Conflict is the essence of drama. Got none? Then you got none. It’s the primary ingredient that weaves together all the other elements of a novel.
::sigh::
At present, I’ve got a problem. Even though the main character’s got a big external dilemma, her internals are a bit on the slim side.
What’s even more frustrating, I’ve got a cast of people…but most of them are desperately in need of more depth than I’ve already given them. My “love interest” character is one of them. For a romantic character, he’s very odd…a shy guy with his head in the job (a cop). Seriously…he had to be reminded to kiss my protagonist.
Really need to work this out.
The big external dilemma/puzzle is set up. The antagonist has done his job.
Now I need to figure out some of the character arc…
Character Arc—the rocky path of personal growth and development a character undergoes in a story, usually unwillingly, during which the character wrestles with and eventually overcomes some or all of a serious emotional fear, limitation, block or wound.
In a character’s development he or she might overcome:
o lack of courage or inner doubts
o lack of ethics
o learning to love
o guilt
o trauma from the past
o errors in thinking, etc.Weaknesses, imperfections, quirks and vices make a character more real & appealing.
o They humanize a character. The audience can identify with them.
o Flaws and imperfections give a character somewhere to go and progress toward in the story.
o The development of a character is only interesting if they overcome something.
Kat Writes 