Ep. 4: Messy Mapping: Know Your Conflict

In our continued discussion of Messy Mapping—or having a loose idea of where you want your story to go—this episode looks at conflict.

Conflict is the heart of any story, and it’s what compels us to keep reading. It’s conflict that creates cliffhangers or makes us want to read just one more chapter.  It’s the drama and intrigue and suspense and tension that brings our plot and characters to life. It’s also what keeps YOU, the writer, engaged in your own story. 

We’ll talk about:

·      popular narrative structures for conflict in the early mapping phase

·      methods for pulling conflict out of your story as you draft

·      why reality shows are great examples of conflict

·      internal and external conflict

·      the most important ways to keep readers engaged

Building in conflict from the beginning of your writing journey is essential to having a plot and characters that have enough energy for you to continue writing the whole book. 

Keep readers thriving on your conflict. Be a drama queen! Your story depends on it.