I went to an amazing session on conflict by RITA-winner Sarah MacLean. She had a ton of tips on conflict, but this one was by far the best:
Conflict lives in the but (one T).
For example, Jane loves Peter BUT they can’t be together because he’s engaged to her sister. Lisa wants to be a doctor BUT she can’t afford medical school. Mary wants chicken for dinner BUT they only have fish.
Try this for the main goals of your story and even for the goals of each of your scenes. There should always be a But (one T) and the bigger the But (one T), the bigger the conflict.
Category: On Writing