#character goals and conflicts

[lnk-and-lnspiration]

Creating Tension and Suspense in Your Writing: Keeping Readers Hooked

Tension and suspense are crucial elements in storytelling that captivate readers, keep them engaged, and make them eagerly turn the pages. Whether you’re writing a thriller, mystery, or even a romance, effectively building tension and suspense can elevate your narrative and leave a lasting impact on your readers. In this article, we will explore techniques to help you create tension and suspense…

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#atmospheric settings #building suspense #character goals and conflicts #character motivations #cliffhangers #creating engaging narratives #foreshadowing #narrative techniques #pacing in writing #reader engagement #revealing information in writing #storytelling tips #tension in storytelling #unreliable narrators #writing techniques

[secondhandsorrows]

Ways to Create More Active / Less Passive Protagonists

Recently I made a two-part post on passive protagonists, so what better day than today to get into some tips to help make protagonists less passive? This post will be relatively short — uni is a big ol' pain right now. Enjoy ~

Tip #1: Remember to give them a goal that matters to them.

What does your main character want? A goal is something that your character wants to achieve. It may not be the only goal throughout, and it usually gets resolved at the end of the story, whether the protagonist achieves it or not. It can be tangible like solving a crime, paying off a debt, reconnecting with a family member, or saving the kingdom. It’s completely unique and personal to that character. Ask yourself (or rather, your character) just how much they want/desire this and would do anything to acquire it. What does achieving this goal mean on a personal level to them? 

Tip #2: Identify the driving force that’s motivating your protagonist.

Underneath this want/desire, is the character’s motivation for it. As your protagonists goal(s) is the destination, motivation is the number one fuel that drives them to achieve it. It can be anything from survival tendencies, a psychological need, or made out from something internal such as backstory. 

What you can do to make their motivation more felt is by connecting their present ambitions and desires to significant moments in their past. As an example: if your protagonist is driven by a desire for wealth, uncover the childhood experiences that helped shaped his hunger for comfort and achievement— thus allowing readers to sympathize with his coming from a state of lack and revelational need to be content with the wealth he already has. 

Tip #3: Think about all the threats and dangers that could arise… and throw them straight into your protagonist’s face. 

Hey, life ain’t ever easy. It’s especially not much easier in a novel, whether you’re writing an action-packed thriller, a fantasy saga, a cozy romance, or a light-hearted coming-of-age. Every kind of story has some kind of conflict. You should introduce challenges for the protagonist that not only threaten the protagonist's external goal, but also their internal struggles. Push them out of their comfort zone! Also consider what will happen if they fail and what will change if they succeed. Let those stakes gradually elevate, and force them to confront their fears and darkest truths. 

Tip #4: Bring on the domino effect: allow the protagonist to influence the story.

We’d want to ensure that the protagonist is not a passive observer, but an active participant in shaping the narrative. In both the short-run and long-run, your protagonist’s actions will influence and affect the world around them. Their decisions, actions, and reactions should ultimately have consequences that ripple and escalate through the story. By having this sort of chain of events, you not only drive the plot dynamic, but also emphasize the protagonist's agency in shaping the course of events.

#writing tips #writing #writing advice #fiction #on writing #creative writing #character #story tips #passive protagonists #story conflict #writerscommunity #writer #writer stuff #writeblr #books #active protagonists #character goals #story goals #writers on tumblr #main character #character motivation

[novlr]

Goal, Motivation, Conflict: The Formula for Writing Great Characters

The recipe for creating compelling characters is deceptively simple. All you need is a goal, motivation, and conflict.

These are the building blocks that drive all character development and will ensure you have well-rounded, believable characters every time!

The GMC Formula in a nutshell is:

Goal: What does your character want?

Motivation: Why do they want it?

Conflict: What's stopping them from getting it?

#writers #creative writing #writing #writing community #writers of tumblr #creative writers #writing inspiration #writeblr #writerblr #writing tips #character goals #character motivation #character conflict #writing advice #advice for writers #help for writers #writing tip #writing characters #writing resources #writers corner #goal motivation conflict #character development #writers block #beat writers block

[pinkeoni]

I have a selfish request/proposal for a conflict in s5: what if they put a strain on Joyce and Will’s relationship.

