By Ian Irvine www.ianirvine.com
- Why inner conflict is a vital part of great storytelling;
- What an inner conflict is and how it works to captivate your readers;
- Key ways to create powerful inner conflicts, including use of a prior wound, and by finding compelling reasons for the hero to not pursue his story goal;
- 31 other ways to create inner conflict;
- How to heighten inner conflict;
- How to satisfyingly resolve inner conflict; and
- How best to show inner conflict on the page.
Why is inner conflict such a vital aspect of storytelling?
One of the best ways to create memorable and compelling characters, and an unputdownable story, is by giving them powerful inner conflicts.
Whenever a reader experiences profound empathy for a character, it is because the character is in the throes of intense inner conflict (Frey, How to Write a Damn Good Novel). Inner conflict bonds the reader to the hero because the torment arising from his conflict confirms that he has a lot to lose (Bell, Conflict and Suspense). For example, the hero knows a secret that could win the war for his country, but if he reveals it, enemy agents will kill his family. What does he do? See More . . .
