%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC |
|
This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario. An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"  Feel free to comment and interact. |
| Types Of Conflict This is based on some work by K.W. Weiland Conflict is what makes stories work. Without some form of conflict, stories would just be a series of events that happen and everyone lives happily ever after. Rather boring, really. However, conflict is not just two people arguing or going after the same goal. The way people approach conflict is different. Conor McGregor does not think but just hits or throws things; Pope John Paul II always looked for the compromise in any situation. Very different ways of managing conflict. Our characters should reflect these differences as well. As such, Weiland describes 5 main types of conflict when it comes to people. 1. The Competing Style This is the character who just wants what they want and will do whatever it takes to get it. They have high assertiveness and low co-operation – it’s their way or the highway. They value victory over everything else, including their relationships. While this may seem like a stereotypical villain, they are also very effective leaders. They tend to look big picture and ignore minutiae. Selfish and yet efficient. They see things in terms of winning and losing. They tend towards aggression as a first course of action. example: Captain Ahab in Moby Dick (Herman Melville), whose single-mindedness to get the titular whale makes him convince most of the crew to ignore the boat’s actual job, even if it kills crew members. 2. The Collaborating Style This is when a character tries to work with who they are up against, looking for a win-win situation. These people have high assertiveness and high co-operation – they want to find a solution that works for everyone. They want to win, but don’t want others to be seen as losers. They do make good leaders, but are ruled by the heart rather than the head. They can also create a situation where everyone loses. example: Kerrick in West Of Eden who tries to get the worlds of humans and Yilané together without either side losing face, even in the face of opposition. 3. The Compromising Style This is the character who wants everyone to meet in the middle, each side giving a little and taking a little at the same time. They are equal assertive an co-operative, sitting right in the middle of everything. While they seem to come to a solution, everyone is left a little unhappy at the result. They are often depicted as chasing ideals that will never be reached. However, they do see all sides of situations. They realise not everyone can win without losing a little, and so do not make efficient leaders. example: Dax and Starling in Back Of The Farm (Lilliana Rose), Dax was in love with a married woman, Starling was in love with Dax’s brother, they found one another, the friendship grew, and their getting together was a compromise, and they lived Happy For Now, despite Starling still being in love with Dax’s brother and Dax never extinguishing his flame for the married woman. To be honest, I found it rather sad. 4. The Accommodating Style This character just wants everything to be peaceful. They are low in assertiveness but high in co-operation. They will sacrifice themselves or their own desires if it means there will be peace between people. They do tend to be more empathetic and understanding of others, and make very poor leaders. Those who are assertive will walk all over these people. Because of this, they rarely get what they want and so are often unfulfilled, and this can lead to inner conflict for them. These characters, by the way, do not drive the plot forward. example: I struggled here, but maybe Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (F.Scott Fitzgerald) who seems to give and help, and yet cannot get Daisy and dies in the end without her. 5. The Avoiding Style This is the person who does not face any conflict at all and runs away or avoids it completely. They have low assertiveness and low co-operation. This is not the person who completely acquiesces, but the one who runs away. There is not conflict in their world because they manage to avoid it. They are often written as passive-aggressive, though. They also tend to be loners and have trouble even engaging with other characters. example: At the very start of Homer’s Iliad, this was Achilles. He disguised himself as a woman named Pyrrha to avoid fighting (mainly because he knew he was fated to die at Troy) and stayed that way until Odysseus found him. Mixing Conflict Styles Most characters will be one of these, but many will have a secondary conflict style that comes to the fore especially when they are backed into a corner. This should not come out of nowhere, but there should be hints that it is in them before, like the Lion in The Wizard Of Oz they go and eat a bunch of bad guys. This secondary style is often more immature (e.g. an avoidance secondary might be crying). Characters may have to learn as part of character growth how to temper their normal conflict style. Characters may have to deal with people of a dramatically different conflict style, which can cause some interesting dynamics. Groups can consist of people with differing conflict styles which can make for even more interesting dynamics. Lord of the Rings does this well. To quote Weiland: “The five conflict management styles—Competing, Collaborating, Compromising, Accommodating, and Avoiding—offer writers a structured way to design believable interpersonal conflict. Each style is defined by how characters balance assertiveness (pursuing their own goals) and cooperativeness (considering others’ goals). Assigning conflict styles to characters adds depth, realism, and tension to your scenes and relationships. Going further, to mix different styles in your cast can then naturally generate friction and plot momentum. You can even shift a character’s style over time to create satisfying character arcs.” I hope that helps! |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
