CONFLICT - GMC -Black Moment and HEA

A lot of people find the 'Goal Motivation, Conflict' analysis a help when working on the conflict between their characters.I discussed the sort of goals characters can have earlier -


GOAL

– Something to strive for, for which he/she must prove himself worthy.

-Goals should not be easily obtained, but earned through choices under pressure and through changes in the character.


-The goal your character starts out with may not be the same by the end of the story

MOTIVATION

- Your character must have logical, believable, in character reasons for wanting that goal so badly they’ll do anything to achieve it

– under the circumstances they are in


CONFLICT

- a seemingly insurmountable ‘something’ that will hinder your character from achieving that goal

- something that will force him/her to make difficult choices.

External forces of GMC manifest themselves in a physical way

Internal forces come from inside the character, from their beliefs and emotions


To get a handle on your characters’ GMC –do this test

WANTS - BECAUSE - BUT

He/she WANTS – what?

BECAUSE - why does he want it?

BUT – what is stopping them (Conflict)

THE BLACK MOMENT
- at this point the relationship seems doomed- because the characters are unable or unwilling to resolve the core conflicts that are keeping them apart
- Both the characters and the reader can’t see how the problem would be solved.
- In order to reach HEA (happy ever after ending) they need to learn something they didn’t know before
- Events beyond their control make an about-face
- They COME TO REALISE that love is more important than their problems

THE HAPPY ENDING

- The ending must come about from what has already happened

-What your H&h have learned about themselves creates changes in their attitudes, beliefs and personalities that bring them closer together and can resolve the conflict

- NO RABBITS FROM A HAT
- no DEUS EX MACHINA - something that suddenly happens, some new and unforeshadowed startling piece of information changing everythingat a blow

- Your characters should reach the happy ending by CHANGING/LEARNING/GROWING

(c) Kate Walker