Conflict is King - Story Writing Advice

Do you want to write but don't know where to start or how? Start with the conflict. Conflict comes before plot. Conflict is about the drama; Completely absent of the setting, myth, magic, cool powers, fate, or whatever. These other things are not a factor in drama, they're only flavor.

Here is your checklist for conflict; Not plot, conflict. Fill in the blanks for Protagonist, Antagonist, X, Y, and Z:

• The protagonist wants X. If the protagonist does not get X, then Y happens.
• The antagonist wants Z. In order for the antagonist to have Z, the protagonist cannot have X.
• The antagonist therefore threatens to cause Y.
• The protagonist is small. The antagonist is big. The protagonist cannot beat the antagonist.

For clarity:

• X is the protagonist's goal.
• Y is what's at stake. The stakes should feel very important to the protagonist.
• Z is the antagonist's goal. This is the obstacle for the protagonist.

Example: Max is a barbarian prince (Protagonist) who wants to marry Carry (X), a sickly barbarian peasant without wide child-bearing hips. If Max doesn't marry Carry, he will never have love (Y happens). Max's dad, Maximillan (Antagonist), says no, your role is to be a leader of men for our people, and my role is to make sure of that. Therefore, I will arrange your marriage with a proper woman so your lineage will be strong (Z).

The conflict here is that Max (Protagonist) is opposed to his dad, Maximillan, and is expressed in the because. Max wants Carry because. Maximillan wants Max to marry a proper woman because. Each character has valid reasons.

Setting can be functional. All you have to do is come up with consequences for the setting if Max chooses Carry. For example, if Max chooses Carry, Maximum will disown Max and instate his second born son, Mini-Max, as heir. Mini-Max is a git and a prat who wants to make war with all the other barbarian clans (neighbors) and take over the region. This may cause war and destabilize the region, making the region weak and vulnerable to attacks from people outside the region (foreign threats).