The need of conflict

You've read Harry Potter, you've read Lord of the rings, you've read Hunger games and did you stop and realize what hooked you into these books? Conflicts.

The reason you were hooked was because you were engaged, intrigued to find out what happens next, Will Harry die trying to kill Voldemort? What would happen during the war of the ring? Will Katniss survive the games?

These were the hooks that interested the readers, how would the antagonist overcome all the problems?

Conflicts are essential in any story,

• Conflict is interesting: In real life, we tend to socialize with likeminded people, so when we see characters in a movie who disagree, argue and fight, that is different and therefore stimulating.

• Conflict is speaking one’s mind: In our daily lives, we often have to bite our tongue, but movie characters can give voice to things we wish we had the opportunity and courage to say.

• Conflict involves risk: Whereas we may play it safe in our regular routines, we never know what could happen with characters involved in a conflict, an unpredictable dynamic implicit in every fight.

• Conflict requires stakes: Characters don’t get into conflict unless there is something of importance at stake.

• Conflict is about goals: One character wants one thing, another character wants something different.

• Conflict is a battle of wills: There is always the question, “Who is going to win” which makes for an intriguing scenario.

• Conflict is emotional: When characters are engaged in a struggle, it is not a mere exercise in logic, but charged up with feelings.

Conflict generates drama. Conflict is entertaining. But perhaps most important is this: Conflict concerns struggle.

One way of looking at a story is a Protagonist’s struggle to get from the beginning of their physical and psychological journey to its end. There are all sorts of ways that struggle can play out, from overcoming obstacles and roadblocks to dealing with characters who create tests of will.

But there is no struggle as visceral, identifiable and useful as the one between a Protagonist and a Nemesis. Whatever the Protagonist’s Conscious Goal is, which almost always creates the story’s end point, the Nemesis provides opposition in reaching that goal. Indeed, more often than not, the Nemesis has the same goal, only with a different purpose in mind.