Yesterday's Write Practice talked about Conflicts, and how ideally there should be three:
- External - World
- External - Personal
- Internal Conflict
This actually ties in quite nicely with the character development sheet I've been working on for my male protagonist, so I thought I would try and flesh out some of the conflicts that he has, or do affect him:
External - World
J's upbringing in a quiet coastal town, with happy and loving parents. His father died, which is one conflict in his life, but the biggest, and most telling, was that he was unaware that he was the grandson of a Duke. His grandfather died when was 11, and he inherits the dukedom. He's taken away from everything secure, happy and certain, to a life of misery and loneliness.
External - Personal
Plunged into a totally different world he has to learn to navigate and find himself. He is bullied at school, but does manage to find a few close friends, who are able to accept him, and look past his unconventional childhood.
He desperately misses his mother and close family servant, and is never allowed to see them. He is allowed to correspond with home infrequently.
Internal Conflict
Partly because of his nature, but fuelled in the greater extent by what has happened to him since his grandfather's death, he has become obsessive about controlling his environment - the ultimate neat freak. In actual fact, he could be considered to have mild Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Everything needs to be in its place and run to time. This causes amusement, and some frustration with his friends, but has prevented him from forming strong emotional attachments/relationships with females. He is a virgin, but has become adept at covering it up.
However, he harks back to his happy live with both of his parents, and feels that there is something missing - he has no idea how to go about letting go enough to allow some woman into his life.
© Kay Bolton
This exercised has proved really useful, I just need to work them into the actual novel now.
Obviously, I have allowed for 2 pinch points as well, but don't see them as conflict areas necessarily.
Hugs
Kay
