Way too many good reasons to murder someone

by Joyce A. Fetteroll, Version 1.1, July 2014 -- Updated

Or kill someone. Depends on your point of view. But murder does have a more dramatic sound to it.

This list of reasons to murder someone is just the tip of the blade poking out of the black trench coat.

I've divided them into categories. Some clearly belong in one category. Some I've duplicated and put in more than one category. Some are duplicates with different wording. Some could go either way depending on what is gained and whether someone gains greater control or merely freedom from being mauled.

And it is all about personal gain. It may, for the killer, be gaining freedom from an attacking monster, gaining greater control, gaining peace and quiet, gaining money, gaining a sense of having made the world a little bit better ....

There's even an aspect of personal gain in mercy killings. The murderer gains the freedom of not having the memory of his/her victim suffering through his/her inaction, even if he/she also gains the knowledge that he/she has done something he/she can't live with having done.

Update, July 2014

I came across a great post, Murderous Motivations, that delves into what are considered the 4 motivations for murder: love/sex, greed, revenge, and madness. My list is obviously much longer! But I would be very surprised if my categories wouldn't fit neatly into the 4 broader categories, especially since she says Ed McBain had a sleuth driven to discover a new motive for murder who failed. She also lists the FBI's 4 categories of murder. And finally she gives a selection of the motives -- way more than mine! -- in The Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime by Eric W. Hickey. You can see the full list of motives in the book's table of contents at Google Books. (As she mentions, the list price for the book is outrageous, but the used ones are quite affordable.)

(Any) - An extra layer tacked onto one of the other reasons

1. imagined they were someone else/delusional/insane
2. mistaken for someone else
3. was about to die but recovered unexpectedly (and no one knows yet)

Annoyance - Often to gain peace. The murderer will return to regular life, not take on power or control. Most of the reasons indicate a severe need for anger management training.

1. "road rage"
2. 57 years of irritation
3. android malfunctioning in an annoying way
4. annoying habits
5. arrogant
6. bad taste
7. beautiful
8. better at everything
9. charming popular personality who is actually clueless about the subject he/she is an "expert" at
10. cheater
11. disgusting habits/repulsive
12. dreams too big, makes others who've accepted lot in life look like failures
13. dumps garbage on property
14. famous person whose attention, fans, etc. are destroying peace of neighborhood
15. greedy
16. inexplicable dislike, sets teeth on edge
17. irritation
18. jealous of privilege
19. jealous of the free, easy life someone has when others have had to work so hard
20. jealous of their success
21. maker of annoying jingles that get stuck in peoples' heads
22. mentally or physically challenged
23. messenger with bad news
24. no longer necessary for goal
25. obnoxious little kid
26. once famous person who won't shut up about it
27. out of control animals (loud, killing livestock, pooping in yard, attacking)
28. overly ambitious
29. owner of annoying business (loud, smelly)
30. paparazzi
31. peeping tom
32. phobic/unreasonable fear of person
33. practices or holds opposing beliefs/values (Hummer driver)
34. recovered from mourning too quickly
35. represents what someone hates
36. slob
37. smug winner
38. spammer
39. steals services (water, electricity, gas, phone, cable, internet, etc.)
40. stinky (e.g., fish monger)
41. tabloid reporter
42. taunting/embarrassed on purpose
43. too happy
44. too happy that someone died/was punished/suffers
45. too intelligent/nerdy/know it all
46. too loud
47. too lucky
48. ugly
49. vain about privileges
50. weaknesses that are embarrassing
51. wrong color shoes

Instrument - Commanded or compelled to; not done for personal reasons toward target, though sometimes done for personal gain (money, regard of god, freedom from being vaporized for not doing it).

1. directive/must obey (android or other creature programmed/genetically encoded to obey its maker)
2. fulfill a dying wish or promise
3. law says to (perhaps ancient laws/rules that don't have a meaning now, just need obeyed)
4. order from ancestral spirit
5. ordered to by superiors
6. ordered to under duress (self or loved one/thing will be harmed or released)
7. prophecy said to
8. spell/hypnosis/mind control/chip in head/evil spirit
9. told to by God/Goddess
10. tricked into killing person by someone else who made it seem like the right thing to do
11. voices in head said to

Law - Not personally threatened. Threat is to society. Just a sampling of common reasons for execution or justifications for killing a criminal. Past societies have turned some petty crimes into capital offenses, like cutting down a tree. You can too! Littering? Sure! (Some of the reasons listed under other categories could be turned into laws creating a legal justification for, say, executing someone wearing Nikes instead of Adidas.)

1. abortionist
2. adulterer
3. alien/foreigner
4. amoral
5. arsonist/blows up buildings
6. assassin
7. assisted suicidist
8. avenger
9. behaving in a dangerous-to-others manner
10. blasphemy
11. breaker of rules
12. carrier of infectious disease
13. criminal who can't be caught or escapes conviction
14. deformed/mentally or physically challenged
15. embezzler
16. escapee from prison
17. escapee/deserter from group
18. evil dictator responsible for many deaths
19. false prophet
20. fleeing arrest
21. half breed
22. illegal business
23. illegal/forbidden talent/knowledge
24. indebted
25. kidnapper
26. magic user/wizard/sorcerer/witch/psychic/astrologer/fortune teller
27. mass murderer
28. member of outlaw/forbidden religion
29. member of royal line that has been exiled
30. more children than allowed
31. murderer
32. outsider who committed a small crime
33. pornographer
34. practices forbidden (magic/scientific/religious/artistic) ways
35. rapist/sex criminal
36. resisted arrest
37. resurrectionist
38. self-appointed executioner of those who don't deserve to live
39. slaver
40. sniper
41. terrorist
42. thief/pirate/outlaw
43. threat to the government/leaders/king
44. too much/too little intelligence
45. too old, reached age that law dictates people must die by
46. touching/looking at one forbidden to touch
47. unrepentant law breaker
48. weapons possession
49. "ruined" according to customs (as warning to others not to do the same)

Maintain control - Eliminate threat to own control or way of controlled life. Some seem like punishment or revenge, like killing an escapee, but ultimately it's about providing a little lesson to others thinking along the same lines.

