they’re going to change from this. will they hold on to their loyalty, and continue to make increasingly questionable choices with less and less consideration of the consequences? lose their compassion and moral sense in the name of duty and responsibility? or will they go against their superiors and defect? do what they believe to right, risking everything?

this clashing of values is extremely effective, i’ve found.

(and if you wanted to be really cruel to your poor character - deceive them. make them make that difficult choice with the wrong information, or with a warped idea of the consequences.)

there should be plenty of characters involved here that want very different things, and have very different ideas about how to get there, creating more and more outside pressure as needed. some of them will have their own difficult choices to make so they can change in the way you want them too, end up in a situation where people switch sides or change their minds and allies become enemies, and vice versa. the important thing is, tho, to make the choices make sense.

(ie. give them a reason for going one way or the other. back to our general example: if they choose to conform and remain loyal, why? what tips the scales?)

i think that’s all i have for right now, but hoped that helped!!

[mysterycitrus]

their relationship is complex and not entirely definable but if u look me in the eyes and tell me that dick grayson isn’t bruce waynes first kid im not gonna take u super seriously. sowwy

[gummi-ships]

[shitpostingkats]

Not to be xehaqus posting on main but the amount of (misplaced) trust Eraqus puts in Xehanort makes me insane. What do you mean he watched his boyfriend murder someone before his eyes and cried alone in his room at night but still thought it alright to let that boy walk away from him and study ancient dark magics? To confront him about it, years later, only to have his face sliced open and still, still, even later welcome him back into his home like nothing's changed? To take a wounded, obviously traumatized kid off his hands and not even consider it might be a red flag? Even when your students approach you and go "hey your old beloved old man partner might be up to something?" the blinding confidence to go "No, that doesn't sound like him :/ " To, even after you are both dead, at vaguely eachother's hand, to reach out beyond death and still believe there's good in him?

Like, one can joke a lot about how Eraqus' bad taste in men is what doomed the narrative to its current path, but also, this is a character who watched someone he loved make bad choice after bad choice after bad choice and always thought he was going to suddenly start making good ones instead. And he did this for sixty years. What if I threw up.

[r0bottob0t]

?

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

Something that’s always missing whenever people talk about Lyanna and the Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy is that these things should always circle back to Jon Snow. He’s our main character here. Rhaegar and Lyanna, as well as the Kingsguard, are all dead. They were dead before this story began. This tiny section of text is meant to give color to Jon — who is alive, and whose story is currently unfolding. The events at the Tower of Joy, told entirely through Ned’s fever dream for a reason, essentially serve as one thing: fantasy protagonist myth building 101. Three wise men, a legendary magical sword, some of the greatest knights of an era, a dying queen lady, the end of an age, a dead prince, a dead king, and then here comes a soon to be completely orphaned prince whose life hangs on the balance and whose survival depends on the compassion of one lord and his wizard friend. GRRM is literally retelling King Arthur’s backstory through Jon. This whole thing is one giant literary allusion to Uther and Igraine and the boy king Arthur, to Lancelot and his Joyous Guard, to Guinevere, and to tragic romances. It reads as an ode to Arthurian fantasy and is meant to backdrop the main protagonist’s fantastical origins. The Kingsguard are there to play into that. Their presence at the Tower, in that moment, was never about Lyanna; not solely, anyway. Their presence is tied to Rhaegar’s last surviving male child, and the language used suggests that they had chosen their king, for better or worse. Any discussion surrounding the Kingsguard’s presence at the Tower that focuses on anyone but Jon completely misses the point imo.

[littlefankingdom]

Tumblr already showed me twice a post where OP implies that Bruce made the choice to not help Jaybin when he was attacked by an angry mob in Legends, so I had to check, and look at that, they were lying.

Context: the general population has been turned against superheroes.

An angry mob does attack Robin, and what is Batman's reaction? To come to the rescue! He even immediately calls him "son", switching to an endearing term to reassure him. However, Batman is hit in the eyes with a bottle of perfume and blinded, as his attention was on his boy. Gordon tries to get him to leave, but he refuses because he can't leave his boy behind, and when Gordon tells him that his men will take care of Robin, Batman is like "I don't trust your men with my son". Batman is forced out of here, he is so pissef, and he is called "arrogant" by the cops there.

