I wrote a blog post for SCBWI-Iowa! Here’s an excerpt, plus a link to the full post below:

I don’t go looking for conflict. When it comes my way, I tend to duck and run or pretend it doesn’t bother me in order to keep the peace.

I would make a pretty boring book character.

Protagonists, by definition, are people of action. They run toward conflict, not away from it. They make decisions, they try things, they fail, they try again. A book is ultimately the story of how the protagonist struggles against a challenge (or a lot of challenges) and comes out changed on the other side.

But we’ve all read stories where the main character is sort of “meh” about the challenges they face, like their heart isn’t in it. Or stories where the plot drags the character along, rather than the protagonist driving the action. Those aren’t the books you share with your friends, they aren’t the ones you buzz about.

Sometimes, when I’m writing, it can be hard to see whether I’m straying into that literary dead zone. I grow to love my characters and start to feel protective of them.

Don’t.

That’s not our job as writers. First and foremost, we’re beholden to the story. And for the good of the story, give your protagonists a conflict that propels them forward. Require them to act. The best stories are rich in both character and plot, and the way to get there is through a meaningful conflict that the protagonist has a critical stake in.

Here are three signs that you’ve inadvertently slipped into a conflict-free story: http://iowa.scbwi.org/2017/05/26/rachel-martin-on-character-and-conflict/

© 2018 Rachel Martin. All Rights Reserved.