1. ability to translate some ancient knowledge want kept secret
2. alien/foreigner in a closed nation (feel threatened by different ideas)
3. alienating loved ones/followers/customers/fans
4. amoral person
5. arrogant, loose cannon who challenges authority
6. astrologist who gave "wrong" reading (as warning to others not to do the same)
7. avatar of opposing god
8. avatar who is speaking the truth of god's wishes that is opposite of what religious leaders have been saying
9. challenging control
10. changed beliefs
11. child born out of wedlock/from unapproved father/from man other than husband
12. claimant to throne/inheritance/position
13. conspirant
14. cryogenically frozen person/embryo who threatens inheritance
15. cult hero of cult have no control over
16. cult hero who has become an embarrassment
17. deflowered the one wanted kept virginal (as message to others who might try)
18. desecrater of sacred place/person
19. deserter
20. disgusting morals
21. distracting someone from fulfilling duty/prophecy
22. dreams too big, makes others who've accepted lot in life question
23. embezzler
24. embodiment of morals who is amoral (e.g., womanizing priest)
25. escapee from closed society
26. ex-spouse who has taken children
27. famous retired person coming out of retirement (who will gather a following)
28. follower or outsider who is more talented/more (potentially) powerful/has bigger weapons
29. freeing those someone wants confined
30. group member becoming too famous and drawing regard and attention of group members
31. group member growing in intelligence and questioning what everyone else accepts
32. has special knowledge that could stop defenses from working/androids or mind-controlled minions from obeying
33. has special knowledge to revive ancient enemy
34. helper of runaways
35. hero with feet of clay (who would disillusion followers)
36. informant/seller of information
37. innocent bystander/peeping tom/reporter (covering a different story) who saw/heard incriminating things
38. keep people fearful
39. keeping self alive unnaturally (against morals)
40. last of royal line with claim to throne
41. leader of faction who is trying to take over
42. leaders in war who are negotiating for peace that would threaten arms/war magic business
43. left group/cult when it's forbidden to do so
44. liberator who will end person's power in a closed society (prison, controlled community)
45. loner/not a team player
46. lost in contest/failed at task (as lesson for others who might lose)
47. lover/bride/groom/spouse of hated being
48. memorizer of forbidden knowledge
49. mourner of death that clan/group wants celebrated
50. murdered to make it look like illegal practices done to person or that took deadly turn were done by unknown murderer
51. new/rival belief system that will put an end to one's job
52. obnoxious/amoral/embarrassing/criminal/deformed/untalented/illegally talented/wrong believing family/group member reflecting on others
53. one who knows person's past and can expose who person really is/as a fraud
54. one who will awaken power in another (love/sex/knowledge) before it's time/ready to control
55. painter of amoral pictures/writer of amoral stories
56. person who could prove an accusation (that would weaken an enemy) is false
57. practitioner of forbidden knowledge
58. pregnant with another's child
59. previous spouse presumed dead who has returned/been resurrected
60. prove that one still can
61. raising doubts that could split group apart to put fear into others
62. random business owner/family member to reinforce power of extortion racket
63. random person to maintain control through fear and intimidation
64. rescuer of sacrifices to gods
65. resistant to being controlled
66. resurrected holy one who will gather following away from current leaders of religion
67. returned vanished/"dead" revered leader who will take back leadership
68. ruler/heir/leader who returned "from the dead"/resurrected from the dead who will gather following
69. runaway/escapee
70. seller/distributor of information that is dangerous
71. spirit of dead leader/ancestor who won't stop meddling
72. taunting and causing those under control to laugh and question authority
73. threatening divorce
74. too intelligent, could discover secret
75. weds against will of parents/those in control
76. woman carrying last of royal line with claim to throne
77. woman pregnant by man unapproved by head of clan/family
78. innocent photographer who inadvertently shot incriminating photos/video
79. suicide turned to look like murder to save face/rally followers

Mercy - Put an end to or prevent someone from suffering.

1. "ruined" according to customs to prevent a life of being shunned/outcast/abused
2. android/creation who thought they were human/biological but realized they'll never (naturally) die
3. as an alternative to suicide (which person's religion claims will doom one's soul)
4. avatar of one god about to be fed as sacrifice to another god
5. before can become (painful) sacrifice
6. being tormented with no release
7. child who would be taunted for being different (half breed)
8. disgusting habits/repulsive/no fashion sense (person thinks they're putting them out of their misery)
9. doomed/about to go to fate worse than death
10. dreams too big in hopeless situation, can only lead to a life of misery
11. dying slowly and painfully/unpleasantly
12. escapee from controlled society who can't survive on own and will soon die painful death
13. forced into marriage
14. has forbidden/illegal abilities (magic/artistic/mechanical/religious/psychic/alien/alien to group (vision among the blind)) to protect them from torture and execution
15. has talent desired by enemy/those in control in order to prevent them from exploiting person
16. hero who has been weakened by enemy/lost what made him/her heroic to prevent followers from becoming demoralized
17. immortal who won't naturally die but can be killed (who is in pain, injuries that won't heal, etc.)
18. in pain (from disease)
19. infested by disease/aliens/alien devices
20. insane
21. intelligence growing beyond ability to relate to others/falling beyond ability to care for self
22. kept alive as a resource/food/incubator/egg sac/body parts
23. kept alive unnaturally/against will
24. loser in a contest/competition/task before they're tortured as an example to others
25. overthrown child heir/ruler before enemy can kill to eliminate any rivalry for throne
26. physical or mental vegetable
27. physically damaged
28. physically or mentally challenged
29. predestined to die in a horrible way or become evil
30. prevent someone from having a secret tortured/drugged/spelled out of them
31. sold into slavery/prostitution
32. transforming into something else
33. under unremovable enchantment
34. zombie/living dead/vampire/werewolf

Personal gain - To gain status or benefit through, often any target will do.

