Left out the conflict

[TheWritingGroup]

Has anyone else ever gotten, say, 12,000 words into a story only to realize there's almost no conflict? The main character get slightly upset in the opening scene, and then ... everything goes perfectly for her from then on. She makes friends, succeeds in her career, gets the girl, and ... that isn't a story, is it? It's just a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

It isn't even my wish-fulfillment, it's the character's own fantasy, but it isn't a story.

Time to put this one aside for at least a month and do a total structural plot rewrite.

 

[anthrodisiac]

Has anyone else ever gotten, say, 12,000 words into a story only to realize there's almost no conflict? The main character get slightly upset in the opening scene, and then ... everything goes perfectly for her from then on. She makes friends, succeeds in her career, gets the girl, and ... that isn't a story, is it? It's just a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

It isn't even my wish-fulfillment, it's the character's own fantasy, but it isn't a story.

Time to put this one aside for at least a month and do a total structural plot rewrite.

A story doesn't always need conflict. Sometimes, the emotion is the point. One of my Christmas stories there's hardly any conflict. It's rough, depressing onset, but not a conflict, just dark, suddenly brightened by sexy thousands-of-years-old goat spirit who tries to make Christmas better for someone wasting away, consumed by depression. It's not a story where conflict is really all that feature, it's about memory and family and tradition.

Plot: MC's dad recently went downhill fast with dementia, now he's living in this big house by himself, not sure if he can bring himself to visit his sister and her annoying family for Christmas, and an old Yule Goat his grandmother gave him years ago comes alive as the Sweedish spirit of Christmas, Julbocken. Obviously, sexy goat, who makes it her mission to cheer him up and show him the beauty in life, and in remembering. It all goes pretty well, they have a nice family dinner, she uses magic to give his dad a bit of mental clarity so he and his sister can say goodbye properly, and Jul reveals she's not going to stay, but they have a sweet fuck, hints of bittersweetness on both sides, revealing she, too, was lonely like him, though never explicitly stated. No real conflict.

Granted, I usually write stories with conflict, and those are fun, but there's something to be said for something that's just sweet, and mostly smooth, as long as you put the lens on the right part of the story.

 

[PennyThompson]

Most of my Scout stories have very little conflict, other than Scout's own anxiety.

I think sometimes it's nice to read (and write) a story that's about someone taking small risks that pay off, and learning to accept love when it's offered

 

[anthrodisiac]

Also keep in mind, we're writing erotica, sometimes wish fulfillment is perfectly well and good. We kinda operate on Hallmark logic a little bit at times.

Which is still kinda bonkers to me, as a very jaded, cynical, broody bird, that I wrote two rom-coms and that Yule Goat story. Old me is screeching from The Abyss at my betrayal of the darkness...

Oh well!

 

[Duil2]

A story doesn't always need conflict. Sometimes, the emotion is the point. One of my Christmas stories there's hardly any conflict. It's rough, depressing onset, but not a conflict, just dark, suddenly brightened by sexy thousands-of-years-old goat spirit who tries to make Christmas better for someone wasting away, consumed by depression. It's not a story where conflict is really all that feature, it's about memory and family and tradition.

Plot: MC's dad recently went downhill fast with dementia, now he's living in this big house by himself, not sure if he can bring himself to visit his sister and her annoying family for Christmas, and an old Yule Goat his grandmother gave him years ago comes alive as the Sweedish spirit of Christmas, Julbocken. Obviously, sexy goat, who makes it her mission to cheer him up and show him the beauty in life, and in remembering. It all goes pretty well, they have a nice family dinner, she uses magic to give his dad a bit of mental clarity so he and his sister can say goodbye properly, and Jul reveals she's not going to stay, but they have a sweet fuck, hints of bittersweetness on both sides, revealing she, too, was lonely like him, though never explicitly stated. No real conflict.

Granted, I usually write stories with conflict, and those are fun, but there's something to be said for something that's just sweet, and mostly smooth, as long as you put the lens on the right part of the story.

Maybe the depression and loneliness could be seen as the conflict or obstacle to the MC's happiness?

 

[Duil2]

Most of my Scout stories have very little conflict, other than Scout's own anxiety.

I think sometimes it's nice to read (and write) a story that's about someone taking small risks that pay off, and learning to accept love when it's offered

Dealing with his anxiety is the conflict, I think.

 

[Duil2]

Has anyone else ever gotten, say, 12,000 words into a story only to realize there's almost no conflict? The main character get slightly upset in the opening scene, and then ... everything goes perfectly for her from then on. She makes friends, succeeds in her career, gets the girl, and ... that isn't a story, is it? It's just a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

It isn't even my wish-fulfillment, it's the character's own fantasy, but it isn't a story.

Time to put this one aside for at least a month and do a total structural plot rewrite.

Maybe the initial upset is the conflict that sets her on her path to making good?

 

[AStrangeDesire]

Has anyone else ever gotten, say, 12,000 words into a story only to realize there's almost no conflict? The main character get slightly upset in the opening scene, and then ... everything goes perfectly for her from then on. She makes friends, succeeds in her career, gets the girl, and ... that isn't a story, is it? It's just a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

It isn't even my wish-fulfillment, it's the character's own fantasy, but it isn't a story.