This man trusts ONE cop, and it's Jim Gordon, that's it. And people dare to tell me Bruce isn't an acab believer. He grew up in Gotham and his parents were murdered when he was 8, of course he believes in acab. That's why he was so against his son becoming one.

Anyway, later on, Jason is in the hospital (Bruce was right, Gordon's men didn't do shit), and Bruce is pissed at the situation. However, Jason feels guilty and ashamed, and Bruce immediately goes to comfort him, reminding him he isn't at fault for getting beat up, that Bruce is proud of him and that he is a great Robin. And when Jason compares himself to Dick, Bruce stops that too, bringing up that Dick also had less glorious moments like this. And again, Bruce switches to "son" and "Jay", which convey affection in the goal of comforting his boy.

In the end, Bruce leaves his son safe at the hospital, resolved to not obey the president and get to the bottom of this. Later, Jason decides he cannot stay there and must help, even if it kills him. And people dare say that he wasn't reckless.

Anyway, the other thing about this, apart from Bruce didn't walk away WILLINGLY from Jason being attacked by an angry mob, is that as awful this is, the writers never intended this to be a traumatic experience for Jason. Of course, it would be normally, but it's just a plot point here to get Robin away from Batman while he works with the other heroes. Damn, there isn't even a follow-up to Jason leaving the hospital, he doesn't show up in the next issues to help.

Sometimes, especially with older stories, comics' events don't matter as much as you think they do. If you want to re-imagine them as impacting for the characters, that's your choice, but let's not act as if they were intended to be. Because I saw that moment being used as a comparison to Under The Red Hood, to be like "see Bruce keeps abandoning Jason", and like, calm down with the shortcuts. Because you are making that up, on your own, with what was given to you by different writers over the decades that didn't communicate with each others or agree on the characters.

[aro-in-danyl]

Alastor as a "Gift from God" AU

Inspired by the TV Show Lucifer. I could not get this idea out of my head so into the tumblr void it goes.

Edit: PART 2 up now.

----------------------

Sera could count on one hand the number of times the Almighty personally called for her. And every single one before was the precursor to some disaster or threat.

She was confused when she was beckoned past the throne room, away from the meeting rooms, and into the Almighty's workshop. There was no dust or cobwebs for God would not allow it, but it was known among the higher-ups that The Almighty had not had the motivation for creation in eons.

"The screams of the damned awoke me today," God's many hands reached out from their ineffable form to grasp jars and potions of dubious origins.

Sera stiffened. "I thought you could not see into Lucifer's domain."

She had not dared to think she could hide the First Extermination from The Almighty's gaze but she'd hoped she have more time.

"Never before today have souls perished a second time." God collected more vials and instruments that Sera could not for the life of her understand the purpose of.

"Such fear," and they sounded sad, "over the birth of one child."

The Anti-Christ, Lucifer's daughter was more than just a simple baby. Her parents had hidden her for decades, but the change in their attitude was noticeable even before her existence was made known to heaven. Lucifer again grew bolder and more fanatical with his ideas and Lilith-

If they'd only known sooner.

Silence passed as God worked. Sera kept her head bowed so she could not see what was being created. But they did not demand she stop the exterminations, and that was enough for her to finally raise her head and peak at The Almighty's first creation in centuries.

A soul. Or what would become one soon enough.

Her curiosity finally broke through. "You have not crafted a soul by hand since-" She cut herself off. No need to push her luck.

"This soul is a gift." They said. And they began to spin the soul threads together, "They will be an equal. Unchanging. Dynamic. Static. Chaotic." With every word a new thread merged with the steadily-brightening soul.

"A defender. An assailant...An Avenger."

With the final word of God, the soul was finished. But, barring the confusion of all those conflicting traits, Sera was caught up on the first sentence of this new soul's purpose.

"A gift to who?"