Joyce is Will’s most solid support system on the simple basis that she is his mother, and we’ve seen how much the two love each other before. So it might be interesting if there was tension between them.

Maybe Will “everybody treats me like a baby” Byers starts pulling away from her, possibly out of teen angst/supernatural influences, and maybe it’s a little cliché but Joyce just wants her baby boy back and can’t understand why their dynamic is changing.

And THEN we throw in Will heading back to the Upside Down, something that is needed for him to come of age, and Joyce who is trying desperately to get her son back on mulitple levels. Except this time the thing seperating Joyce from Will is Will himself, and it may not end with the two of them having the exact same dynamic they had in season 2.

Not saying that this WILL happen or that it’s the CORRECT option but idk, I think after two seasons of seperating Joyce from her boys and centering her story around Hop, it might be refreshing to see her put focus back on her boys (including Jonathan!) again in a way we may not have seen before.

#since we’re on the topic of joyce’s character today… #and yeah hop can be there as emotional support blah blah blah #and like. i even like jopper but now that we are past all the bickering and longing and they’re together now can they just work together #toward a similar goal which has to do with their family? #and center things around their family again? which is now a blended family which could lead to a lot of interesting dynamics?? #but maybe i am asking for too much 😔 #also i think its interesting to create conflict between characters who dont usually exhibit conflict ie byers family #will byers #joyce byers #byers family #stranger things #byler #<- target audience

[samuraipussy]

do you ever think about how mizu's name means water and taigen ran from his fate to follow in his father's footsteps as a fisherman and what does he end up chasing in the end?

#the way his entire character arc is seeing with his own eyes what the path of greatness is #what violence and conflict do to people especially the people he cares about most #and for what? #by the end he's so tired and disillusioned with what he wanted in the first place #he just wants to be happy and happiness is humble #mizu's name is beautiful symbolism for taigen's fate but it goes beyond that #because to love mizu is to have to let go of all pride and pursuit of greatness #at the opposite end from his initial goal of restoring his honour through killing him #blue eye samurai

[brittlebutch]

actually it's kind of funny how people will say Alex's fatal flaw is that he 'doesn't ask for help' and that it's his determination to handle things on his own that leads to his deterioration and eventual death when his whole introduction to the present-day timeline was a very literal cry for help that simply went ignored

#N posts stuff #like even if you think alex was lying throughout the entirety of season 2 and he was waiting from the Moment jay showed up #JUST to kill him (Which again i don't think makes much sense when he could have killed Tim & Jay immediately instead of #breaking Tim's leg. anyway) EVEN IF alex spent that whole time lying it doesn't actually change the fact that he would have at least #been Pretending to Ask For Help and if he wasn't lying then he was Literally Asking For Help and it doesn't Actually matter #what intention Alex had because the text is Ambiguous about Alex's honesty during season two; what isn't ambiguous is the way #other characters (specifically Jay) respond to him; like yeah - S2 Brian/Tim were never in one million years going to help Alex with shit #so sort of any argument that brings up Tim as someone who asks for/offers help is borderline meaningless in this era of the series #Jay had the 'opportunity' to help Alex (and i'll get back to that in a sec) but DIDN'T - Jay wasn't Interested in actually offering Alex #'help' bc Jay is ultimately curious about Answers and 'Offering Help' and 'Getting Answers' are two Wildly conflicting goals #Jay thinks Alex has answers and when Alex doesn't Offer these 'Answers' to Jay on a silver platter Jay gets pissed off and paranoid #and starts Stalking Alex bc he thinks it's 'Suspicious' that Alex won't give him the Answers (that Alex probably doesn't Actually have) #ANYWAY. ultimately this post is about how it's absurd when people argue #that individual character choices could have made a difference in the way this series played out - specifically wrt Alex #because EVERYONE in this WHOLE series are being affected by influences outside of their control ; including Brian Tim and Jay #so it's silly when people are like 'if ALEX had just made a different choice For Himself this could have all been avoided' WRONG. #bc Ultimately there's not really a way to 'help' someone else out of this situation - Tim tried and failed Repeatedly #the comics proved he even failed with Jessica - like MH isn't a horror situation where you can kill the big bad #'getting help' is a meaningless argument - what would successfully helping or getting help even look like? anyway. #the sub argument of this post is that Alex's biggest 'sin' is that he doesn't perform emotions the way other people want him to #like Alex is a character with a kind of flat affect - instead of LOOKING scared or grieved he LOOKS bored or angry #and everyone judges him based on that - so Alex is 'Suspicious' he's 'Lying' he's 'Guilty' but all of these deductions are predicated #on the belief that Alex isn't reacting to his circumstances the way a 'Normal' person would - so it MUST all be an act and so he's guilty #so everyone treats him like he's guilty until the end of season two when he's like 'Fuck it FINE i'll be guilty then' and so it goes #not a self-fulfilled prophecy but being Cornered Into a prophecy and then Blamed for it - SAD. anyway