Time to put this one aside for at least a month and do a total structural plot rewrite.

But is it steamy? I know I'm echoing the others in the thread, but if it's steamy and fun, that can be enough

 

[AStrangeDesire]

Most of my Scout stories have very little conflict, other than Scout's own anxiety.

I think sometimes it's nice to read (and write) a story that's about someone taking small risks that pay off, and learning to accept love when it's offered

I was going to say, Scout's conflict is 'built in'.

Also, they have some truly dangerous friends. You know, like librarians. Who knows what kind of books they may have access to!

 

[CalBishForNow]

An adage I remember from some guide to writing is that (basically) every (good) story is about conflict, but "conflict" shouldn't be understood in as narrow a way as protagonist vs. antagonist. Man vs. nature is a conflict, e.g. a quest for survival like To Build a Fire. Same for internal conflict or conflict against some social custom.

And, as others have pointed out, this is erotica. An element of wishful fulfillment is par for the course, and we can assume that there will be something titillating about most conflicts in these stories and/or their resolutions.

Most of my Scout stories have very little conflict, other than Scout's own anxiety.

Someone else has already pointed out that internal conflict over anxiety counts. To single out Cosplay Euphoria, I see Jeremy's internal conflict over his willingness to cross-dress, conflict with society over doing so without getting humiliated (i.e. getting a boner), and his and Scout's internal conflicts over exhibitionism.

 

[NotWise]

Has anyone else ever gotten, say, 12,000 words into a story only to realize there's almost no conflict? The main character get slightly upset in the opening scene, and then ... everything goes perfectly for her from then on. She makes friends, succeeds in her career, gets the girl, and ... that isn't a story, is it? It's just a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

It isn't even my wish-fulfillment, it's the character's own fantasy, but it isn't a story.

Time to put this one aside for at least a month and do a total structural plot rewrite.

Then she wakes up in a world of pain and strife. It was a dream. Now she hates herself (and your readers hate you).

Maybe you don't need conflict all that much.

 

[anthrodisiac]

Maybe the depression and loneliness could be seen as the conflict or obstacle to the MC's happiness?

Sure, sure, it is a type of internal conflict. TWG seemed to be talking more about external conflict, and specifically the friction type of conflict, whereas that internal conflict around anxiety, depression, and loneliness is less about friction and more inertia. It's a subtler type of conflict, but you're right, it is a type of conflict.

Frictive* conflict: things are moving along, events conspire to grind them to a halt
Intertial conflict: things aren't moving, someone's stuck, and they need an inciting incident to get them moving
Momentic conflict (in between frictive and interial): things were moving along, but progress stalls and slows, and now they need a push to keep progressing at the original pace

*Frictive is such a fun word

 

[liliput1]

A story doesn't always need conflict. Sometimes, the emotion is the point. One of my Christmas stories there's hardly any conflict. It's rough, depressing onset, but not a conflict, just dark, suddenly brightened by sexy thousands-of-years-old goat spirit who tries to make Christmas better for someone wasting away, consumed by depression. It's not a story where conflict is really all that feature, it's about memory and family and tradition.

Plot: MC's dad recently went downhill fast with dementia, now he's living in this big house by himself, not sure if he can bring himself to visit his sister and her annoying family for Christmas, and an old Yule Goat his grandmother gave him years ago comes alive as the Sweedish spirit of Christmas, Julbocken. Obviously, sexy goat, who makes it her mission to cheer him up and show him the beauty in life, and in remembering. It all goes pretty well, they have a nice family dinner, she uses magic to give his dad a bit of mental clarity so he and his sister can say goodbye properly, and Jul reveals she's not going to stay, but they have a sweet fuck, hints of bittersweetness on both sides, revealing she, too, was lonely like him, though never explicitly stated. No real conflict.

Granted, I usually write stories with conflict, and those are fun, but there's something to be said for something that's just sweet, and mostly smooth, as long as you put the lens on the right part of the story.

Sounds like this story has adversity, it’s just that the body of the story happens in the aftermath.

Past a certain point, spelling out the bad times is just sort of torturing your characters (and some of the readers). I don’t need to read a nadir with every HAE or even just good day boinking a minor diety.

 

[RetroFan]

Yes, my Valentine's Day story this year 'Emily in Perth' was a sweet little Sapphic romance story between two cousins Emily from New York and Jenny from Perth in Western Australia, when Emily and her family visit their Australian relatives in the summer of 1993-1994.

The only real conflict takes place in the mind of Jenny the narrator, as she dreads the day that her relatives especially Emily will head for home and the vacation will be over and things will go back to normal, and also her growing crush on Emily and her confusion about having feelings for another girl who happens to be her first cousin. Apart from this absolutely everything else goes perfectly, everyone has a wonderful time and nothing bad happens at all.

Did the IT readers like my sweet-natured story where nothing goes wrong and there is no conflict at all? No, for the most part they did not and said so accordingly.

