Conflict is the tool that fills up the vast majority of your story and provides the bumps that are the journey the reader takes from the opening character-with-a-goal to the closing character-who's-achieved-(or not)-her-goal. So . . . What is Conflict? Half a dozen masters put conflict this way: two dogs, one bone. "The idea of … Continue reading Core Conflict: What is it?
Category: Plot
Stakes: So what? Who cares?
The masters agree: stories most often fail because the stakes aren't high enough. But there is plenty we can do to ensure lack of stakes doesn't happen to our stories. What are Stakes? Although many masters discuss them, only a few actually define stakes: For Karl Iglesias, "Stakes are what your character has to win or lose;" they "are … Continue reading Stakes: So what? Who cares?