[snowyh2o]

The question isn’t about whether or not Alastor cares or if he’s actually attached. The question is, is that attachment he has stronger than his desire to go through with his plans.

#hazbin hotel #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor #and that’s why i love him #bastard character catches feelings #and now he has to decide between them and his goals #hoping season 2 gets to explore this internal conflict further #aka give me more angst #I want to see him DESTROYED by his decision #the hotel or the deal #Charlie or his freedom #yes I am very (not) normal about him

[brjeauregard]

I've decided that I'm not over the "Orym is a manipulator and turning into a villain" takes yet so I'm going to apply that same logic to all of the Bell's Hells

Chetney: Losing control and attacking the party then turning around and being their friend and expecting that friendship in return is manipulative and abusive. Plus the trial he went through to harness the wolf was all about attacking them, how can they possible trust him after that. Not to mention attacking that one shop keeper for no reason and putting the party in further danger because she sent a bounty hunter after him. Very selfish behavior.

FCG: By continuously pushing his view on religion and the Changebringer on the party after they've made it clear they have no interest, FCG makes it clear that he's only thinking of himself. If they really cared about the party then they would respect their view on the gods. It's also very manipulative to try and convince the party that everything is a sign from the Changebringer, especially after they've disagreed multiple times.

Imogen: Defending the Ruby Vanguard and Liliana in front of Laudna, Fearne, and Orym was pretty fucked up. She clearly doesn't care about their trauma and is only thinking about how the red moon situation can benefit her.

Fearne: Stealing from both the party and NPCs puts everyone in danger, but she only thinks about the momentary happiness she gets from it. Ignoring the party when they tell her to not rush in to a situation or lie to someone for no reason shows her clear disregard for their wellbeing.

Ashton: They used party resources to upgrade their weapon without telling the rest of the group. What if someone else wanted to use the immovable rod? Plus the crystals on the end of the hammer could actually backfire and harm the party. It was selfish of him to do so and shows that they only care about what he can get from the group.

Laudna: When the party reunited all Laudna did was complain about her experience in Issylra and made the other group feel guilty about not suffering as much. FCG especially found new joy and a reason to live, but they felt like they couldn't talk about it in front of Laudna. Sure her feelings are valid but she should have thought about the other's feelings before trauma dumping.

See how ridiculous these all sound? It's so easy to twist any character choice in a way that fits your narrative. Orym has been open with the party since the beginning that he's been looking for the people for killed his husband and father for 6 years. Now that he finally has a lead and a way to bring them to justice, he asked the rest of the party to help and they all agreed. He's not manipulating them, he's been clear about his goals since the beginning and the party are all adults who are capable of disagreeing and not helping him.

