on Jami Gold:

Over the years, I’ve talked many times about the role of conflict in our stories, as conflict is far more than just “fighting.” Conflict refers to whatever stands between our characters and their goals.

Those obstacles are often other characters, as any character with goals different from our protagonist can be an antagonist. However, those characters won’t necessarily be villains, and in fact, we might need to be careful we don’t portray conflict in ways that vilify characters, especially in stories and genres with strong interpersonal relationships, such as romance.

How can we include non-burn-down-the-world conflict between our characters and yet avoid making that conflict boring? Today L. Deborah Sword, a professional Conflict Manager, joins us to share insights and tips into portraying story-worthy and well-managed conflict between our characters.