Various Forms of Conflict, Part 3: Man vs. Man

Thus far we have discussed conflict’s meaning and how to use it in a tale, as well as two branches of conflict – Man vs. Society and Man vs. Self. We then took a brief intermission to discuss the importance of these two types of conflict, in part because I became tired and needed a…

Intermission: Blending Interior and Exterior Storytelling

You may have noticed that the prior two posts on conflict focused on plots which deal primarily with the inner battles fought by the protagonists. There are several reasons for this, the first and foremost being that even the story which focuses primarily on physical action will require inner strength from your hero or protagonist.…

Personal Tics – It’s the Little Things that Make a Character

Someone very kindly shared this picture with me. I admit, I hadn’t noticed the above similarity before, though I did notice Steve would hold his belt in an interesting manner on occasion. Having it pointed out that this is something Bucky would do and that Steve is imitating him, however, does make sense. Why? It…

Big Boys Don’t Cry! – A Look at Male Vulnerability in Fiction

There is a trend – perhaps seen frequently now, perhaps still moving about “on little cat feet,” as the poet says of the fog – that praises how men are crying more in films and TV shows. It may include books as well, but if so, I have yet to see those mentioned. A great…

Nice Guys Finish Last? Depends on One’s Definition of “Nice”

We have discussed Nice Girls, but what about Nice Guys? The standard response to that is: “Yeah, well, you know where Nice Guys finish – last.” Depending on the definition of “nice” in use, this can be quite true. But as with Nice Girls, Nice Guys do not all follow the perceived pattern of “nice”…

Reflections on the Modern View of Villains

From Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda.* Although the above quote appears clever and wise, it is in fact circuitous and facile. This does not make it wrong, necessarily, but it does avoid the meaning of the proverb it seeks to replace. While it can be beneficial to approach a delicate point obliquely, it is quite another matter…