by Sunny Sabella
Before I decided to write a novel, I didn't even know what these two conflicts were! It wasn't until later, much later, when it was pointed out to me by an author more knowledgeable about characters and plotting, that I realized they were there in my writing all along, and I didn't even know it.
I hear so many fledgling authors say they just don't know how to write internal conflict. I have also critiqued good, possible great stories, where the characters don't have an internal conflict. This will, no doubt, bite their fabulous tale somewhere in the middle of the book.
If you look up, external, in the dictionary, this is what you'll find: "Or, for, or on the outside."
According to Webster's, internal means: "Inner: interior. Coming from or residing within: inherent."
An external conflict is the one that is apparent and shown for all to see. The writer is wearing his conflict on his proverbial sleeve. "I hate you because you stole my bobble-head of the Rock!"
The internal conflict is the one we keep buried inside ourselves. I can't like you because you look too much like my pet Boston Terrier who ran away to live with the cute little blonde down the lane who fed him Milk-Bones. (No offense to Boston Terriers.)
The best way for me to discover both conflicts, is to write a detailed character sketch for each main character in my novel. I didn't do this for my first novel because, truthfully, I didn't know that I should. NOTE: The Marshall Plan was good for ONE thing, besides being a great door stopper, of course.
Jot down every single thing you know about these new friends of yours that your readers call, characters. Let's see their flaws, their interests, what moves them and what makes them absolutely disgusting! Don't forget to include their favorite color, flavor of ice cream, and who they voted for on American Idol.
Plot should scream out at you once you've had a good look. Example:: The heroine's life is dedicated to protecting horses from slaughter by greedy companies looking to cash in on an onverseas delicasy. The hero is the marketing director for one greedy company looking to set up shop in the heroine's small Texas town--and then--BINGO! You have the beginnings of a great story. Not only will these two clash, big time, but if this is a charity that you believe in, and even if it's one you don't know much about, odds are you will learn plenty from your research and further the cause. This says a lot about theme as well, and the moral to the story.
The hard part, you say, will be finding common ground for the romance. Hogwash! (I always wanted to use that word in an article.) After completing character sketches, you discover that both characters enjoy tubing down the Guadalupe River, eating Tex-Mex cuisine, taking part in Alamo reenactments, (probably on opposing sides), and both are fanatical San Antonio Spurs fans. (Damn those LA Lakers!!!!!)
We also learn that she has a fear of being too close to a man because of a prior relationship that turned sour and cost her the custody of her son. And the hero has been looking for Ms. Right and finding all Ms. Wrongs because he believes his ideal woman can't be an activist, and must be a business professional, like him.
Afterall, his late mother, who he argued with constantly over his obsession with his job, was a horse lover and a stay-home mom. But he forgot that Mom, before she passed away, faithfully attended every Spurs home game and made the best tacos this side of the Rio Grande. But of course he won't remember this until about three-fourths of the way into the novel. Pssssst! Don't tell anyone, this will just be our secret.
Woo-Hoo! We've found our plot, and have both conflicts in place. We're now ready to write the first chapter of our crappy first draft!!!! Break out the Margarita mix, we're ready to start hearing those nagging voices of self-doubt. But that's the subject of another writing article.
*Sigh* Now, if we only had the characters' names.
P.S. You don't have to feel restricted to using your copy of the Marshall Plan for holding doors open. It keeps windows cracked, balances shaky table legs, and it's great for throwing at Simon Cowell. Oh, yeah, it will work for the presidential debates, while yelling at your favorite baseball team as they blow a easy double-play, and for getting your teenager's attention, too. WHAM!
copyright 2004 by Sunny Sabella