1. #100
2. anger/convenient outlet for negative emotions
3. as a distraction to stop an event or draw attention away from something else
4. as a substitute for person was assigned to kill
5. as a test to challenge a detective
6. assigned target in job as assassin/done for money
7. become them and live their life
8. being whose death is required proof (dragon/demon etc.) that one (still) has what it takes to hold title
9. best warrior to test self against
10. blockade to advancement
11. business owner in order to take over their business
12. business owner in order to take over their customers
13. cannibalistic practices/to gain their power by eating them
14. criminal/own group member who committed a crime wanted by group want to maintain peace with
15. dying too slowly for those who would benefit from death
16. evil ruler/ruler one strongly disagrees with so new one will be found
17. famous person to become infamous for having killed them
18. fits some profile of group an insane person is trying to eliminate/punish
19. for food/to process for food
20. for fun/felt like it
21. for some part of body that's needed (magical body part/ingredient for spell/use in an experiment)
22. gain regard of those in control by eliminating one they find threatening
23. heir to fortune so will be split fewer ways
24. heir to throne to take heir's position
25. heir who will or is squandering a fortune
26. inherit their money
27. inherit their position
28. make a statement -- Kat F.
29. make the world a better place -- Kat F.
30. marry their spouse (for love/gain their property/power/influence)
31. obsession that one can't possess or who spurned
32. on a dare
33. paragon, long retired, who others never stopped comparing replacement to
34. part of advancement to next level to kill fellow students
35. person forcing loved one into marriage
36. person loved one's family wants him/her to marry
37. person who caused strict rules on all to be imposed
38. person who will satisfy masses as being the criminal sought, to gain public confidence and praise
39. possess something (loved one/property/possession/title/business) that rival has always wanted
40. possess their home/land
41. possesses something murder feels should rightly be his/hers
42. powerful/intelligent person to prove more powerful/intelligent
43. prove that one can
44. replace with copy/imitation/pretender/actor
45. resurrect previous leader to regain power
46. return person to spotlight
47. rival for belief system to be accepted as authority
48. rival for translation of ancient manuscript so can twist meaning of it
49. sacrifice to a god for good favor/prevent bad favor
50. set someone else up as the murderer
51. spouse (who won't divorce) so can marry another
52. stop something being sold to someone who would ruin it/mistreat it
53. strike fear into those who thought themselves well protected
54. test weapon on
55. to gain their power through killing them
56. too smart person who is ruining the grade curve
57. usurper (to take control)
58. wanted person for bounty
59. woman tricking loved one into marriage with claim of pregnancy
60. won't tell secret (to frighten others who also won't tell)
61. wouldn't agree to political/business arrangement (want to get someone who will agree into negotiating position)
62. wrong sex baby

Remove obstacle - Someone, often deliberately, who's blocking “rightful" progress.

1. ancient ruler who won't change for the times, rules as though society hasn't changed
2. android/creature/computer programmed to enforce ancient laws that no longer apply
3. boss who won't allow to advance
4. controller of needed scarce resources (medicine, water, food, air, protection against something deadly in the environment ...)
5. guard
6. holder of information/material/object needed to complete own project
7. holding onto old ways, holding others back
8. in way of heart's desire
9. one preventing rebuilding of sacred place
10. roadblock between people and king
11. someone who would stop one from completing an objective
12. standing in way of goal
13. standing in way of progress
14. suppressor of knowledge/progress

Revenge - Just a sampling. Many of the reasons listed under other categories could be for revenge if they're changed to the past tense.

1. abandoned as a child
2. abused self or loved one as a child
3. accuser who ruined life
4. adulterous spouse
5. always got best grades, best girl/boy friends, awards
6. banished
7. betrayed group
8. betrayed personal trust
9. bigamist
10. broke up family
11. brought [the person who kills him/her] back to life as an experiment (gave new body)
12. created person against his/her will
13. deceived
14. descendent of one wanted revenge on
15. desecrated one wanted kept virginal (in revenge for spoiling plans)
16. deserted group to fend for self
17. destroyed or responsible for destroying (e.g., made decisions) family/clan/way of life
18. destroyed what one values (dams Venice, blocks view from home)
19. distracted someone from fulfilling duty/prophecy
20. dumped for someone else
21. embarrassed (accidentally)
22. exploited young and talented
23. exposed secrets
24. failed to promote a career properly and ruined life
25. family member of one wanted revenge on
26. harmed loved one (physically or mentally)
27. humiliated
28. ingenue who ousted from limelight
29. internment camp leader
30. liberator who brought person's power in a closed society (prison, controlled community) to an end
31. lover who spurned
32. pay back for insult
33. possesses something that rival/hated one always wanted (loved one/property/possession/title/business)
34. prevented suicide (causing life of pain, loss of face for family)
35. prosecutor who ruined life
36. rejected (love, creation, job application)
37. responsible for death/destruction/betrayal/loss of reputation
38. rival who won (see Rival list for a few ideas)
39. seduced into criminal activities as a young child
40. shunned
41. spouse who is an android/something other than what he/she led others to believe who has deceived all these years
42. stole idea and became successful with it
43. stole spouse
44. surrendered, which brought demise of group
45. teacher who gave a bad grade/prevented from advancing or continuing or participating in other activities because grades are too low
46. tormented during childhood
47. turncoat spy
48. turned down marriage proposal
49. usurped throne (to punish)
50. warlord/barbarian who destroyed family
51. winner of battle/contest

Rival, eliminate - Opponent, enemy, competitor. Not even an attempt at being an exhaustive list of rivals someone might want eliminated.

1. cheater
2. current holder of title/position so can advance or take position for self
3. first to achieve something
4. keeper of rival sacred place
5. loved one of rival to infect corpse with deadly disease
6. more charming sibling/parent/friend who stole all boyfriends/girlfriends
7. new business in area had exclusive control
8. other ghost competing to haunt a place
9. rival "chosen one"/"savior"
10. rival artist (painter, sculptor, writer ...)
11. rival assassin
12. rival astrologist vying to publish official horoscope/be leader's astrologist
13. rival at sports
14. rival bounty hunter
15. rival buys vying for same limited product
16. rival conspirator (of other conspiracy)
17. rival counterfeiter
18. rival crime boss
19. rival cult hero
20. rival curser who curses same targets
21. rival drug dealer/supplier
22. rival elemental
23. rival embezzler at same company
24. rival evil dictator
25. rival faction leader vying for control
26. rival fake avatar/avatar of competing god
27. rival for exploration of best archaeological sites
28. rival for interpretation/translation of scholarly/religious/ancient writings/holy writings
29. rival for job/position/title
30. rival for love/affection/attention of another
31. rival for most pure to be dedicated to god
32. rival for power over sphere of influence
33. rival for rebuilding revered landmark
34. rival fortune teller (using same ways or rival/new fangled ways)
35. rival game master (chess, go)
36. rival gang leader
37. rival heir to throne
38. rival high level thief after same items
39. rival hunter/predator
40. rival liberator wanting to gain credit for liberation
41. rival mathematician/inventor/scientist
42. rival of other rebel group
43. rival outlaw religion leader
44. rival outside influence on isolated people (e.g., religious, political, scientific group trying to help them see new ways)
45. rival performers in circus
46. rival psychic
47. rival reformer
48. rival religious leader
49. rival seller of information/stolen information
50. rival shop keeper
51. rival spy of other faction/business who's spying is interfering with own spying
52. rival superhero
53. rival terrorist from another terrorist group after same targets
54. rival to kill someone for revenge/have been seeking for a long time
55. rival weapons dealer/supplier
56. rival who just gained a big advantage
57. rival who subscribes to different way of casting magic
58. rival with unfair advantage (very wealthy, very smart, very talented, magic, technology)
59. rival wives/pregnancies/husbands
60. rival wizard/magic user/witch/sorcerer