God did not answer. But that left her with another more pressing question.

"The creation of a new soul is a breath-taking experience to witness," she began carefully, "But why have you called me here?"

In answer, God reached behind themselves to a corner that Sera had not paid attention to and pulled out the tip of a spear. One from Adam's exorcists.

She tensed as God held it up to the fragile new soul. Angelic steel was crafted solely to bring death to the damned. To souls. Was this her punishment? To bear witness to the creation of life, of potential goodness, only to watch it be snuffed out before it even had a chance?

God pressed the spear to the soul, "Your Exorcists should take heed," the spear stabbed into the soul and Sera couldn't help but cry out in despair. But the soul did not whither or fade. She watched as the spear tip was catapulted away at lightning speed, burying itself in the wall across from them.

"And avoid his attention."

[itsnotacostume]

while i was waiting for my sleeping pills to kick in, i apparently had a Thought™.

anyway i found it this morning and now i can't stop thinking about this. just, They + animal crossing shenanigans...

(please feel free to add your own thoughts/headcanons about this, please i will eat it UP)

[pinktwinkiezoppo]

Oh yeah one of my favorite ship tropes is "Guy whos in love with his best friend but his best friend is a superhero"

[blackkatdraws]

My two Narrators (Grey and Black) listening to music together :3

Look at them vibing!

Unrelated siblings forever ♡

[wonderarium]

ive done it. ive finally started watching the x-files.

[doortotomorrow]

james cole - divine move

[vaguelyaperson]

as much as i understand shigaraki's death, narratively speaking, i'm also so goddamn tired of society needing martyrs.

what made me fall in love with shigaraki is that he's an excellent villain. all his character development built towards him becoming a more competent, driven, effective villain. he became an incredible symbol of fear just as deku became an incredible symbol of peace. this is who he was, in entirety. there is nothing else shigaraki could be.

when shigaraki told izuku, in his final moments, to pass on the message to spinner that "shigaraki fought to destroy until the very end," it really emphasized how it would have dishonored him to be vegeta'd, as it were.

shigaraki made it his mission to tear down hero society. this was his noble mission. this is what made him a hero to the league of villains. because he saw the systemic evils, he saw the evils that hurt his friends, and sought to destroy it all.

there's something to be said about trying to change someone who doesn't want to change, but for shigaraki, it was more than just trying to rehabilitate him from mass murdering. because to him, and the league of villains, what he was doing WAS the right thing. to tell shigaraki not to destroy would be akin to telling deku not to save. "you may not understand, but that's what makes me the villain."

there was a binary choice here: either he'd be left free to complete his mission and destroy everything, or he'd be stopped, permanently.

Izuku, by reaching tenko's heart, but ultimately stopping shigaraki, was choosing the only third option he had: declaring that he would not let all of society be destroyed, but not without promising that he'd do everything he can to reform it here on out.

shigaraki destroys. deku saves.

that's it. that's the bnha narrative in its most basic foundation. horikoshi did not fail to tell that story.

I think what ultimately fucking sucks about this ending is that it's too realistic. society often DOES need a martyr - or often martyrs - to realize that they fucked up, that they let an evil persist too long. they need a shocking enough tragedy to point to and swear they'll never let it happen again. society needs to be rocked to its very core before people can be motivated to get their heads out of their asses and work together towards reforms.

and that in itself is an evil, that people can't see how much harm they're causing or condoning without some horrific tragedy.

i think we're all mad at horikoshi for failing to follow through on the story because we didn't WANT the realistic ending. we wanted the hopeful one. the against all odds one. we didn't want another story about society using the image of martyrs to get its shit together. because we already know that story. and we're so so so tired of it.

especially when we know it only leads to a temporary peace.

because people forget. they put in enough reforms to feel good, and then get comfortable and ignorant again. when does that cycle end? when can we finally notice the evil in time to PREVENT it? so that everyone, 'heroes and villains,' get a happy ending?

I think our anger with the bnha ending is good. we want different - not just in fiction, but in real life. we're willing to hope for different. we should hold onto hope and fight for different.