Left out the conflict

[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.

So did you get any useful advice?
Mine would be that you need to do what you think is right for the story and it sounds like you're right. Putting it aside might allow the story to percolate because it's seems as though the actual story being told isn't quite clear yet. I think that's the issue and not whether there's conflict or not. I've been in similar situations and a step back usually helps.

 

[joy_of_cooking]

now it's a slow-burn romance with a side order of dealing with autism.

Uh...I'd read that.

 

[anthrodisiac]

Uh...I'd read that.

I honestly think it'd get more play than you'd think.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

IMO, it would need romance-style obstacles. I've never written a romance before, I need to think about that.

 

[NotWise]

IMO, it would need romance-style obstacles. I've never written a romance before, I need to think about that.

The most common romance-type obstacle is a misunderstanding that could have been fixed if the characters just talked to each other.

Or at least, that's what some of the Romance writers on BlueSky have said.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

There are several classic ones, notably "The family disapproves."

 

[anthrodisiac]

The most common romance-type obstacle is a misunderstanding that could have been fixed if the characters just talked to each other.

Or at least, that's what some of the Romance writers on BlueSky have said.

I'm really not a big fan of "If they'd just talked." It feels kinda lazy. I mean, one of mine is kinda like that, but it's more about "what if I reveal who I am and he thinks I'm a freak?"

 

[Statius]

Are your instincts telling you it isn't right and you should step away? Or
Are your instincts telling you you shouldn't want to write a story this way?

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Are your instincts telling you it isn't right and you should step away? Or
Are your instincts telling you you shouldn't want to write a story this way?

Or am I a very analytical person who doesn't write on instinct?

 

[Statius]

Or am I a very analytical person who doesn't write on instinct?

I am definitely not trying to start a debate or argument, but I do have a question about that.

If you don't write by instinct at all, how did the story get away from you?

 

[Britva415]

I'm really not a big fan of "If they'd just talked." It feels kinda lazy. I mean, one of mine is kinda like that, but it's more about "what if I reveal who I am and he thinks I'm a freak?"

There are other types and sources of romantic tension besides not knowing how the other person feels or would feel, but, I'm not sure I'd call that particular source of romantic tension "lazy."

Tropey? Of course. But also relatable and genuine, as most people have experienced it.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Tropey? Of course. But also relatable and genuine, as most people have experienced it.

Lots of real things exist that I don't want to read or write about.

 

[bi_cathy]

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.

Why should there be conflict? This is what I don't get with some stories. Life sometimes smiles on people, don't they deserve their own stories, too? Don't readers deserve good examples of storylines? Plus, writing a healthy feel-good story is almost as challenging as writing pain and conflict is, because you have to find other ways to keep the reader engaged.

In one of my stories (I dare you), the only real drama comes from the fact that the narrator gets wooed by a secret admirer, but it's all fun. She's straight, doesn't even spin out wondering why she's starting to feel things for a woman she doesn't even know. She just accepts it. Imagine that! And the story builds on the ridiculousness of her situation.

In my most recent series, people kept dreading the drama in the next chapters, and I kept thinking "why should there be?" There are minor obstacles, but nothing major. The setting itself is dramatic enough.

My advice? Embrace a healthy relationship, embrace the fun, and find ways to make it interesting.

 

[MrHereWriting]

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.

Everything is a story. Whether people like it or not is a different story.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

You might consider writing a scene at the beginning that shows the happy end. Then the rest of your story becomes a flashback of how they got there. The reader knows it's going to turn out good for everyone. You've already shown that. What keeps us interested is how it turns out so well.

I think of this as the Law & Order approach. If you're not familiar, Law & Order is a long-running police procedural in the US. It usually starts with the result of a crime. The rest of the time is spent putting the pieces together through police investigation and courtroom questioning. You know exactly what the outcome is (dead body, or whatever) but what keeps you interested is how the body ended up dead.

You can do the same with happy endings. As I pulled out my chair to sit down, I smiled. There's no way I should be having dinner with an amazing woman like this. I'm still pinching myself, wondering if it's all a dream. To think, it was just two weeks ago that we met...

 

[crookedletter]

I would say a story needs something driving it. The word "conflict" might be too limited. Some kind of adversity is a nice shortcut to tension, but it's not the only way.

Characters should generally want something, and the action of the story derives from their attempts to get it. Whether something stands in their way or not is a matter of detail. There are other ways to make their seeking -- or even their wish fulfillment -- compelling.