More on "Conflict"
Published: February 24, 2006
In the April 2006 issue of The Writer, Jane McBride Choate offers advice on how to use conflict effectively as a key ingredient in children's stories. Here she offers some writing exercises on this topic that put you to work:
Workout
ONE Put on your detective hat and look for examples of conflict in the world around you. Is there a story in your local newspaper? Could you adapt it to your story? Make a list of ideas--aim for 10 to 20.
TWO Identify a character and give him a goal. Then give him another goal that opposes the first. Force him to choose between the two conflicting goals.
THREE Give examples of the different types of conflict (man vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. himself). Then see if you can combine two or three types in one story.
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