Rival, weaken - Killing the rival wouldn't be sporting. Murderer just wants the outcome tipped in his/her favor. At whatever cost.

1. arms dealer/manufacturer/importer/smuggler
2. assassin for rival
3. avatar of rival
4. best protector of rival/opponent to not only weaken defense by demoralize
5. create a martyr to the cause
6. eliminate a rallying point for rebel group
7. famous spokesperson for rival
8. guardian who keeps some threat to rival in check
9. has special knowledge needed by rival (for defenses/weapon/skills)
10. hero of enemy
11. holder of information/material/object needed to complete rival project
12. holds a secret or important/powerful information to prevent rival from getting
13. leader of group who won't form an alliance against rival (to intimidate or get new leader)
14. leader of rival group
15. leader/morale booster returning/coming out of retirement to help rival
16. magic user/wizard/sorcerer/witch/psychic/astrologer/fortune teller for opponent
17. mercenary spy
18. messenger of rival
19. military expert/strategist for opposition
20. photographer who won't turn over incriminating photos/video about rival
21. political power for opposition
22. power behind opposing beliefs/values (greenie, PETA)
23. primary inventor for military/business opposition
24. primary religious leader of opponent
25. prophet/false prophet who supports rival
26. prove someone isn't immortal
27. resurrect previous leader of enemy group to cause division
28. sacrifice meant for rival's god
29. sidekick/partner/loved one/dedicated follower to punish leader
30. source of rival's power/wealth
31. spy
32. spy to replace with own spy
33. stabilizing influence in rival group who keeps them from infighting
34. suicide made to look like murder done by rivals
35. supporter of rival faction vying for control
36. supporter/minion of evil person
37. up and coming ingenue
38. vendetta (for ongoing feud)
39. weaken leader's (see Rival, weaken) power so oppressed people will rise up and overthrow
40. well-spoken vocal opponent
41. woman carrying heir/infant heir of dying leader of opposition
42. "immortal"/"Omniscient"/seer to prove they aren't
43. (inadvertently) calling attention to those who want to lay low

Stop threat - Threat is to safety and security or way of life rather than threat to control. Could be done by a person without power in the society, who sees something that threatens to change their way of life. Think the flamboyant hippie family who has moved into an ultra conservative neighborhood that the children are eying with interest. (Or are the hippie children eying the new conservative neighbors?) Murderer will return to regular life, not take on power or control. (See also reasons under Law and Maintain control.)

