So, I’m filling out THE BEST PLOTTING WORKSHEET I’ve ever used for The Fear and the Flame. I’ve described the main character, written a one-sentence blurb of the plot, come up with a few subplots and how I’m using other characters, and then I get to this section:

Identify crisis #1 (escalation of the main conflict, or how does it get worse?)

I manage to fill out the section, although the escalation of the main conflict is weak.

Then it asks,

Which of your supporting characters reacts to crisis #1, and how?

And I don’t really have an idea about this one. I scrounge something out of the sky just to answer the question, but it’s not really good.

And this pattern of questioning in the outline repeats itself. There are several sections that keep asking you to escalate the main conflict by making it worse…and I don’t have any idea what to write. I’m stuck.

And friends, the only thing I’ve come up with is the overall solution to the main problem, not the escalation/worsening of the conflict. Basically, I have completely forgotten how to add conflict to the story, and I’m stumped!

…This is largely because I have vibes in my head and only like four scenes imagined. I don’t have a complete story yet, and I was hoping that by filling out the plot worksheet, I could come up with one.

So, now I’m looking for some writing help from the internet. I found this recent article from Writer’s Digest titled “How to Create Conflict for Fun and Profit” and it breaks down inner and outer conflict. For inner conflict, author Sheila Roberts writes,

Inner conflict is what often lays a hesitating hand on a character, trying to hold that character back from whatever triumph or happy ending is waiting or keep that character from making a mistake. Beliefs challenged equal conflict. Conflict is often fear based. […] Lack of confidence can cause inner conflict and provide great opportunity for growth. A character may struggle with doing the right thing when the wrong thing is looking so tempting. Whatever your character is struggling with, allowing readers to see and feel it will create a bond and make them want to go on that journey with your character.

The Fear and the Flame is once again Lily’s book (The Step and the Walk, which comes before it, is Andresh’s). And I mean for Lily to grow into herself more and become more confident. She demonstrates some confidence in The Name and the Key, and I wanted what happens to Andresh to completely destroy her…but my beta reader was like, “Nope!” and we ended with Lily instead showing determination to overcome the impossible, which is much more satisfying.

I think the key here is that I need to keep proving that what Lily wants to do is impossible by showing the escalation of the issue with multiple failures and things getting worse. And for inner conflict, she can doubt whether or not she is strong enough to do what she needs to do, especially with someone as formidable as the demon Isabelle as the opponent.

As for outer conflict, Roberts writes,

Outer conflict deals with the struggle between the protagonist, your hero, and the antagonist, the baddie we readers don’t like. It’s the visual battle between hero and villain that proves your main character’s worth by the end of the story. […] Not all antagonists are created equal. The size of yours will depend on what you’re writing. Antagonists are roadblocks between your main characters and their goals.

[…] One of the best ways I’ve ever heard conflict defined was as goals in opposition. Goals, by the way, are always driven by beliefs. So what preconceived notions, and/or opposing goals do your main characters bring to the table? What will they need to sacrifice or overcome in order to be together? 

Isabelle has fought for a certain lifestyle and to be reunited with someone she cares about. But she used Andresh as the means to get there. Lily wants Andresh back, so she can have a certain lifestyle and be reunited with someone she cares about, but she has to do things that are outside of her character to do so, like commit violence…even murder.

I think my outer conflict is the biggest and most obvious one, and the one I have the clearest idea about, but I don’t know how to do the escalations/worsening of conflict sections yet. I need a good, long, think.

And the final words Roberts shares:

Every scene in your novel should hold some sort of conflict for your character. Each decision that character makes will either create forward progress or a setback which will bring about new conflict. All that struggle is what will lead to your story arc where your character will overcome that final challenge and find resolution.

The plot worksheet is designed to build multiple scenes with conflicts in them by asking you to escalate the conflict every time–to make things worse for the protagonist.

This article did help me out. My brain is starting to whir again with a couple of ideas, which is more than none. I have a lot more to think about, and I hope I can complete the worksheet soon so I can get started writing the novel. I feel like it’s really important I hammer out a plot for this one instead of “pantsing” the whole thing, as this is the end to the trilogy and I need to treat it with care.

I hope my excerpts of the article have helped you out, too!