Using Conflict in Your Stories

First, I want to apologize for not posting a blog last weekend.  I was sick with a head cold and stomach flu even though I had a flu shot.  I hope to make up for it today even though I'm late.

Most of us don't have a lot of discord in our lives, but to write a story without conflict would be boring.  Author's who write page turners add a lot of tension.  Conflict can raise the stakes in any story.  There are many ways to do this. I write romantic suspense, so I always have the element of danger in my stories.

Danger can come from many sources such as a serial killer, an avalanche, a tsunami, earthquake, a fight, war, stalker, etc.  Running for your life can definitely add tension.  I have named a few, but there are many more too numerous to mention.

Another way to add conflict is to have your hero and heroine work against each other.  An example:  Hero is a contractor who is determined to build apartments near a housing district, and the heroine is head of the neighborhood watch in the same area.  She gets a petition started against the building because she believes it will bring in the wrong element to their community.

Another example:  The hero is a fisherman on the Gulf Coast, and the heroine is the spokes person for an oil company defending them after and oil spill in the gulf.  Just think of all the tension you can build in these scenarios.

Another type of conflict is inner conflict.  This is when a hero/heroine fights against the attraction they feel for one another.  This is inner conflict.  One or the other, or both may feel they shouldn't get together of their conflict. There are numerous reasons why they aren't able to get together, especially, when they are at odds like in the examples above.   

Secondary characters can add conflict: for instance an ex can come into the picture and cause all kinds of problems, or it can be a pet, a child, a job, a hobby, etc.  There are all kinds of ways to add tension to your story, so readers can't lay it down until they finish reading your book.

You can use multiple conflicts in your story, but you shouldn't overload so much that your reader gets tired from running all over the place.  The tension in your book has to be realistic, or your reader will be pulled out of the story and think the author is crazy.  In other words, life doesn't always make sense, but your book better be logical, or you've lost your reader.

I have touched on a few ways to ratchet your story up, but there are many more.  Good luck to all the writers out there, and thank you to those who read my blog. 

Have a great (without snow) week, and I'll see you next Sunday.

Best always,

Sandra K. Marshall

http://www.eirelander-publishing.com

The Alpha Male

What is an alpha male? He is a man who takes charge. When thrown in a tough situation he takes action, the alpha male doesn’t wait for the problem to get bigger. He takes over. I’m being repetitive, but I can’t emphasize this enough when it comes to this guy.

Who is the alpha male? He is your husband, brother, son, father, brother-in-law, a neighbor, a co-worker, or anyone. I’m not saying all men are alpha males, but enough of them are so that you feel safe with them when the going gets difficult. They are the ones who take care of their spouses, girlfriends, children when they are in danger.

Why do readers want them in the books they read? Most women want a hero, a person, who is there for them when they are needed. Here is the rub. The alpha male is a take charge kind of man, and he doesn’t turn that attitude off and on at will in real life. So although readers want to read about this guy they may not want one in their real lives all the time. That’s right ladies; we want to see a tender side in our men sometimes. lol

Being a writer, I can provide that for you in the hero of my story. That’s because I’m in charge and not him. Lol It all goes back to women wanting to change their men and make them the way we think they should be. That just isn’t going to happen in real life.

Even in fiction, the hero has his faults and this can be what causes the conflicts in the story. It’s working through those conflicts that a woman likes in a book. It gives her hope that there really is a man like that out there.

The alpha male is succinct in his speech whereas women take longer to get the same thought out, and most men don’t have patience with long winded people. Lol Can an alpha male be tender and soft? Oh yes, he can. Even that grouchy husband of yours, father or son who says, “yeah or whatever” instead of using complete sentences can throw you for a loop when you least expect it. That’s when you know why you love them in the first place.

We all have our alpha males, and all we have to do is remember the good things about them rather than their faults. Grin. I have the perfect one for me.

This is my opinion why people like to read romances about the alpha hero, but do you have a different reason why you like to read them.

Until next Sunday have a good week.

Sandy