 

[dirk2024]

Maybe the depression and loneliness could be seen as the conflict or obstacle to the MC's happiness?

Wait. Are we talking the characters depression and lonlieness....or the authors depression and lonlieness? 'cause I have one of those in spades.



Personally, I don't care much for much conflict. I read and write erotica for escapism. I've read some stories here where it was a struggle for me to finish the drama so I could get to the good stuff.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Has anyone else ever gotten, say, 12,000 words into a story only to realize there's almost no conflict? The main character get slightly upset in the opening scene, and then ... everything goes perfectly for her from then on. She makes friends, succeeds in her career, gets the girl, and ... that isn't a story, is it? It's just a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

It isn't even my wish-fulfillment, it's the character's own fantasy, but it isn't a story.

So what? It's got to be 12k words of something. This notion that stories always need drama and conflict is bollocks. Sometimes a long intimate mood is good enough for readers to escape to.

Time to put this one aside for at least a month and do a total structural plot rewrite.

Why? If there's no plot now, why do you think there'll be one later?

This is when you either shit tin the words, or proof them properly, publish, and let readers judge.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

But is it steamy? I know I'm echoing the others in the thread, but if it's steamy and fun, that can be enough

As of now, it has almost no sex. It started out as the story of a sexual hookup between a stereotypical Karen, a terrible customer, and the clerk she abuses. Almost none of that story remains, though, now it's a slow-burn romance with a side order of dealing with autism.

Discovery writing.

So what? It's got to be 12k words of something. This notion that stories always need drama and conflict is bollocks. Sometimes a long intimate mood is good enough for readers to escape to.

Why? If there's no plot now, why do you think there'll be one later?

This is when you either shit tin the words, or proof them properly, publish, and let readers judge.

It isn't complete. It isn't even half done. I don't want to write another 20,000 words of a happy idyll, frankly.

 

[PennyThompson]

I was going to say, Scout's conflict is 'built in'.

Also, they have some truly dangerous friends. You know, like librarians. Who knows what kind of books they may have access to!

Scout and Victoria and the Necronomicon, coming this Halloween!

 

[BeechLeaf]

No, I'm not seeing the conflict thing as a problem. Why should there be conflict? I'm looking back over the stories I've posted here, and others I've written over the years, and generally I don't do conflict - which is like saying I don't do race riots, I don't do spelling bees, I don't do New Year's Eve parties. Conflict might occasionally occur, but there's no reason a good story ever needs it.

 

[anthrodisiac]

Wait. Are we talking the characters depression and lonlieness....or the authors depression and lonlieness? 'cause I have one of those in spades.

Pfft, just one? Amateur

 

[AStrangeDesire]

As of now, it has almost no sex. It started out as the story of a sexual hookup between a stereotypical Karen, a terrible customer, and the clerk she abuses. Almost none of that story remains, though, now it's a slow-burn romance with a side order of dealing with autism.

Discovery writing.



It isn't complete. It isn't even half done. I don't want to write another 20,000 words of a happy idyll, frankly.

I mean, that first part is a helluva plot bunny!

I'm going to poorly imitate @PennyThompson 's story kick-offs for a sec to flush out the plot bunny
1 full can of 'Domination-of-Karen'
2 cups of exhibitionism
One solid paddle full of spanking
And a pinch of 'too-short' skirt
Mix and bake until orgasm denial for Karen

Hmm, I might put that in my personal PBP for later use...

 

[anthrodisiac]

As of now, it has almost no sex. It started out as the story of a sexual hookup between a stereotypical Karen, a terrible customer, and the clerk she abuses. Almost none of that story remains, though, now it's a slow-burn romance with a side order of dealing with autism.

Discovery writing.



It isn't complete. It isn't even half done. I don't want to write another 20,000 words of a happy idyll, frankly.

Dealing with autism is nothing to sneeze at, speaking as someone who has a smidge of insight into such things. That might be a good friction point if you're really interested in adding a bit more angst to make this less of a happy-go-lucky-la-la-land type story. Communication breakdowns, learning to handle quirks, coping, all of these can be stress on a relationship.

 

[NotWise]

Conflict is one of the things (like plot) that's considered fundamental to a story, but it doesn't have to be a fight. Dealing with autism seems like the classic "person vs self" conflict.

 

[Britva415]

Has anyone else ever gotten, say, 12,000 words into a story only to realize there's almost no conflict? The main character get slightly upset in the opening scene, and then ... everything goes perfectly for her from then on. She makes friends, succeeds in her career, gets the girl, and ... that isn't a story, is it? It's just a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

It isn't even my wish-fulfillment, it's the character's own fantasy, but it isn't a story.

Time to put this one aside for at least a month and do a total structural plot rewrite.

On the plus list side, wish-fulfillment is what a lot of Lit readers appreciate.

It could be that, as diverse as they/we are, more Lit readers have that in common than anything else.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

So what? It's got to be 12k words of something.

Yep. Right now it's narrative and dialogue. I just don't think it'll be compelling to anyone who isn't me. I could be wrong.

(I'm explaining my own reasoning, not saying everyone else is wrong. I posted here because I wanted advice, for real.)