1. about to betray group
2. about to uncover long lost secret/object that will threaten self/loved ones/family/clan/group/culture/religion
3. abuser of animals
4. abuser of power (from king to police officer to head of gang or family)
5. abusive of self/loved one/weaker ones
6. acting above station
7. amnesiac who knew secrets before memories come back
8. android who is malfunctioning
9. assassin about to strike at self or loved one
10. avatar of opposing god
11. before can become sacrifice (and release god's power)
12. behaving in a dangerous-to-others manner
13. bewitcher/sorceress/enchantress, someone who controls with charm, charisma and magic
14. blackmailer
15. blasphemous person
16. breeder of monsters
17. briber
18. bringer of change and "advancement" to simple people
19. brutal
20. bully coach/teacher/mentor
21. butler (because the butler always did it) -- Kat F.
22. carrier of disease
23. child of monster/devil/demon
24. child who could be embarrassing if found out
25. chosen one/preordained
26. clan leader taking clan against tradition
27. clone
28. compulsive nature destroying family/reputation
29. controlling leader/master
30. controls a monster
31. corrupt political person
32. corrupt religious person
33. corrupter
34. creator of protection (device, spell, sutras) against predator (vampire, aliens, demon, mental controller)
35. creepy, strange, makes nervous
36. criminal a long time ago who has been punished and repented
37. cruel dungeon/game master
38. cult leader
39. currently humiliating
40. dancer/singer where it's forbidden
41. defiler of sacred place
42. deformed/mutant (child)
43. demon hunter/vampire slayer/bounty hunter/exorcist
44. demon/angel, opposing being
45. destroyer of what one values (dams Venice, blocks view from home)
46. destroying or is responsible for destroying
47. developer ready to destroy land
48. did or let someone else do something forbidden
49. different (seems to threaten comfortable conformity)
50. disband their political/religious following, end cult of personality
51. discoverer of what some want to remain lost
52. disguised to protect secret and live in peace (opposite gender, other race, other species)
53. dresses weird/against gender type
54. drug dealer/manufacturer/importer/smuggler
55. embarrassment to family
56. escaped experiment
57. ex-spouse who has taken children
58. excess child beyond number allowed
59. executioner/interrogator who likes his/her job too much
60. exorcist
61. exposer of secrets
62. extortionist
63. false prophet
64. follower of forbidden ways
65. fortune teller/seer/mystic/telepath who seems able to find out too much
66. gambler who caused indebtedness
67. gives birth to demons/monsters
68. God of Death
69. grave robber/desecrater
70. group member becoming too famous, bring attention to group who wants to stay unnoticed
71. half breed
72. has incriminating evidence
73. hated being who is seducing loved one
74. holder of information/material/object needed to complete (threatening) project
75. hunter of endangered species
76. hunter of kind
77. hysterical (in a deadly situation when calm is needed)
78. idiot/stupid
79. incompetent healer
80. incompetent in position where lives are at stake
81. infectious
82. infested by disease/aliens/alien devices
83. influenced by drug/disease/spell
84. invader of home/country
85. kidnapper
86. knows a secret (though may not realize it)
87. knows secret of what keeps society protected
88. knows too much
89. last of hated race
90. law enforcer executing people who satisfy crowd rather than tracking down true criminal
91. leader of belief system that will be accepted as authority
92. lover who could be embarrassing if found out
93. magic user/wizard/sorcerer/witch/psychic/astrologer/fortune teller
94. magical being
95. mass murderer
96. mastermind behind evil
97. member of outlaw/forbidden religion
98. mentally damaged because person is imperfect or because they're dangerous
99. messenger with life altering news
100. misleading followers
101. monster/vampire/werewolf/demon
102. morose/downer/dragger down of morale when needs kept up if chance of survival
103. mortal in immortal world
104. mystic/paranormal/psychic/abnormal abilities
105. new/rival belief system that will bring an end to current way of living
106. next in line for position who would be dangerous (incompetent/controlled/bad or evil beliefs)
107. ninja/incredible deadly skills
108. no longer competent to lead
109. object of obsession who is becoming threatening
110. obsessed/obsessed fan
111. old, feeble, sickly, dependent, drain on society
112. one who holds gambling debts of self/loved ones
113. one who would (unknowingly) release a great evil
114. opposing nature makes another ill
115. outsider/unwanted type who will bring property values down
116. owner of "ugly" business in a nice/family neighborhood
117. part of a prophecy want to stop
118. participants in a deadly game/deadly initiation rite
119. perfect copy/replacement/pretender
120. person leading loved one astray
121. person trained to be a weapon/killing machine
122. poisonous to others/environment
123. poor/orphaned/abandoned/sick drain on society
124. possessed by evil spirit/devil/demon
125. possessor of esoteric knowledge (like an exorcist) that could stop someone
126. possessor of evil soul
127. potential betrayer of criminal/avenger who can't be caught
128. predator
129. predestined to murder self/loved one
130. pregnant with demon/opposing god's child
131. preserve/protect loved one/family/home/clan/culture/society/religion
132. pretender (alien, shapeshifter) for nefarious purposes
133. pretender (different class/race/sex) trying to fit in
134. promoter of belief system that would take away certain rights
135. prosecutor who could win case
136. protest leader
137. prover that religion/leader is wrong
138. pulling away from family
139. radical
140. raising doubts that could split group apart in order to silence them
141. rebuilder of what was deliberately destroyed (to eliminate an evil)
142. rebuilder of what was deliberately destroyed (to preserve a controlled way of life)
143. reincarnated evil person
144. repossessor
145. returned vanished/"dead" revered leader who isn't as great as memory has it
146. rising above class
147. rocking the boat
148. secret past that threatens present peace
149. seeker of truth
150. sellers of illegal copies of artistic work
151. soul stealer
152. spouse/child/parent who controls
153. spouse/friend of loved one who is wrong race/religion/sex/species/class
154. spreader of lies
155. spreading family/corporate/country/personal/group/gang/clan secrets
156. stalker
157. stole secret recipe/formula -- Kat F.
158. stop a reform
159. stop an invention (that would change way of life)
160. stop something being sold to someone who would use it for evil
161. stop something/someone being sold to someone who would mistreat it
162. suer
163. summoner
164. tax collector
165. teacher/possessor of forbidden knowledge
166. tempter from/to paradise
167. threatens harm
168. time traveler changing time
169. tormentor (of self/loved one/others)
170. transforming into something dangerous
171. translation ability of some ancient knowledge want kept secret
172. translator of some ancient knowledge (before his/her work is revealed)
173. trespassing in home or on private property
174. trying to control or take over control
175. trying to revive an evil that group fought hard to eradicate
176. ultimate warrior
177. uncovers hidden secrets (detective)
178. unlucky person
179. upstream person dumping poison into stream
180. violence induced by drug/disease/magic/curse/mutation
181. waffling in beliefs
182. will complete some society damaging device
183. will resurrect/resurrected and controls ancient demon/god
184. worships wrong god/evil god/enemy of god
185. writer/publisher of dangerous ideas

Copyright 2006, 2014 by Joyce A. Fetteroll. Feel free to share provided the text is not altered in any way, and this copyright notice is attached. (Originally published 23 September 2006.

Ten years after

Ten years after

What's a warm up?

Cool jazz

Nine inch nails

Nine inch nails

What's a warm up?

Bridge over underground waters

Eight miles high

Eight miles high

What's a warm up?

Plodigy

Cerise is a child wizarding prodigy. Her first word was the minimalist spell that turns white milk into chocolate milk. Ever since then she's been casting spells well advanced for her age. She has toured the world, delighting kings and queens, charming audiences on talk shows, speaking inspirationally to wizards many years her senior.

Then one morning she comes down to breakfast to find a note left by her mentor.

Cerise, 

It has been a pleasure mentoring you this past year. Forgive me for not saying goodbye, but an unexpected opportunity has come up to accompany little Doodie Barnswallow on a tour of the southern countries, which, as you know is my home territory. They do say he's the next Cerise Sunflower! 

But it's been clear for some time that you don't need my special skills. You're quite bright for your age, but I think you can now fit in seamlessly with your peers. 

As always, sparkles and hijinks, 

BiBi

After years of being the most celebrated child wizard, Cerise finds she's been declared ordinary. At the ripe old age of 17.

Now what? How does she handle it? What's her next step?

(Sorry about the original Wednesday's post. Not sure why it was blank. Some kind of twisted karmic punishment for publishing in advance?)

Avenged sevenfold

Avenged sevenfold

What's a warm up?

Tiger shark

Dragon wars

Reluctant Dragon by Justin Gerard

After tense years of uneasy coexistence, the dragons have attacked the town at the edge of the sacred lands between the land of humans and the land of dragons. It seems war is inevitable. Write introductory scenes for three who have volunteered to join the fight. Then the scene where the three meet. The town isn't large so they have a passing acquaintance with each other.

Daughter or son of the pig farmer who negotiated the peace of the last dragon war.

Daughter or son of the hero of the last dragon wars.

Daughter or son of the town's librarian. Who happens to be a dragon.