#cr discourse #critical role #some people are really out here saying that Orym's alignment needs to change #i'm begging some of you to think critically and realize that Orym making your favorite character sad or not asking their permission #doesn't make him evil #it means he's his own character with his own motivations #just like everyone else #and he's been open about his goals since the beginning #all of those characters are capable of calling him out if they don't agree with him #plus narrative tension is good storytelling #the cast loves interparty conflict #if you don't then critical role might not be the show for you #these are all complex characters whose flaws often come up in ugly and unpleasant ways #but that doesn't mean they're bad or evil or manipulative #thought i was over this then logged onto twitter and saw some wild takes again lmao

[kaltacore]

one thing that especially irks me about cullen's so-called redemption is the attempts to redeem him through cole's words.

templars' abuses affected cole so badly it damaged his connection to the fade and his own nature. he was a spirit of compassion and witnessing what was happening in white spire turned him into a killer. he murdered lord seeker lambert in cold blood for what he did and most of the time he doesn't regret it — and then he just. drops the "he's not like the other girls" lines about cullen.

and this is such a lazy and annoying move. another thing that is established about cole is that you particularly can't lie to him — about your real feelings and intentions at least. whatever he states about other characters must be true and it is often used as a tool to deepen the characterizations of the main cast and in cullen's case it is just. blatant apologism. there's literally a banter where cole talks about atrocities commited by the templars and then he adds "oh no but cassandra and cullen aren't like that" and never elaborates. the game itself doesn't elaborate either.

like please don't tell me that the spirit who was shaken by knowledge that an innocent boy can die from starving because his jailors simply forgot about him would look in the eyes of a person who used to be meredith fucking stannard's right hand and still thinks that her methods were just a little too harsh but necessary and justified and say yeah. this guy is such a friend of mages. if only there were more templars like him

#this is such an overt bullshit like i don't even know where to start #and my main problem is that. i don't care about cullen. his redemption arc sucks because it's non-existent. but i do care about cole #and i love his cryptic comments so much because they really give you a look into character's head in a weird but interesting manner #and then. this happens. and you can say that “oh but it means that cullen's REAL attitude is compassionate towards mages!” #but the thing about cole's comments is. he does expose characters' thoughts #but you've already had an opportunity to catch whatever cole makes clear in these banters #like. vivienne is afraid and it is shown in the game. dorian struggles with attachment and it is shown in the game #cullen struggles with whatever he's done to mages and ?????? ah yes #and i'm just. so mad. because i love what cole adds to the storytelling. and there's so much potential but he's used for apologism #because whoever wrote cullen was too lazy and/or preoccupied with making a knight in shining armor out of him #you can also point out that cole is used for solas apologism as well. but in solas' case you can catch that he feels conflicted #about his actions and goals. so yeah. it works. at least partially. so my point stays. #cullen's case is like. by the book example of horrendous breaking of 'show don't tell' rule #practically cole breaks this rule constantly. but as i said it doesn't feel off with other characters because of what has been shown alread #cullen critical #dragon age

[the960writers]

We all know the Big Three elements that keep a story engaging. A character has a goal, which they want to achieve because of some motivation, and while trying to reach it, they run into some conflict.

Notice what’s in the center there?

Yep. Motivation.

It’s crucial, and yet it’s usually the last thing we writers think about. Well, maybe not the VERY last — that could be “hmm, WHAT was this publisher’s address?” — but it’s usually the last of the Big Three.

[...]

#goal motivation conflict #character goals #character motivation #conflict #storycraft

[fortune-maiden]

The more I work on my long fic the more work I’m realizing it needs…

Maybe I should just take it down for now and repost it when it’s actually ready

#don't mind me having a moment #the main issue I’m realizing is Hualian #XL is a pov character but there’s no real stake for him in this adventure #so there’s no real conflict or growth for him to be had #but on the other side some of the planned scenes with sqx just won’t work if he’s the pov character #because he’s unconscious for them #and there’s no other character who can really fit the role XL plays #because he’s the one sqx trusts the most #things to think about #maybe I should shift gears to my 3T fic instead because the goals for all 3 are defined there #it’s not something I think about as much when writing oneshots #but character drive and motivation is important #the pov character needs to have a reason for acting #that goes a little further than ‘he’s my friend and I’m concerned’ #the fic has some good themes with sqx & the peis #I need to find a parallel for hualian that xl can work on #another theme is disappointment (and that it’s ok) so….. #(hualian being one of those couples who support each other 200% makes them kinda boring to write in this sense) #(I think I might need to embrace the ooc a little >.>

