Oh the conflict!

Helllloooooo, dear readers! We're back. Well, I (Erynn) am. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year. Between the two of us, we traveled 1,500 miles, battled morning sickness, laryngitis, and double pneumonia, probably ate two dozen cookies (if by two you realize I mean six), and packed and unpacked an entire house.
But we're back. And we're going to put our Decisions, Decisions series on hold until we're both back up and around and more unpacked.

So, today I'm going to drop a couple pointers on conflict. The first is simple.

HAVE IT. Every story needs conflict. In fact, every scene needs it. Even in picture books, the bunny wants the carrot in the angry farmer's field, or the child's doll has a broken arm. In every story, someone has to want something they can't have (or at least they think they can't). Give your characters obstacles. Be it an antagonist, their own personal/emotional issues, or nature itself. Heck, why not all three? Nothing is more boring than a conflict-less story. No one wants to read a book about a bunch of happy people that never argue and who never have anything bad happen to them. Snooooore.

The second pointer is  . . . MAKE IT WORSE. This is especially true for suspense writers, but a good tip for all writers. Make sure the problems you throw at your characters aren't all just silly and superficial. You see this sometimes in romance novels where you're thinking, "Oh come on! Just have a conversation, and this would all be over!" The romantic dithering.
At several points along the way, especially near the climax of your story, you should ask yourself, what's the worst thing that could happen to my character right now? Then make that happen. Then . . . do it again. Keep making it worse until it feels like there's no way out. Then find a way out.

Ronie Kendig is the queen of this. Her books are all, "Oh no, I'm surrounded by venomous snakes in a cave that's running out of oxygen. And I'm severely claustrophobic. Wait! I hear someone coming. I'm saved! No! It's the Taliban. I have to find a way to escape them. Maybe if I . . . AVALANCHE!!!" She never gives the reader a chance to breathe before the next crisis. And that's what you want.
When you lose conflict, you give the reader a chance to put your book down and walk away. Your goal should be to keep 'em up all night. And how do you do that . . . ?

CONFLICT. 

Now go forth and make it worse!

Casting Your Characters--And Avoiding Emoticons

Everybody wants something. Why do YOU want to write, for example?

Maybe you want to write a book for the story’s sake. A vociferous, misunderstood character started vying for your mental attention and enthralled you with his antics. He gets under your skin in all the right ways, and he’s an entertaining guy. You don’t want the world to miss out.

Maybe you like to challenge people. You’re on a metaphorical soapbox, and—rather than flat out preaching at the masses—allegory would be a better, wiser venue for your message. It’s time people question the status quo. Or act on their convictions. Your story will call them on that.

Or maybe you want to be rich and famous. You fancy yourself the next J.K. Rowling or Frank Peretti. (NOTE: If this is your motivation, you’re in the wrong field. There’s an easier road you should travel, somewhere.)

I know there are scads of other reasons people write. But the point is: something drives you.

Something’s got to drive your characters, too. 

And I don’t mean only your main characters.  Would you want to watch a play—no matter the genre—where only the protagonist and the antagonist were played by humans? Everyone else was a cardboard cutout?

(NOTE: Even though there are no other humans pictured below, I am NOT saying The Doctor interacts with a bunch of emoticons-on-sticks. Far from it. I simply couldn't resist using THESE particular cardboard cutouts when I spotted them.)

Too often, I read books in which the cast may as well be made up of emoticons on sticks. The MC wanders over near the smiling cut out when he needs encouragement and hangs out with the stereotypical thug when he feels dangerous. He can’t bum a cigarette, though, because there’s just the one. Permanently in Dude’s hand. You’d have to cut his hand off to get rid of that thing.

As Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. said, 

every.

single.

character.

should want something—

even if all he wants is a glass of water.

Surround your main characters with a cast of characters who are also each desperate for something, determined to change something. To achieve something. 

To defuse the bomb. 

To hear their father say he’s proud of them. 

To find the cure. 

To get her to say Yes.

Give them motives and goals, and SHOW your readers what they’re after.

For truly multi-dimensional characters, give them motivations that might surprise the readers. Show a soft side or a deep-seated fear in the heart of the bad guy. Maybe you’ve got a selfless and thoughtful protag, but there’s one thing she absolutely cannot STAND. Show it to us.

Okay, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Flat Out Love, by Jessica Park. If you've read this book, you know what I'm about to say. (If you haven't...) There actually WAS a cardboard cut out character--an enthralling one, I might add--Flat Finn. Talk about a quirky cast, all flawed and winsome!

But what about other favorite books? Don’t you love reading a novel that makes you want a sequel—where your favorite minor character gets to play lead? Even if there's NOT a sequel? I love dreaming about what could be.

How about Veronica Roth’s Divergent Trilogy? Four anyone? Okay, so I know he's not a minor character, but he hasn't been a POV character...YET. (ALLEGIANT!) Veronica Roth has written a short story from his POV, which is an amazing way to market and build interest in your books! Christina, Eric, and Caleb also filled my mind with questions.

Ally Condie’s Matched Trilogy? I wanted more of Xander and Indie.

Ronie Kendig’s Rapid Fire Fiction. This may be one of Ronie’s greatest areas of giftedness. She’s made me crave another SERIES. And then delivered. (Well, she will in May 2014 anyway.)

Dani Pettrey’s Alaskan Courage series. Dani’s great and getting you intrigued about all of the McKenna family members—especially the star of the next one.

Susan Kaye Quinn’s Mindjack Trilogy. Raf. And Xander. And Seamus. Anyone else?

Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle. Can I get an Aw, yeah for Roran? What about Angela? I'd have loved a prequel about Brom.

All of these books left me wanting more. And got me to immediately follow the authors on Twitter and Facebook. Marketing genius, writers. 

Writing genius.

Who is the most intriguing minor character YOU’VE read recently? What was it that got to you?

Thanks to Richard Anderson for the flickr photo. http://ow.ly/p0jGk