Conflict Conflct

I did another read-through, and this time I finally figured out what was bugging me. I almost hit it multiple times before; that there isn't enough conversation, that too much takes place inside the main character's head, that there are too many lectures, that the theme doesn't seem to connect to the events.

The sad truth is that I'm not good at writing conflict. I like to think of a book as a dialectic (which term I'm almost certainly misusing). There's a thesis and an anthesis, and they become represented by personalities who struggle against each other.

This works if it is a Man vs. Nature or even a Hero Brought Down by Hubris story. You can describe them all in those terms.

But the key is there needs to be that conflict, and it needs to be carried out into confrontation, the more personalized the better.

And this is where I've failed. The primary action is a linear struggle; she is trying to get from Point A to Point B and there are hardships (and sometimes obstacles, but far too many of the former and far too few of the later). The parallel thread is a mystery, and that is also a linear sequence of discovering the necessary information.

This is my third crack at a novel. As of this moment only the second was completed. In that, I think I did succeed; almost every argument that was advanced was advanced by a personality and was contrasted and contested by another personality (usually the protagonist). And my outline for the potential fourth is also putting more positions into the form of people who can argue for them as well as fight for them.

This one, too many of the arguments are my protagonist, alone, thinking things out. As of the last read, the strongest scenes are those where there is conversation and where in the conversation there is something at stake. Oddly, the Agora scene is one; even though Océane and Phillip are not implicitly opposed in any philosophy or theme, they have strong personalities and constant personal goals throughout the conversation; they are never passive.

Well, okay. I had figured out most of this earlier and that's when I strengthened Vash and Herr Satz. I had intended them to represent thematic arcs. I don't know if they do, but they end up having scenes that contain conflict and are reasonably strong. I am also hoping the coming conversation with Ariadne will also be a good argument.

Thing is, too much of what happens isn't in the form of a conversation. The scene I'm working on right now is Penny learning about ceramic decoration. I have pots, I even have some distracting business, but in the end all I am set up to do is write, "I looked at pots. I learned the following stuff."

So. Are there ways, when I've finished the draft, that I can go back and tear out certain sequences and do the same things...advance the physical plot and the mystery...in a more active way that creates more in the way of interesting conversations and potential conflict?



I gotta add. This whole "conflict" thing is a bit of the Argument Clinic sketch. It isn't about someone shooting at the protagonist whilst they try to find out Who Dunnit. It is about articulated views being strongly presented. That is why the offer to buy off the detective is more interesting than the hoods sent around to beat them up. The latter is a test of their physical courage, strength and/or endurance. The former is a test of their goals and purpose and self identity. The latter is phrased, "Can I keep them from killing me?" The former is, "Is it really worth it, what I do?"



So, yeah, I went through a few hours of depression there. I think this is ultimately a very flawed book. But I have some ideas now how to apply bandaids.