A dozen roses and a six pack

A dozen roses and a six pack

What's a warm up?

Red washed

Red Seabeach, China

The morning after

Your character awakes to find a tattoo she or he doesn't remember getting. What's the story behind the tattoo and how does your character react?

What if it's a discreet but puzzling symbol on the character's hand?

What if it's highly detailed work that surely took weeks, and seems to have a story or message woven into it?

What if it's a tattoo of a race or culture that he or she isn't?

What if ...?

(Sorry, I always have good intentions of posting while I'm on vacation!)

False king

False king

What's a warm up?

"Will build your cloud castle to suit."

Mount Roraima, South America

Five magics

Five magics

What's a warm up?

Four walled world

Four walled world

What's a warm up?

Hole in the sky

Hidden Beach, Mexico

10 Ways to Make Everyone Root for Your Amoral Protagonist by Charlie Jane Anders

I've thought about creating a list of how writers have created dastardly main characters that you nonetheless, well, don't necessarily like but enjoy following.

But Charlie Jane Anders has come up with a great list so I can stop trying now! :-) While her list is below, she's expanded each item at the link to her post. With pretty pictures! Any kudos for the list please do leave at her post. :-)

10 Ways to Make Everyone Root for Your Amoral Protagonist
by Charlie Jane Anders

1) Make their ends noble (or neutral) even if their means are evil
2) A line they won't cross
3) Someone or something they care about
4) Show us how they lost their moral compass
5) Make everyone else worse
6) A sense of humor is worth a thousand pardons
7) Make them lose
8) Falsely accuse them of worse crimes
9) Make everyone hate them
10) Let us see them doing something unforgivable

Third eye

Third eye

What's a warm up?

Woolly Bully

In other words

Four Seasons by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Describe a character using words you might use to describe one of the following:

Death
A garden
Abundance
A car
Toast
An orchestra
Winter
A dinosaur
Time
A painting
An approaching storm
A fire

You can pick one theme to describe one character (including dialog if you wish). Or write a single sentence description of a different character for each word.

Two steps from Hell

Two steps from Hell

What's a warm up?

The night house

Haus in Schwarz

The Muse Convention

It's the annual Writing Muse Convention held December 1st, the day following National Novel Writers Month. All the writing muses have gathered to chat, to attend panel discussions, to meet and greet the muses of famous writers.

The muses feed their writers the wild ideas, but it's up to the writers to turn the ideas into readable prose or poetry. It can be a struggle for a muse whose writer can't do justice to her ideas. It can be envy inducing when it's generally whispered that a muse is taking more credit for a writer's success than is felt he deserves.

The panels this year include:

• What to do when your writer won't write?
  
  
• Has Fate assigned you a talentless hack? How to stay creative. And sane.
  
  
• You are not your writer.
  
  
• When writers think their ideas are better.
  
  
• Who wrote Shakespeare? Shakespeare or Shakespeare's Muse?
  
  
• So your writer has switched genres? When to stick it out and when to ask for reassignment.
  
  
• How to work with other muses. The special challenges of musing song writers, ballet creators, performance artists and other multi-art endeavors.
  
  
• Inside the mind of a writer

Just some possibilities that might feed your own muse.  Or let your muse take it wherever he, she or it wants to.

Create the titles of more panel discussions.

Write the summarizing paragraph of one or more of the panel discussions.

Write the lunch break conversation between two muses. They might be brand new muses. Or rival muses. Or muses of once famous writers now saddled with obscure writers. Or ...

(Sorry, been busy so I've fallen a bit behind! I've got a bunch of warm ups queued and I'll work on queuing the picture prompts so creating the Wednesday prompts is easier to squeeze in :-))

One shot at glory

One shot at glory

What's a warm up?

Lego Land

San Buenaventura, Mexico by Oscar Ruiz

Rule by zombies

Zombie Superheroes by Santlov

It's the zombie apocalypse. You and a hundred or so others are holed up in a walled compound. To remain safe from the zombies, there are, of course, rules that everyone must obey. What are the 10 rules posted at the gate to the compound?

---

When you're done, there's 16 creative zombie prompts at Free Character Writing Prompts #16: Zombies.

1000 airplanes on the roof

1000 airplanes on the roof

What's a warm up?

Through yonder basalt

Fingal's Cave, Scotland

Just a few more questions

Come to think of it, a well is never mentioned!

One story brainstorming trick is to ask questions. Then come up with several, potentially off-the-wall, answers. You can keep repeating this, asking questions about the answers that interest you, then generating more answers.

You can start with my questions and continue, or start fresh. If you come up with a richer story, cool! If you end up taking it in another direction, cool!

Jack and Jill
How old is Jack?
What's Jack's occupation?
How old is Jill?
What's Jill's occupation?
What's their relationship to each other?

went up the hill
What hill?
What's at the top of the hill (besides the water)?
Whose idea was this?

To fetch a pail of water.
Why is the water at the top of the hill?
What will they do with the water?

Jack fell down.
What caused Jack to fall?
If it wasn't an accident, who felt Jack and Jill were a threat?

And broke his crown.
If it wasn't the crown of his head what kind of crown was it?
Why did he have his crown with him?

And Jill came tumbling after.
What caused Jill to tumble?

What happened to the water?
Now what?

---

When you're done, Adam Gidwitz expanded on the story of Jack and Jill in In a Glass Grimmly. "If you dare, join Jack and Jill as they embark on a harrowing quest through a new set of tales from the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and others. Follow along as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true in this hair-raising companion to Adam Gidwitz’s widely acclaimed, award-winning debut, A Tale Dark & Grimm.?

Knights with mystical powers battling evil demons (in the presence of kings, queens, wizards & dragons)

Knights with mystical powers battling evil demons (in the presence of kings, queens, wizards & dragons)

What's a warm up?

Ostrich trees

NOT Southern California! It's the land of sky painters and ostrich trees! Or ostrich-like creatures with leaf feathers. :-)

Searching for OZ

After a successful sales presentation that left you dissatisfied, you head home but turn off from the GPS efficient and direct route for a more leisurely scenic route. While stopping for a bite to eat you notice across the street The Oz Museum. From the outside it's just another store front, tucked next to Vacuum Repair by Mo who claims "I can make it suck again", Crabb's Jewelers "Top $$ Gold", Dizzie's "Home of Kansas's best corn dough pizza!". You're in no hurry, so why not?

