Home: Writing for Comic Books: Chapter One - The Basics: The Five Ws

Chapter One
The Basics
(cont'd)

THE THREE MAJOR FORMS OF CONFLICT

Without conflict, there is no drama. Without drama, our stories are incredibly dull. Conflict is anything that stands in the way of your characters achieving their goals. Traditionally, there are three types of conflict:

• Individual vs. Individual

  This is probably the most straight forward form of conflict, especially when you consider the action/adventure genre. This is the traditional hero vs. villain, although it applies whenever two or more individuals (human or not) stand in each other's ways.

• Individual vs. Nature

  This is an individual facing forces of nature or anything outside the control of another individual or him/herself.

• Individual vs. Self

  This is probably the most dynamic and dramatic form of conflict. We refer to this as internal conflict. When an individual has to make a choice between two things that he or she values--especially if the things are valued equally--then there must be consequences in making the choice. That sense of cost is often part of the hero's journey.

  Internal conflict is something with which every reader can identify. We have all had to make choices in our lives, and every choice has its consequences. Sometimes they're small. Choosing the chocolate cake for dessert means you might not get to have the strawberry mousse. This is not a very big deal in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes the choices we face are life-altering. If you quit your job, you may not find another one for six months. Is this a chance you can afford to take? Either way, the process of making the decision is inherently dramatic, especially when something important is at stake.

  For example, Hero Woman may love her mother and father equally. If a life-threatening situation occurs and Hero Woman has time to save only one life, does she choose mom or dad? This is a decision with a huge cost attached. How does she make this choice? What are the ramifications of making the choice? Perhaps Super Guy has learned that his sister is an evil genius responsible for the deaths of millions. Does Super Guy's loyalty to his family or his sense of right and wrong take priority? What are the ramifications of this choice? It is within the ramifications that the story lies.

  We all have things in which we believe. We all have things in ourselves that we like. What happens when we put these things in jeopardy? What happens when we have to question these things? That is the root of internal conflict. If Winifred and Wilbur have grown up believing that killing is wrong and they are put in a situation where they have to kill to save their own lives, how do they live with the taking of life? For that matter, do they choose to sacrifice themselves in order to uphold their ideals? What if they have to kill to save someone else's life? Would they sacrifice their ideals to protect an innocent life? This is the stuff of drama.

FIVE MINOR FORMS OF CONFLICT

Over the years, I have encountered five subcategories of conflict that I feel are worth addressing. I feel that they are actually fall into the above categories, but they may straddle some lines.

• Individual vs. Machine

  This is the hallmark of Science Fiction. However, the machine is usually something physical, and therefore can qualify as Individual vs. Individual.

• Individual vs. Supernatural

  This is a case where the conflict straddles lines. If the supernatural is personified or is solid in some way (such as vampires, werewolves, demons), then it qualifies as Individual vs. Individual. If the supernatural is insubstantial in that it has no physical presence (ghosts), then it may take on elements of Individual vs. Nature.

• Individual vs. Disease

  The disease is an act of nature, but it may also have a physical presence in the way of germs, bacteria, or cancer. This is a case of straddling the lines of nature and individual.

• Individual vs. Society

  I find this a particularly intriguing form of conflict as it can actually be seen as a subcategory of all three major forms of conflict. All societies have rules that its members are expected to follow. When an individual breaks these rules, then they must pay somehow.

  In crime stories, society is represented by the legal system, the police officers who investigate the crimes, the courts which decide guilt or innocence and set punishment. Sometimes society is represented by vigilantes. The superhero genre is built on this concept where the hero upholds society's ideals.

  Every individual within a society is taught what its rules are. Sometimes an individual has to make a choice about whether or not to break one of those rules. If your character grows up being told that stealing is wrong, but then has to steal a loaf of bread in order for he and his family to survive, is that inherently wrong? In this case, the rules may have the sense of nature, especially if the individual believes that a vengeful deity will punish him or her for breaking the rules. There is also the sense of internal conflict. If the person contemplating breaking the rules does distinguish between right and wrong, that is the personal cost in making the "wrong" choice?

• Individual vs. Destiny

  This is an interesting thought put forth by one of my students when he couldn't remember my other subcategories. I have to say it intrigued me enough to add to my list. Destiny could have the force of nature. It might be something that was internalized through indoctrination and then be an example of Individual vs. Self.

Generally speaking, one of the places I often start building a story, especially when I am dealing with a character with a long history, is to define a form of conflict. I like to look at what the character values, whether external or internal, and put that in jeopardy. That conflict will then drive the story.