Comments on: Just Hanging Around

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:20:04 +0000

Janet – no problem! 🙂

By: Janet

Janet — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:02:31 +0000

"But if the roof tile fell on him because when he was doing the roof he wasn't paying attention and was too busy thinking about the heroine, then that's different."

LOL!

Thanks, Jackie.

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:03:19 +0000

Janet – actually, I think that some of these situations are all possible. Like you say, inciting incidents. It’s what the character chooses to do in reaction to those scenarios that is important. For example, the friend forcing the heroine to act outside her character – the heroine may in fact do this as long as it’s her decision and you give her good motivation. And it’s HER choice to act or not. She may feel like she’s being forced, that she has no choice, but that would then be getting into her conflict as to why she might feel that way. Because everyone has a choice in the way they act.
But things like roof tiles falling on the hero – that’s definitely external conflict. But if the roof tile fell on him because when he was doing the roof he wasn’t paying attention and was too busy thinking about the heroine, then that’s different.

By: Janet

Janet — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:19:26 +0000

Now I'm wondering about the types of conflict that need to be avoided (because they are external and the characters are acted upon instead of making their own decisions)

I've thought of all I can -- if anyone knows of more I'd love to have them on my list.

1)A secondary character forcing a character to act in a way that is out of character for her(eg a boss threatening to fire her if she doesn't follow his wishes)

2)A friend who pushes her into doing something against her nature. (As I had in my last story!)

3)A character having to be talked into a MOC (the decision must be hers alone and only because she sees something in the arrangement that could bring her her inner need and if she agrees she needs to holds some bargaining power)

4) Any situation where the characters are acted upon instead of making their own decisions eg a piece of roof tile falls on hero's head so he misses their date.

Or heroine's car won't start and the situation throws her into the hero's company.

Or a snowstorm forces them to spend time together (okay for an inciting incident but not for later in the story?)

I'm not sure if an unexpected pregnancy falls into this conflict category, but considering the number of times its used i'm guessing that it's okay (because it's a consequence of character action?)

By: Janet

Janet — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:04:22 +0000

"the hero's need to be put first is internal conflict. Her letting herself be distracted is also internal. There are no outside forces urging them to be together or apart, they make their own decisions about whether or not they see each other - that make sense?"

Jackie, that's a lightbulb moment for me! Thank you so much for explaining it all :) i really do get it now.

I would previously have classed her being diverted/distracted from her external goal as external conflict (as it's an obstacle to her getting attaining her external goal.) But I can see now that some outside force isn't forcing her to move her attention away from the goal -- she's made the decision all by herself.

If a prolonged snowstorm prevented her from reaching her exteral goal that would be external conflcit? But if her feelings are allowing her to react in a way that diverts her from her exernal goal that's internal?

And... she chooses to be distracted by him because at this particular point in the story giving the hero her attention provides a greater feeling of self worth than pursuing her external goal does? (Him wanting her attention,and making no secet of it, brings a huge feeling of self worth?)

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:50:13 +0000

Heidi – yay, another Titanic loather! Yup, the ship sinking was the best part. 🙂
Agree totally re the first trilogy. The triple bill sounds fantastic (apart from the heat). My parents bought me the record when Star Wars first came out (no videos then!) and I absorbed all the dialogue in the way kids do – still can quote large chunks of the movie. But Han Solo…indeed, I need more scoundrels in my life. Sigh.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:32:47 +0000

Just had to pop in and say I loathed Titanic too… Got to the stage where I was thinking ‘sink the damn ship already so we can have some action!!’…

And I loved Star Wars to the extent that I went to see a triple bill (of the original trilogy of course, the rest of it was a CGI borefest) at the Hammersmith Odeon on the hottest afternoon London has ever seen (and they do not have air-con)… I nearly died of heat exhaustion but Han Solo was soooo worth it for me!

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:28:58 +0000

Janette – it WAS pretty romantic, I have to say. He even got down on one knee. And rang my very surprised father for permission. Lol!

By: Janette Radevski

Janette Radevski — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:01:20 +0000

LOL on the leggings and the doc martens! I LOVE all your things, but getting engaged in Prague tops it, THAT is the defition of romance…

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:29:23 +0000

Janet – the hero’s need to be put first is internal conflict. Her letting herself be distracted is also internal. There are no outside forces urging them to be together or apart, they make their own decisions about whether or not they see each other – that make sense? The only other bit of external plot is that she’s only in London for two weeks but whether she goes or not will be all down to her internal conflict.
Yes, internal conflict is the driver. Certainly for category these days and definitely for Modern Heat. It’s all about the character. Their decisions, their actions determine your plot. Which is why you need good, strong internal conflict.

Yay for getting it. It’s taken me a while, I can tell you. And hey, may have gotten it wrong this time but the ed did okay the conflict so at least I have that part right!