After lunch you head over. Behind the old glass-fronted counter is a very short woman, nibbling a cookie as she reads a worn copy of The Lost Princess of Oz. She shakes her head before looking up. As you cross the four strides to the counter, she slides a laminated map of the museum across to the edge of the glass counter. Her eyes drift to the donation box, then she returns to her book.

You put $5 into the "Donations are ♥︎" box then step into the next room. You had expected some kitschy mockups from the Wizard of Oz movie. But this is set up like a natural history museum. Puzzled you wander from one case to the next that contain things like yellow bricks, a golden cap and jewel-studded belt both labeled REPLICA, and a dinner pail and a coconut-like object labeled Dinner Pail tree and Book tree. In one case there are 7 sets of feathers. Each card describes a different species of winged monkey.

When you get to a pair of silver shoes labeled Dorothy Gale your puzzlement draws your face into a deep scowl. Then a vague memory surfaces that the shoes had been silver in the books but had changed to the more colorful ruby for the movie. And an even vaguer memory niggles that the land of Oz in the books had been real rather than a dream.

This all must be the creation of some Oz nerd with more energy than sense to create this extended joke out in the middle of nowhere.

A high-pitched voice at your elbow says, "Here. You dropped this."

The woman from the counter holds out a mole-skin notebook. You protest but she shoves it at you, leaving you no choice but to grab it before it drops to the floor.

As she walks away, she says, "And don't forget to leave the map on the counter. They ain't cheap!"

You turn it over to see on the cover is written:

It Takes Courage To Believe

Glancing around, you look for cameras. This isn't an Oz-nerd creation. It must be a Candid Camera version of The Twilight Zone.

After some further skepticism, you are drawn into following clues to what is going on, on a quest to want to believe.

Strange kind of woman

Strange kind of woman

What's a warm up?

Soaring deeply

by Matt Emmett

An End to the Conflict on Conflict

Oo, bold words! But creating conflict for your story isn't as confusing as all the conflicting words written about it.

A conflict isn't created by your character going after what she wants. Conflict is created when someone or something pushes back to stop her. The push back can even come from inside herself.

A conflict needs three things:

1. There must be at least two sides. (Both sides can be inside one person!)
2. Both sides must care deeply enough to defend what they have or want.
3. Conflict begins once there's a reaction in opposition to the other side's action.

For the conflict to continue, both sides must feel strongly enough to keep pushing for what they want no matter how hard the other side pushes back at them.

Here are a few simple tests for conflict:

• If a character does or says something, is there a negative* reaction?
• Is your character's initial emotion or thought followed by a "But ..."?
• Does your character want two things, but choosing one means losing the other?

If so, you've got conflict.
(* Opposing is a more accurate word but negative's easier to picture. Pulling back. Pushing in the opposite direction. Repulsing. Not supporting.)

The counter reaction to an event might be INTERNAL, two incompatible feelings swirling around inside her. If her initial feeling is positive it may be followed by feeling fearful, guilty, angry, revolted, hesitant, horrified, shameful, anxious, envious, worried, embarrassed, insulted, indignant, inadequate, trapped, humiliated, controlled, inferior, manipulated, defensive, dissatisfied, distrustful, resentful, skeptical, uneasy, challenged ...

The counter reaction might be EXTERNAL. It could be immediate. A punch in the face. A competitive, "Game's on!" Weeping. An alarm tripped. A condescending laugh. Everyone aiming crossbows. A tense silence. A horrified look. A bomb triggered. Defensive posturing. An arrest. A sneer. An argument. A plea to stop. A worried ringing of hands. A threat of bodily harm. A cold shoulder.

The reaction could be delayed if the opposition wants to remain hidden. A poisoned drink. A threatening call in the night. A rock through the window. A slashed tire.

The reaction might not seem like a reaction if the opposition wants to keep the conflict secret, perhaps by steering the character away before she uncovers what's hidden. A stop for speeding. A loan falling through. Power cut off. On old love suddenly showing up.

Any reaction that isn't a sincere, "I agree! Great idea!" is conflict in action. As Calvin shows above, even apathy can begin conflict if your character depended on the Scoobies to rally around her grand idea.

If your character reacts to a push back by giving up, it worked! (as far as the opposition is concerned) and the conflict is over. If your character reacts with renewed energy by pushing onward or pushing back, the conflict is still on. The conflict is on until one side stops pushing back (they die, they get what they wanted, they give up, they join the other side).

What keeps both sides pushing? The risk to what they care about if they stop. They each have something they fear losing, endangering or not getting.

While conflict complicates your character fulfilling her desire by pushing, pulling and sidetracking, it also serves a better purpose. When well chosen, conflict forces your character to deal with issues she's shoved to the side, locked in boxes and generally arranged her life so she doesn't have to deal with them. External conflict will force internal conflict.

There's a good short Definition of Conflict at Literary Devices.

No CONFLICT.

Not until someone objects!

(Though there is TENSION because

someone always objects to Calvin's goals.)

HOW TO ADD CONFLICT
You might stumble across conflict defined loosely as anything your character struggles with. But that doesn't help at all in creating compelling conflict. You can pack a story with struggles: alcoholic ex, bad mess hall food, once-loving now-dementia-stricken father, sick cat, powerlessly trapped in a soul-sucking life with no shiny beacon of hopeful betterness on the horizon ... and still end up with a boring story.

If, instead, conflict is defined as a push back in reaction to your character's action, then it's much easier to come up with compelling ideas.

To create some external conflict all you need do is ask,

"Who feels what they care about is threatened by my character, by what he believes, by what he wants, by what he did, by what he said? What does someone want my character to do instead?"

Threats are massively energizing. But any emotion that rouses someone to get in your character's way can be the seed of conflict.

The threat felt needn't be physical or be to something physical. Dreams can be threatened. The future can be threatened. Tevye feels the tradition he's a part of is threatened by his daughters' choices of husbands in Fiddler on the Roof. Toula's father feels the same threat from his daughter's desire to go to college in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

The Story of Conflict When the story begins your character will have something missing from her life. Shortly an opportunity to get something she cares about appears. The path won't be easy. People and feelings will get in her way. Determinedly she makes a course correction on her life path, steering towards what she wants. And ... What she finds on the path stirs fears, challenges to her beliefs, doubts as she struggles towards her goal. "I want it but don't want it." Internal conflict has begun. And ... Someone or something finds her entrance into his sphere threatening. Her presence, her desire, her beliefs puts something he cares about at risk. He needs to protect what he has or what he wants. He puts an obstacle in her path to stop, delay, or sidetrack her. External conflict has begun.