[opal-owl-flight]

So what if a Yiga guy got LOST in Faron and the spirits of Hyrule decided "hmmm youre gonna become a little guy instead of dying". So now hes a banana man. Several decades of hunting down Link and he FINALLY found him. Unfortunately he doesnt have thumbs anymore and cant do shit to kill him

#he may have been conflicted with his goals. hence the spirits having some sort of pity on him #like god hes THIS close to realizing hes on the wrong side!! lets not let him die!! #zelda tears of the kingdom #zelda totk #totk #tears of the kingdom #legend of zelda #zelda #magolor #opal owl’s nest #oc #original characters #character design #zelda oc

[grandcovenant]

it's such a shame that sophia as a character is so reliant on keeping everything about her a mystery until.... literally the last chapter, because it makes her a lot weaker as.... one of the main characters. she's intended to have the same level of importance as geppetto in the narrative, however, in execution..... you can't really get invested in her because she doesn't really offer anything meaningful to you until the very end, and by then it feels a little too little too late. (and so much of it is wrapped around simon's plotline, which i have already expressed i don't really care for.)

i think it's why i try to make a bigger deal of things like the hermit's cave, or the thing about being a listener being "the devil's power", according to sophia's mother. these bits show her as an existing part of the setting she's in, and not as the walking Big Reveal set-up she... kind of is, honestly.

sophia is meant to be p's guide through his growing humanity, a counterpoint to geppetto, and i wish more was done with it!!!

#lies of p #love this game dearly which means i must dissect it like a shrimp. for better or worse #sophia is such a frustrating character to think about writing-wise... girl i am rewriting you in my brain half the time #i still think she should've been granted some degree of complex morality. the most we get is the ~i lied about why i woke you up~ ordeal-- #--which hardly means anything given she still guided him towards saving the city without any conflict with her real goal #it would make more sense as to why the story is so cagey with her. #and would make her a more interesting foil to geppetto. #-> i know what *i* would have her do in that regard. but that's a secret. for now. #theres more to be said but im tired of trying to work this post out. fly free little bird

[ahb-writes]

Writing Problem: The Conflict Is Inconsequential, Flash-in-the-Pan

Problem: The Conflict Is Inconsequential, Flash-in-the-Pan

Solution: Many authors struggle to contrive meaningful conflict such that it either shapes or speaks critically to the trajectory of the characters it touches. Conflict is not a consequence or a corollary of scheme or impulse; conflict should develop as the story develops and grow as the character dynamics grow.

Explore character through conflict by reinforcing their goals and their perceptions (of reality), as well as the plausibility of maintaining either. Use conflict to reveal blind spots, biases, or fears. Conflict doesn't narrow the possibility of who characters are, or what the story might convey; conflict opens characters (or readers) to new methodologies, new stakes, and possibly new goals, as a result of enduring or overcoming the fracas in question. Conflict adds depth.

Writing Resources:

Conflict Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

Need Compelling Conflict? Choose A Variety of Kinds (Writer's Helping Writers)

How to Draw Readers in Through a Character's Choices (Writers Helping Writers)

Exactly How to Create and Control Tone (September C. Fawkes; ahbwrites)

Are Your Conflicts Significant? (September C. Fawkes)

Tension vs. Conflict (Hint: They Aren't the Same Thing) (September C. Fawkes)

How to Write a Dystopian Story: Our Gide (Jericho Writers)

Plot Conflict: Striking True Adversity in Stories (Now Novel)

How to Use Central Conflict and Drama to Drive Your Novel (Now Novel)

❯ ❯ Adapted from the writing masterpost series: 19 Things That Are Wrong With Your Novel (and How to Fix Them)

#writeblr #writing tips #writing advice #writing conflict #fiction writing #writing problems #novel writing #conflict #writeprob #conflict thesaurus #reinforcing goals #character agency #character choice #writing drama #how to create and control tone #writing tone #adversity in stories

[dearwysteria]

A normal Pokemon trainer you befriended...

