Are you struggling with creating conflict between characters in your novel?
We’ll show you how to create conflict between characters in this article through 6 tips. Read on to learn more!
1. Bring the characters together
One way to create conflict between two characters is to bring them together in some way. For example, a conflict between friends can be dramatic, but a conflict between roommates is not only dramatic, it will also create an impact on the quality of life of the characters (who are roommates).
As such, in order to create fertile soil for conflict, you need to bring two characters together. This is either done through proximity (i.e. like in the example above, we have two roommates who need to coexist), or it can be done through the two characters needing to cooperate in some way to achieve something.
You can also go for both – two people need to be roommates for a while and they also need to (for example), solve a crime while at it. Perhaps it’s two detectives who have been ordered on a mission in a district (county) other than their main one. So, they need to share a motel room while trying to solve a murder.
2. Give them opposing goals
Bringing the characters together is only the fertile soil. In order to seed discord in that soil, you need to give the two characters opposing goals. By opposing goals here, we do not mean give them opposing goals on a grand scale as that will turn them into a protagonist and an antagonist to each other. No, their main goal (that the main plot depends on), needs to be shared between the two of them.
But where they can differ is how to achieve the main goal and what action they will prioritize first. For example, perhaps one character wants to prioritize one thing and get it done quickly, while the other character wants to explore other options before doing what the first character wants.
For example, after a brutal multiple murder, one of the victims survived and is found at the crime scene by the two (aforementioned) detectives. One of them wants to interview the victim as soon as possible, while the other one wants to get the victim to a hospital so that they can get treatment for their possibly life-threatening injuries. Alas, conflict between the two of them about the next course of action ensues.
Note: Here are some other articles about characters you might find useful:
How to Create Unforgettable Characters
How to Handle a Large Cast of Characters in a Novel
How to Write Characters That Have Experienced Heartbreaking Traumas
3. Oppose their opinions
In order for you to be able to create conflict between two characters (who can be the protagonist and other major or minor characters, or two protagonists if you are writing a dual protagonist story), an important element is for the characters to have opposing opinions.
These opposing opinions can be about anything and everything – from what is right and wrong (in general, and in the situations that the two characters will face in the course of the story), to what is good and what is evil, and so forth.
For example, in a romance story, you can pit the two protagonists’ (and in a romance, we usually have two protagonists) views and opinions on relationships against each other. These opinions would include their thoughts on romance and relationships, cheating, and other romantic themes.
For example, what one character considers to be romantic is not only going to be viewed neutrally by the other party, but it will be viewed as completely abhorrent. When the other character has a neutral opinion on the matter, you do not have conflict. For a conflict to happen, the opinions need to be in opposition. So for example, maybe the heroine considers a public proposal in a restaurant to be romantic, while the hero thinks that is gaudy and only done to attract attention.
So, while they are on a romantic dinner date, there is another couple a few tables over. All of a sudden, the man proposes to the lady in a very public fashion. There is a kiss and an applause. The initial couple witnesses this, the lady is in tears while the man is visibly uncomfortable. As they talk about it, their opposing views on it (i.e. the proposal being romantic vs. it not being romantic) come to light and create conflict between them.
4. Develop their relationship
Creating conflict in the story just for the sake of having it is not beneficial to telling a good story. If you’re going to create a conflict between two characters, it needs to be done for the sake of developing their relationship.
For example, take the couple from the previous section – who were witnessing a public proposal and had differing opinions about it. It is easy to imagine how that scene would continue – they would each react differently, talk about it, and their opposing views would come into light.
But, at the end of the date, their relationship will have changed. It will either become closer (wherein they would understand that they each have their own preferences and opinions but that doesn’t necessarily mean they should break up right now), or it can lead to a huge fight between them and a possible break up (momentary or permanent, depending on the story).
So, whenever there is conflict between two characters, it needs to have an effect on their relationship and there should always be a “before this conflict happened” and “after this conflict happened”. A series of minor disagreements (minor conflict) should lead to a culmination (i.e. a huge argument), that would change the relationship (for better or worse) in a more permanent manner.
5. Apply stakes to good communication
Beyond developing the relationship of the characters, you need to apply stakes to them having good communication (i.e. communication where each person is able to express themselves well to the other person and be understood by them, and vice versa). In other words, if they are unable to communicate properly and understand each other, bad things will happen.
For example, let’s go back to our two detectives that need to share a hotel room and solve a murder in a town that is unfamiliar to them. Their differing methods of following an investigation along with their personalities creates a lot of conflict between them – and as a result of the poor communication, let’s say that their suspect is able to escape.
This means that unless they are able to resolve their differences and work together – they will be unable to solve the case. This means that a killer will be on the loose and they both might in danger of a demotion or getting fired.
Applying stakes to the characters needing to have good communication is a good way to put pressure on them – and actually make them react even more emotionally to each other. In that way, you’d be creating even more conflict between them (due to these emotional reactions).
6. Put on external pressure
Whenever two characters have to work together to achieve a goal, it is good to put On additional external pressure to increase the stakes (and the stress levels of the characters so that they would be even more irate by default – which will create more natural conflict).
To go back to the example of the two detectives and the murderer they are trying to catch: let’s say the murderer has kidnapped a young girl. He normally keeps the victims for three days prior to killing them. This means the detectives have less than 3 days to track him down and save the girl.
One of the detectives is able to keep a clear head while the other one wants to dive headfirst into action and danger to save the girl. This external pressure creates more conflict between them.