Are You Writing Serious Fantasy? II

[littlemanpoet]

What do you mean by conflict? How does conflict drive a plot?

Not stupid at all, Imladris! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Conflict in a story, as well as in real life, is when two different people do things, or want things, that both can't do or want at the same time. That was too confusing to be worth it. I'll try again, by means of examples.

My two primary protagonists are step-brothers. #1 had his Dad, #2 had his Mom and Mom and Dad got married. #2 and Dad never really developed much of a relationship. #1 and Mom were constantly at war because Mom was always trying to force #1 to take #2 along with him everywhere, which #1 couldn't stand. So there you have conflict between #1 and Mom, between #1 and #2, and between #2 and Dad. That doesn't sound much like fantasy, but it is background.

My magical Society has three factions; the light faction is trying to hold power and the dark faction is trying to take it away. The middle faction is trying to transcend the whole power play thing and get on with practicing the Art.

In my faerie world, it's light versus dark.

My #1 protag is taken to my faerie world by a lady faerie. Thing is, he's engaged. He's not romantically interested in the faerie lady, but #1 looks and acts just like the faerie lady's lost lover. #1 has to choose between the faerie world and his fianceé. There's conflict.

How do these people's desires conflict with each other? Throw a magic sword in the midst of the Society and the power struggle intensifies around the new item.

And so on. I hope that helps. If I'm still being unclear, let me know and I'll try again.