#talentless nana #munou na nana #pokemon #nanao nakajima #fanart #my art lol #had a pokemon trainer au a few months ago and forgot about it :P #i drew this during that time and never got around to drawing other characters #the idea of this au was based of bw where the main conflict was about the pokemon #and how team plasma's goal was to separate pokemon from their trainers #nana and kyouya are protags while also being each other's rivals #nana follows a similar path like n's in bw but as the protagonist instead of being an antagonist/rival #nana's story is centered around her finding ways to separate pokemon from their trainers no matter what even killing trainers #before meeting michiru and seeing things in a different perspective and etc #kyouya's story is centered around him trying to find his sister like in canon #and like in canon nanao being a victim to nana's actions led to him being an occurring antagonist/rival #- a/n: nanao's pokemon mostly consists of normal types; lillipup is his ace #nana's pokemon usually consists of a variation of psychic and normal type #exception when in pokemon battles with other trainers #that she releases after battles unless those pokemon want to stay #kyouya's pokemon consisted of a variation of ice and steel types

[whereconfusionisarhyme]

i love that there are a couple traits consistent among seemingly all spider-man variants. their wit, they’re dorky-ness, their intelligence. their queerness

but i think my favorite has got to be their artistic creativity. the og peter parker takes photos, miles draws + graffitis, gwen plays the drums, hobie plays guitar, etc.

which only just adds to the un-spider-man-ness of movie!miguel that he, seemingly, doesn’t have any artistic interest or pursuits. his life is so consumed by this need to justify his trauma and make it useful that he doesn’t have anything to healthily express himself and have fun through. he doesn’t have any room left for any personality because he’s too busy being a leader and a weapon.

this also plays into that quick little line from miles in the counselor's office where he mentions not doing much art anymore,,,he's so consumed by this one mission of his (similar to miguel) to figure out how to travel across universes to meet his friends (falsely thinking that will just automatically solve his loneliness) that he's losing that art that makes him happy, purposefully ignoring it because it's not "useful". i think it's also relevant to note that gwen, the character who's defined by her aimlessness, (literally her only goal is survival. like just the bare minimum of "don't be homeless tomorrow", just simple, normal, human self-preservation) opens the movie by going to town on her drum set. on the opposite end of the spectrum miguel and miles are on, she has no goal at all and is fully leaning into her artistic abilities for comfort. ultimately, the difference lies in where these characters are choosing to find comfort. in the pursuit of a singular goal that suppresses emotion in the name of efficiency, or in moment-to-moment explosive self expression that doesn't ultimately make strides towards an end goal?

(honorable mention: hobie and his music. the guitar, ie his art, symbolic of being in touch with your emotions, is something he keeps close with him and uses productively in pursuit of his goals. it's strong, but focused. he's very in control of it. he has figured out how to hit a perfect balance between the two, adding to this big brother/mentor image in relation to gwen and miles.)

#pavitr doesn't have a strong internal conflict just yet #which is why i think he doesn't (explicitly) have an artistic pursuit like the others #the pursuing a goal vs expressing yourself through art thing is just a way for the characters to remedy an emotional problem #i can let it out but not be “productive” or i can “fix it” but not dwell on it much #(this also plays into themes of being focused on the past vs present vs future but that's a whole other analysis) #but pavitr #hes just chilling #he has no such worries #tbh i wouldn't be surprised it he gets some sort of artsy hobby next movie coinciding with some strong internal conflict #i headcanon that he likes sewing and embroidery #it would explain his super detailed and artistic suit #also he just gives of sewist vibes #(coming from a sewing #and also embroiderer) #when az rambles #across the spider verse spoilers #atsv analysis #spiderverse analysis #miles morales #gwen stacy #hobie brown #(kind of) pavitr prabhakar