 Drama: July 29, 2009 Issue [#3181] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: Adriana Noir  
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| Drama is one of my favorite genres and I'm really looking forward to hosting a monthly slot alongside such an awesome team! This week, I wanted to touch upon conflict and how it fuels the dramatic fires. |
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There is a saying, “ Drama is Conflict.” I got to thinking about this and realized how true it is. Be it in real life or in fiction, wherever there is conflict, especially that fueled by emotion, drama ensues. Some of us go out of our way to avoid it in day-to-day dealings, content to read about it or watch it from afar on our television screens. Others feel a constant need to “stir the pot,” seemingly unhappy unless they are perpetuating conflict or surrounded by argument. It brings to mind another saying, “misery loves company.” This, too, sounds with a loud ring of truth, especially in the drama genre.
There are many kinds of conflict. Some of the most successful movies and television shows are centered around deep seeded emotional conflict, but this is not to be confused with plot. If you think of a story as being similar to the human body, you will see that characters are the heart and soul, pumping life blood through the system. The plot, like our skeleton, is the underlying structure holding everything together. Conflict is the muscle of the story, propelling everything into action. Without it, there would be no action, no movement. With each new conflict, no matter how big or small, you give rise to action and build more drama.
One of my favorite kinds to write and read is inner conflict. As humans, we are all prone to making mistakes. Some can be more devastating errs in judgment than others. We also are all capable of great good or evil. This alone presents an interesting struggle. Be it obligations or promises made to family, friends, or strangers, or morals we were raised with, we all have a set of guidelines we follow. When our own interests or actions go against those ingrained into us, conflict arises. It can cause confusion, guilt, anger, fear, or any combination of the above. These are great emotions to explore within a character.
What happens when the path we choose differs from those our parents, friends, or loved ones would have us take?
What happens when we make a mistake? Now matter how big or small, there is always an internal reaction. Often we are much better at forgiving others than we are ourselves.
What possibilities can arise from one small deviation, one tiny shift from the norm? Taking that early train in the morning could save lives or cost them. How many times have we run a few minutes late or had a feeling to leave early, only to pass an accident on the way?
Conflict. For every action there is a reaction, and playing on those human emotions and the inner struggles we all face day to day can make for a great drama. The deeper you delve, the stronger the connection will be between your audience and the characters you give them. These issues can be as big or as small as you want to make them, but don’t forget to move your story along and give it the muscle it needs by infusing conflict. After all, a story, like the body, can have the strongest bones and a healthy blood supply, but once that heart is no longer beating or moving, everything else comes to a screaming halt!
Best wishes and happy writing!
~Adriana Noir
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As a new editor, I don't have any past feedback to share. I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions though.  If you have any suggestions or topics you would like to see covered, let me know! until then, I'll leave you with this question: what is your favorite kind of conflict and why? See you next month! |
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