It’s very common for storytellers to accidentally make their big conflicts too easy. But what if I told you the reverse can happen too? These conflicts are too difficult for the hero to credibly overcome, forcing the storytellers to resolve them in an unsatisfying way. This … read more »
Hello Mythcreants, I am your Star of Hope again with a new question: *Spoiler warnings for Assassins Creed Rogue* How can I write a conflict based on a misunderstanding without making it contrived? For instance the hero hates a character for something they didn’t do, … read more »
What are the best ways to do verbal climaxes, and what are some good examples thereof? I want to write a story where the climax is a conversation between two characters to uncover the truth, or a detective’s denouement, or a courtroom cross-examination ending in … read more »
Turning points are essential to crafting conflicts that feel emotionally rewarding to audiences. Unfortunately, they are a “secret” pretty literally, because while they are used in stories everywhere, Mythcreants seems to be the only source giving them more than a cursory mention. Read more »
Whether you’re avoiding violence, looking to switch things up, or just don’t like writing fight scenes, it’s useful to have options for important conflicts that don’t involve the hero maiming or killing something. To that end, let’s go over some likely contenders. With each option, … read more »
You’ve done the work of adding sword fights, epic battles, and dramatic arguments. Your characters always have something they want, no matter how minor the scene. And yet, you’re still having difficulty making readers care. Congratulations, you’re having difficulty making your conflicts matter, and you’re … read more »
You’ve added lots of conflict to your story, but readers are still telling you it’s boring. What gives? Unfortunately, a number of different things can cause this problem. To help you troubleshoot, let’s go over some common reasons that tension might be missing. Read more »
Conflict is, as we never get tired of saying, critical to stories. It’s what creates stakes, tension, and satisfaction, what keeps us turning the page to see what happens next. But have you ever felt like you were reading the same conflict over and over … read more »
Stories need problems to solve and heroes to solve them, which sounds simple enough at first. But then you realize that in most settings, there are authorities whose job is to stop these problems. They might be police officers, teachers at a magic school, or … read more »
There’s a moment in every climax where the hero goes from losing to winning, or from winning to losing in the case of tragedies. It’s when Luke turns off his targeting computer or when Eowyn declares that she is no man. It’s got that special … read more »
