One of the best sayings I’ve heard this year is, “External conflict forces your hero and heroine together. Internal Conflict forces them apart.”
The perfect balance of both conflicts makes for a pacey page turner. Let one lag and you’ll always end up with the saggy middle or the tension that seems to fizzle and die.
Usually as writers we spend a lot of time honing our external conflict because this forms the basis of our books plot. It’s the spine of our novel upon which everything else hangs. However without internal conflict, the character’s struggle to achieve their goals will be singularly unmoving.
And so while it seems to be secondary, it is just as important.
What’s the best saying you’ve heard this year?

Advertisement