LEVEL THREE: INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
Interpersonal Conflict scenes reveal how the protagonist and love interest, if applicable, are affected by friends and foes. These conflicts test the protagonist’s friendships, loyalties, and will to continue.
This is your verbal camera focused on stage left. Interpersonal conflicts are the push and pull away from the action needed to solve the story problem by secondary characters.
Depending on the point of view, they can involve the friends and foes interacting with the protagonist, love interest, antagonist, or each other. Friends and foes can be used in any combination of scenes that fit with your story line. There will be both positive and negative interchanges with these characters.
Interpersonal scenes address subplots and side stories which should culminate before the climax, with everyone lined up and revealed to be on which side of the fight. Subplots should circle back to and intersect the external story problem. If they don’t, you should consider cutting them.
Secondary characters should have an agenda and stakes. They want to hide, reveal, provide, or take something away. Their personal goals may be at odds with the protagonist’s goal, or the antagonist’s goal. Their situation may complicate the overall story problem, intentionally or unintentionally.
If you are writing in third person omniscient or shifting point of view, you can use the different viewpoints to express the friends’ and foes’ thoughts and feelings or show them taking actions the protagonist would be unaware of.
Interpersonal scenes require the most flexibility depending on the point of view you choose, the number of subplots, and the length of the story. You should decide how many scenes each subplot requires, but they should not exceed the number dedicated to the main throughline. List notes for each subplot scene including inception, complications, and conclusion.
Let’s say that Jane is in love with Ted and wants to help him. Captain Curtis is in charge of the space shuttle. General Smith represents the military and controls the satellite. Bob is the ground crewman controlled by Ted. Jane works with Ted and Dick.
Interpersonal Conflict 1: Jane meets with Ted to declare her feelings before it is too late. He manipulates her into helping him without telling her the real reason.
Interpersonal Conflict 2: Jane meets with Dick and gives him erroneous data.
Interpersonal Conflict 3: General Smith argues that his satellite is too important to be used to adjust the meteor’s trajectory. It could cause more harm than good. They should blow it up.
Interpersonal Conflict 4: Bob tries to tinker with the satellite, but almost gets caught by Jane.
Interpersonal Conflict 5: General Smith relents and allows the satellite to be used.
Interpersonal Conflict 6: Captain Curtis balks at sending the laser to the space station.
Interpersonal Conflict 7: Captain Curtis appeals to his crew. Is anyone willing to go? Captain Curtis decides to go himself.
Interpersonal Conflict 8: Ted and Jane have a show down. Jane can’t believe Ted is so evil.
Interpersonal Conflict 9: Bob rats on Ted.
Interpersonal Conflict 10: Jane and Bob celebrate when the shuttle succeeds.
Interpersonal Conflict 11: General Smith tells Dick to stay. He is too valuable an asset to retire.
LAYER FOUR: INTERNAL CONFLICT
Internal Conflict scenes introduce and explore the personal dilemma your protagonist struggles with. The verbal camera is focused with a tight spotlight beaming on the protagonist in the background. Use these scenes to reveal the protagonist’s back-story and show him dealing with his guilt, pain, or need which leads up to and is resolved by his point of change.
These conflicts test the protagonist’s character and faith. They make him question who he is and what he does. These are the emotional complications or ties that bind that complicate the overall story problem.
If the love interest has equal weight, you can explore her personal dilemma and point of change in these scenes as well.
Internal conflict scenes can be flashbacks, dreams, and revelations of back-story through memories or an encounter with a friend or foe.
You can show him exhibiting one type of behavior in the beginning and a complete reversal of behavior at the end to show the point of change.
These scenes can reveal the event that happened in the past and how it changed him: he deals with the death of his partner, the loss of his wife, or the child he didn’t save.
The internal conflict often culminates in the section after the climax, where we find out if the protagonist lives happily ever after. It can also culminate just prior to the climax.
That does not mean other characters cannot be in these scenes or that he is not doing anything. It means the verbal camera is zeroed in on his thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions to the underlying problem that drives him and complicates the overall story problem.
In this Thriller, Dick’s personal dilemma focuses on his marriage. His marriage is on the rocks because he is a workaholic. He had planned to retire but this latest crisis forces him to keep working.
Internal Conflict 1: Dick and Sally make plans to go on a long-awaited vacation. He gets a call.
Internal Conflict 2: Dick informs Sally that he isn’t retiring after all. He can’t tell her why.
Internal Conflict 3: Dick and Sally fight about the vacation. Looks like we’ll have to cancel it.
Internal Conflict 4: Sally gives Dick an ultimatum. “I’m tired of waiting. It’s me or the job.” Dick replies, “If I don’t do this there won’t be any me or you.” Sally asks, “What do you mean?” To which Dick replies, “I can’t tell you.”
Internal Conflict 5: Sally accuses Dick of having an affair with Jane at work. Dick is called away.
Internal Conflict 6: Dick finds Sally packing her bags. He begs, “Don’t leave. I love you. I’ve always loved you.” Sallies feels otherwise, “Then why are you ruining things?” Should he tell? Is it better for her to know or not know that their days might be numbered?
Internal Conflict 7: Sally tells Dick that she received a call from Ted and that he said there was no reason for Dick to stay at work. That he is lying to her.
Internal Conflict 8: Dick tells Sally the truth.
Internal Conflict 9: Dick and Sally spend the evening together knowing it may be their last.
Internal Conflict 10: Dick and Sally leave for the airport to go on their vacation.
In the next section, we will look at the best way to layer our conflict ideas. For more information on this process for all story skeletons, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict.