on Writing Forward:

All good pieces of writing have a central conflict. The entire narrative builds up to the moment when the conflict reaches its final climax.

In addition to a central conflict, several smaller conflicts along the way build tension.

One way to create light conflict is through opposing opinions. After all, everybody has an opinion, and we constantly disagree with each other. That doesn’t mean we’re always fighting, but it does mean there is a bit of abrasion in our daily dealings.

Real people think differently from one another and so must characters. Think about your favorite books, movies, TV shows, and music. Do your friends and family all agree with you on who should have won last year’s award for best new artist? Of course not. It’s unlikely that everyone you know belongs to the same political party, attends the same church, or even favors the same restaurants.

Opinions and personal beliefs often seem unimportant, but sometimes they affect the course of events.