Michael Leask

When someone asks me, “What is the one tip you would give right now for writing?” My answer is that there should always be conflict in a scene. This is not an original idea that I’ve had. Rather, it is something I’ve adopted from the book Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder and with subtle influence from On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Though I’ve read Stephen King’s book numerous times, conflict in a scene comes from Blake Snyder. That book was for screenwriting, but the application is paramount in literature.

What does it mean to have conflict in a scene? For this blog, let a scene be a chapter or an area where the characters interact. Conflict, I think readers will surmise, sounds like yelling, fisticuffs, or an action sequence. This is not accurate. Yes, it can include that, but it can also include resisting the draw to something (an addict to alcohol or someone on a diet to food, etc.), the personal idea of rejection if the character tries for a kiss at the end of a date. The protagonist may be on a plane, and in the seat next to them is a character, and though the character hasn’t said anything wrong, showing their poor mannerisms could set the protagonist’s conflict in the scene.

Why does every scene need to have conflict? It’s an idea to keep the readers engaged and to provide a bump the protagonist or character in the scene comes up against to help overcome to get to the journey’s end. I like thinking about a scene where the protagonist is on a date. As adults, the fruition of dates can end in a few ways. The simplest is a kiss at the end, signifying a continuation of courting. The next would be the great reward of intercourse and whether the act was enough for one or both parties and whether there should be continuation; last, the date could end with no kiss or intercourse, and either the protagonist stays as a friend or goes on their separate way.

Consider the first, a kiss at the end. I think we’ve all been there. Whether to lean in and give the kiss or if there is rejection. Does one ask for permission or chances that the other party uses action to signify acceptance? Is now the right time, or later. Am I attracted to this person to initiate a kiss, or will they do it? If I don’t, will I look like a fool? If I do, and the other person is not interested, will I look like an idiot?

This could be a source of conflict for the character in the scene, which can propel the narrative as the reader cheers or cringes at the character’s actions, thereby adding to the chapter’s engagement and the flow of the story.

I struggle with overeating when I’m depressed. Sometimes, I’m depressed because of world events, societal interactions, or maybe I didn’t reach a significant goal of mine, like eating in moderation to control my weight (a cyclical cycle, I know). Yesterday, before I wrote this piece, I had a draw to Cedar Valley Chips. They’re delicious pita chips with herbs and garlic. I was sitting watching CBC Gem, and I could taste the rosemary and feel the crunch of the salted pita, though the bag remained in another room. My belly moved like a hand pulling the food towards it. It was hard to resist. Was it a food addiction? Was I bored or depressed? I just know the taste was delicious, and I wouldn’t mind having one. Just one? Two isn’t so bad, right? Maybe five. I’ll work out tomorrow and work it off. Thankfully, by the time I was done wondering if I should eat it, I brushed my teeth and put on my retainers—a physical constraint to food consumption. If I were writing myself in that scene, my conflict was whether or not I should eat, thereby showing the reader an aspect of the character and the conflict of whether I gave in to temptation and whether I will in the future.

I think conflict adds to the idea of what this scene is about, but it’s not necessarily what the scene is about. It could be the point of the scene, or it could be an addition to the point of the scene. That is up to the writer and how the writer wants to describe their narrative. However, conflict engages the reader and adds to the character and narrative development to make the reader turn the page.