Conflict in your Romance novel

On April 24, 2010 authors Virna DePaul and Tawny Weber spoke to the Silicon Valley chapter of RWA on Conflict, Conflict, Conflict and Character Growth. Ms. DePaul sold her first book to Berkeley Publishing in 2009 and Ms. Weber has multiple published novels by Harlequin Blaze since 2006. She is also a three times Golden Heart finalist. As if they were a well synchronized tag team, they lectured us on conflict.

Conflict is opposition between the characters and moves the story along. It forces your character to act and gives them a purpose, but keeps them from getting to their goals. It is important that if you use the protagonist or antagonist conflicts, the characters cannot walk away and must be revealed within the first fifteen pages of your novel, depending upon its length.

Why is it so important? Because without conflict there is no story. Your character needs to suffer and work at overcoming or the happily ever after won’t be earned. The reader wants to know what happens next, how they relate, and to care. What does he/she really want? Which path does he take? Why does each path have its issues? What new issues come with his decision?

There are three times of conflict in a romance novel. (1) Situation or External Conflict. This is the day to day, security issues that normally plague even you and me. (2) Emotional or Internal conflict. These are insecurities, fears, doubts, etc. It is separate from the relationship. (3) Romantic conflict. This keeps them back from being a couple. It is a conflict between their internal and external being in opposition to their goals.

Anti conflicts include Man versus Self (their past, fears, and misconceptions), Man versus Something or Someone else (similar to External Conflict and can be Man, society, nature, technology, or even destiny), and finally Man versus love (character against character).

In your novels it is important to use the formula Problem plus Goal plus Conflict equals Less Obvious Action. Conflict should be believable, should be emotional, and should be personal. Show conflict in all aspects of your writing from action (what your characters do) to narration (what your character thinks), and to dialog (what your characters say). Make use of the Conflict Arc.

To improve use of conflicts use it in your every stage of a novel: Character insights; situation/opposing goals; stakes-what’s at risk; planning of action; knowledge/anticipation; obstacles/resistance to plan; execution/delivery; effect/aftermath; contemplation; Reaction/action and conclusion.