Many newcomer authors often face the problem of writing novels, and the things they write are not interesting, even if they are climaxes, they are not cool.
If you want the content to have twists and turns, and want the reader to look cool, contradictions and conflicts are inevitable.
Every dramatist is a Frankenstein Doctor who tries to breathe life into every page of the stage. In a good drama, the heartbeat should be like thunder. And conflict is the heartbeat of a theatrical work.
——D． R． Anderson (American Master of Theatre)
1. What is conflict
When we see the word conflict, the first thing we think of should be the quarrel or physical struggle caused by the so-called contradictions between people in daily life, but in the field of writing, the definition of conflict is far more than these...
In writing, we usually think of conflict as "the artistic reflection in literary works of contradictions and struggles in real life due to differences in people's positions, opinions, thoughts and feelings, ideals, aspirations, and interests." It includes both the conflict between the character and the surrounding environment, as well as the conflict between the characters themselves in a specific environment.
That is to say, the conflict we want to express in our works is not only quarrels and fights, but more importantly, it reflects the ideological and moral struggles caused by irreconcilable desires, purposes, etc.
2. The necessity of conflict
No conflict, no story.
Conflict is the basis of the plot of the work and the means of showing the character of the characters. This is most directly expressed in drama, and the same is true of the works of TV, film, animation and manga with vision as the main carrier.
A good movie must be "conflict", and this "conflict" is not only a fight between the puppets, but also can be:
(1) Divided in terms of scale, there are conflicts between individuals and groups;
(2) Divided in nature, there are economic conflicts, political conflicts, ideological conflicts, cultural conflicts, religious conflicts, ethnic conflicts, ethnic conflicts, as well as class conflicts and international conflicts;
(3) Divided in terms of methods and degrees, there are debates, quarrels, fists, duels, vendettas, armed struggles, wars, etc.
These are direct conflicts, externally attracting the attention of the audience, and in some literary and artistic films, we see more of the inner conflicts of the characters.
In general, the conflict in the novel is formed by the inner conflict between the main characters, and the story that is not conflicted and attractive should be free.
Imagine if Romeo and Juliet's families were family friends, and they didn't object to the union of the two young people, what a tedious story it would be.
For novels, especially most of which rely on "pretending to punch their faces" and "killing people and crossing goods" to advance the plot, the three elements of characters, environment and plot can be described as full of conflict from time to time.
As far as "Fighting Broken" is concerned, it is actually reflected at the beginning of the text: the psychological conflict between the former proud son of heaven and the current waste firewood, the protagonist's self.
The ridicule of the crowd and the conflict between Kaoru Ome and Kaoru, as well as the "divorce" that occupies the main plot of the first half.
The psychological, verbal, expression, and physical conflicts of the people in the Xiao family lobby are the first small climaxes ushered in by this book.
3. Manifestations of conflict
Internal conflicts
Conflict arises when one wants what one wants and does not get.
For example, when the protagonist is faced with a dilemma, or wavers in the desire of fierce conflict, the emotions that erupt are extremely tense, and more are directly manifested in directly prompting the protagonist to take the next step.
External conflicts
External conflicts can be divided into conflicts between one person and another, man and nature, man and society.
In short, it is the conflict between people and the environment. Conflict between people is very common, generally speaking:
The enemy is using force against you / insulting you / asking for your life / doing things to you will have fundamental consequences for you and ruin your potential.
This kind of conflict is bound to break out, and if it does not break out, the reader will treat you as if you are abusing the Lord.
The conflict between man and nature reminds me of the popular "Ghost Blowing Lights", most of the difficulties and obstacles experienced by the protagonists along the way come from nature, which can be described as a conflict between man and nature;
And man and society, "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a good interpretation, the struggle between rebellious characters with new ideas and stubborn feudal system...
Internal and external conflicts are intertwined
In a good novel, the conflict is often interwoven by various internal and external contradictions, and the conflict originates from the depths of the protagonist's heart, and then develops into a conflict between the protagonist and other characters.
Moreover, in the novel, conflict often ends up as a conflict between the protagonist and morality, social system, or philosophy.
This year's fire of Mel. Gibson's film "Hacksaw Ridge", the protagonist Dawson insisted on not killing people with guns because he insisted on his beliefs, thus triggering a series of conflicts in the army, the cold eyes and beatings of comrades-in-arms, and the difficulties of superiors.
And contrary to the anti-war concept pursued in the context of the war years at that time... But what the film ends up showing us is the power of faith, and Dawson uses his actions to resolve the first two conflicts and find a way to coexist with the conflict between himself and the war society. (Well, it's not a novel...) ）
4. How to create a reasonable conflict for the novel
The protagonist's own needs
For example, the protagonist was chased and killed by someone and seriously injured, and he had no choice but to go down and rob others of his healing elixir, and if he did not grab it, he would die;
Create conflict through characters in fiction
This character can be the heroine, the protagonist's friends, relatives, etc., the heroine is generally a beautiful woman, and the beautiful woman will always be coveted, and even some shameless people want to do something wrong.
At this time, the protagonist must stand up and contradict those negative characters, at this time, the protagonist is successfully counterattacking, beating those bad guys to the ground to find teeth?
Or is it invincible to the other party, with the heroine desperately trying to escape? At this time, there are not only contradictions and conflicts, but also suspense...
Family and friends can use them to create contradictions, or to protect them and have conflicts with others, or to have conflicts with family and friends themselves.
Create contradictions through the protagonist's family, region, race, and country
For the protagonist, the family, region, and even the world in which the protagonist lives, these factors the protagonist must be maintained in every way, just like we want to defend the family and defend our motherland.
Then, since these factors are all the protagonists to protect, it is very clear if you want to create contradictions and conflicts, so set up some elements that are contrary to the factors that the protagonist wants to protect.
For example, if the protagonist guards the family, then set up some other powerful families to overthrow the protagonist's family, and contradictions and conflicts will naturally arise at this time;
The protagonist guards this area, so it is written that soldiers from other regions come here to invade and want to take away the homeland that gave birth to the protagonist;
The protagonist grows up and becomes very powerful, and when he wants to protect this square world and earth, then set up people in other heavens and earth or planes to invade and occupy, and at this time contradictions and conflicts will naturally arise. The novel's point of view and suspense are also generated.
As for race, for example, there are some fantasy cultivators who have such a setting in the text, the protagonist is a Huaxia person, but those vampires in the West, blood clan people come to Huaxia to invade and suck blood,
If you want to transform all the people of Huaxia into blood slaves, good and evil aside, because of the race, the protagonist is bound to swear to the death to protect and kill the predators of these foreign races.
Create contradictions through the opposition between good and evil, good and evil
No one protagonist is the evil side, but where there is good, there is evil, just like the real society, to fight thieves, robbers, murderers and terrorists.
Even if some of the things done by the protagonist seem to be very evil, the author must find a reasonable reason for the protagonist to explain the protagonist's behavior, and the reason why the protagonist will do those things, whether it is because of the sinister nature of the jianghu or because of the misdeeds of people's hearts.
Therefore, since the protagonist is born to represent the good side, then no matter which negative role is encountered, that is, the evil force, because of the sense of justice, because of the good,
Therefore, the protagonist is bound to strike at the arrogant flames of those people and rescue the good people who live under the jurisdiction of the evil forces.
Good and evil are themselves a contradiction.