5 Steps to Evaluate Conflict in Your Novel Draft

Understanding Progressive Complications

• 💡 Progressive complications are defined as conflict that escalates and becomes progressively harder to deal with over time.
• 🎯 This concept applies not only to individual scenes but also to the overarching global story.
• 📚 For deeper insights into writing conflict, refer to episode #21 or the linked article on progressive complications.

Step 1: Identify Character's Goal and Expectations

• 🎯 Clearly define the point of view character's goal within the scene: what they want to achieve or obtain.
• 🗺️ Outline the character's plan to achieve their goal and what they expect to happen as a result.
• 🧠 Understanding expectations is crucial because the struggle arises when things don't go as planned, which keeps the reader engaged.

Step 2: List Obstacles and Complications

• 🚧 Create a chronological list of everything that impedes the character's progress towards their goal.
• 🧩 These complications can be positive or negative, internal or external, such as a storm, an unexpected invitation, or an intrusive thought.
• ➡️ Visualize complications as elements that distract the character from a direct path to their goal, bumping them off course.

Step 3: Rank and Assess Escalation of Complications

• 📈 Rank the listed complications based on their difficulty or the character's proximity to their goal (e.g., 1-10 scale or close/far).
• ⚠️ The primary goal is to determine if the complications escalate properly, meaning they generally increase in intensity or impact.
• ✍️ If complications jump erratically (e.g., 1, 3, 10, 1), it signals a need to revise the scene to maintain forward momentum and tension.

Step 4: Identify the Turning Point

• 🔄 The turning point is the moment the character's original plan becomes unviable, forcing a decision on what to do next.
• 🤔 It often occurs when the character learns something, does something, or has something happen that changes their circumstances.
• ✅ In an ideal scenario, the turning point aligns with the most significant complication; if not, it indicates a need to introduce or strengthen it.

Step 5: Evaluate Global Story Impact

• 🌍 Assess how the scene contributes to the overall narrative and moves the global story forward.
• 🔗 Consider the scene's place within the chain of conflict or progressive complications of the entire story.
• 🚀 Determine if the scene effectively aids in creating the arc of change for the global story.

Example: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• 🏆 The scene analyzed involves Harry and friends using a port key to travel to the Quidditch World Cup.
• 🔑 Complications included: Mr. Weasley's uncertainty about the destination (rank 1), being recognized by Amos Diggory (rank 2), Harry's confusion about the port key (rank 3), and uncertainty about letting go of the port key (rank 4, turning point).
• ⚡ This seemingly minor scene sets up crucial plot points, including Harry meeting Cedric, learning about port keys for later use, and encountering the Death Eaters.