Creating and Beefing Up the Conflict in Your Story

Your story has a great beginning—a great hook that will capture the reader instantly. You have an interesting, funny, or mischievous protagonist who will keep the reader engaged.

But will it be enough to keep the reader turning the pages to the end? Is there something missing?

Children’s stories aren’t what they use to be. Granted, many stories from years ago did have conflict, but they would not cut it in today’s children’s market.

In today’s children’s writing world, writing must be tight and focused. And, you need conflict. The conflict is like a detour or obstacle in the road from point A to point B. The protagonist must figure out a way over, under, around, or through it.

Examples You Can Use to Create and Beef up the Conflict:

Tommy wants more than anything to play baseball, but he’s not very good. The other boys never willingly choose him for their team. How will Tommy overcome this problem?

What if Tommy gets the best bat and glove on the market? Will this make him a better ball player?

Kristen’s friends all have new bikes, but she has her older sister’s hand-me-down. Kristen needs to figure out a way to get a new bike.

What if Kristen finally gets a new bike and leaves it unattended at the park. It gets stolen and she’s afraid to tell her parents, so keeps this little bit of information to herself. But, how long can she keep this up?

What if Billy had a run-in with the school bully, and ever since, he’s been harassed every day. How can Billy get out of this mess?

So, how do you create and build conflict?

The first step is to give your protagonist a clear-cut goal. Then thwart that goal with pitfalls (conflict).

The way to create and build conflict is to use “how” and “what if” to generate conflict and get your story off the ground and flying.

In the article “What to Aim For When Writing,” children’s writer Margot Finke advises, “A slow buildup of tension gives good pace. Dropping hints and clues builds tension, which in turn moves your story along. Short, punchy sentences give better pace than longwinded lines.”

The same strategy is used for chapter, middle-grade, and young adult books, but more is involved.

Finke advises to keep the reader engaged by ending each chapter with a kind of cliffhanger. This doesn’t mean you need a life and death scenario, just something that entices the reader to move on to the next chapter, to be engaged enough to what to find out what happens next.

In addition, using pace to add or increase tensions is another strategy. To increase your story’s pace in certain sections, use shorter chapters. Chapters with five to sever pages create the sense of a quicker pace.

Use these tips to help create your own page-turning children’s story.

Theme and Your Story
Imagery and Your Story
Writing with Clarity

I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, editor, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.

OTHER HELP I OFFER:

HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK
A DIY book to help you write your own children’s book.

PICTURE BOOK, CHAPTER BOOK, MIDDLE GRADE COACHING
Four to twelve-week coaching programs.

WRITERS ON THE MOVE SELF-PUBLISHING HELP
Self-publishing help for children’s authors.

You can contact me at: kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. Or give me a call at 347—834—6700. (Please leave a message- I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.)