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…

Forms of Conflict, Part 2: Man vs. Self

Last week, we discussed the type of conflict known as Man vs. Society. This time we are talking about the kind of plot known as Man vs. Self. That is, Man versus his own inner weaknesses, flaws, and sins. Foxfier and I discussed this conflict in Crossover Queen’s post here. In the process, Foxfier made…

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…

Forms of Conflict, Part 1: Man vs. Society

Previously, we discussed conflict – its definition and how to build it in a story. This article and the following ones will delve into types of conflict, an idea that was prompted by a discussion I had with Foxfier in the comments here. It brought to mind the idea that the kinds of conflict which…

A Reflection on the Trickster Archetype

I had cause to look up these videos again recently, readers. If you saw this post on my newsletter, you may recognize the reference. This video went a long way to helping that post be written. A word on the Joker: yes, he should be dead. Batman, however, is not the one who should kill…

Love Among Characters – A Reflection

“Considering it, he realized that somehow he never worried about Miriam, and that was wrong. He did not worry about her because she seemed so self-sufficient, so strong. She was like their mother had been, only more so, much more so. But he felt it was wrong to think of a girl that way…It was…

Avengers – Assemble! A Look Back at Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

A friend sent me a video about the Wasp (see below) as she was presented in Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes*, a popular and well-beloved animated series starring Marvel’s team of the same name. I found the video quite interesting not only because it listed several of the reasons why I like Janet van Dyne –…

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 Girls – Are They More or Less Difficult to Write than Bad Girls?

“Playing good girls in the ‘30s was difficult, when the fad was to play bad girls. Actually I think playing bad girls is a bore; I have always had more luck with good girl roles because they require more from an actress.” Olivia De Havilland via BrainyQuote.com Olivia De Haviland as Melanie Hamilton in Gone…

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 10: Character Progression – What About Characters Broken Beyond Repair?

Per the sixth installment in this series, we have seen that characters do not simply break due to an “earthshattering event.” The eighth installment, which had to be split into three separate articles, went into detail about how characters broken by other people can heal from this trauma. Some rightly ask, however, about the Character…