Internal conflict can be framed as feeling a threat also. You create conflict if your character feels pulled towards a choice that would threaten what she cares about or who she sees herself as or any need on Maslow's list. (Threat may not capture all the emotions that might conflict but it'll get you started.)

"What does my character want that threatens something else she cares about? What choices that draw her, what voices from her past threaten who she sees herself as, what or who she cares about, her inner peace, her security, her imagined future, her beliefs about what is right and true?"

If Spock believes deeply that being Vulcan is the same as being the person he wants to be, then has he lost his identity if an emotional choice leads towards being the person he wants to be and the logical choice moves away? If Chon Wang in Shanghai Noon cares deeply about the princess and about his identity as someone loyal to the emperor, who does he become if he must betray his loyalty in order to save the princess?

If your character's actions upset someone enough to try to stop her, that's conflict. If your character's desires or ghosts from her past upset her enough to prevent her from choosing, that's conflict.

Capturing Conflict Exercise 1
Keep a notebook of conflicts. As you watch shows or read, look for any reaction to a character that's other than cooperation. Anger, "No," disagreement, fear, upsetness, suspicion, distrust ...

Hint. Since conflicts can erupt quickly on shows, to make it easier don't hobble yourself searching for the perfectly nuanced emotional word. As a first pass happy, sad, angry, afraid will work as placeholders.

Then capture the essence of the conflict. Skip the fussy details. Keep some sense of the relationship -- who has power over who -- but then shoot for wording that might be dropped into any story. Once you've got the conflict -- and there's a lull in further conflicts breaking out on the show! -- then go back and adjust the emotion.

Example:

• Happily her mother revealed the truth and the lie she had used to manipulate her daughter into doing as she wanted.
• Angrily her daughter banned her mother from ever stepping foot in her home again.

"Happily" can now be changed to something like "In gleeful triumph" and "Angrily" to "In shocked betrayal."

Capturing Conflict Exercise 2
Internal conflicts, especially in visual media, may show up in dialog or caught between two other characters who personify the two ideas she's wrestling with.

Frame what she's conflicted about with OR between the two statements. (Joining them with AND can fog up the conflict. "And" can join two ideas that don't oppose each other.)

Examples:

• The one she loves OR the one who loves her.
• The prince who holds rocky power today OR the prince who may or may not gain favor.
• Remain quiet and keep the peace OR speak up against a wrongness and risk ostracism.

Capturing Conflict Exercise 3
To dig deeper into what's energizing the conflict, briefly note what each choice puts at risk.

Examples:

• Not choosing the one she loves risks losing him to someone else.
• Not choosing the one who loves her risks losing someone who truly cares for her.
• Choosing the one she loves risks a happy future if he never loves her as much as she loves him.
• Choosing the one who loves her risks a happy future if her love never matches his.

WHAT CONFLICT IS NOT
In some explanations of conflict you'll see other story devices -- obstacles, goals, desires, and others -- swept under the "conflict" umbrella as though conflict were the only worthwhile device to energize a story.

In order to add conflict to your story, it helps to see the distinctions between the devices. And for conflict to jealously guard its unique identity! The other devices are eminently useful. Their importance doesn't need shored up by being called conflict.

An obstacle is not a conflict.
An obstacle blocks your character's way forward. But the obstacle doesn't feel a threat when your character pushes past it. It's not going to renew the conflict once your character moves on!

In a conflict the opposition will put obstacles in your character's path. And the opposition can even turn himself into an obstacle if he points a loaded wand at your character.

If the conflict is internal, the obstacle can be a feeling, an objection, created by the opposing idea to stop your character from going over to the dark (or light) side's point of view.

Obstacles can come out of nowhere, dropped by life. A lost communicator. A broken transporter. An ion storm. Cheryl St. John in Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict calls obstacles (that aren't created by the opposition) delays. Use these sparingly. Readers read not for realism but for enhanced realism where the boring parts of real life are cut out.

Delays do have their uses. A random life event at the beginning of a story can force characters into a situation they wouldn't choose. Would Brad and Janet have entered Frank N. Furter's castle in Rocky Horror Picture Show if not for the flat tire? The core of what-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong comedies are random life events. One side in a conflict can exploit random life events when he deliberately chooses a dangerous environment like turning onto the pothole-laden road hoping his opponent gets a flat tire (before he does!)

But beyond that readers will grow annoyed and bored with a story that promises escape but uses ordinary life as an antagonist to throw obstacles at your character.

A problem is not a conflict.
A problem is a more complex obstacle that needs solved to get past it. But complexity, not even with multiple intriguing steps that takes the whole book to work through, is not conflict.

A caper movie has one big problem, usually to rob something. The thieves break the problem down into smaller problems which they spend the whole story working on. But the thieves and the problem aren't the two sides pushing at each other. The conflict is between the evil casino owner who wants to keep his cash and the vengeful thieves who want to take it from him. The TDX-4040 security system and IronClad 7001 safe are the obstacles the casino owner puts between his cash and the thieves.

Yes, it can be argued that obstacles push back until a character gets past them. But make it easier on yourself and don't make that argument! ;-) Save the word conflict for two who are actively working against each other. Save the words problem and obstacle for things that get in the way but don't have a grudge against what your character's trying to do.

A desire is not a conflict.
Desire keeps both sides in a conflict pushing no matter how hard the other side pushes back.

But desire needs a direction -- a goal. Without a goal the character just yearns, his engine idling with no where to go.

A goal is not a conflict.
A goal gives desire a direction to push and pull your character in.

Both sides in a conflict will have desires driving them towards goals. When the goals are opposite or only one can have the goal, that insures the sides keep pushing against each other to remain in conflict.

Tension is not a conflict.
Tension can come from the threat of conflict -- a set jaw, a No Trespassing sign -- and from anticipating the next push back in a conflict. It can come from the threat of lots of other dangerous things. Iffy bridges. Walls closing in a trash compactor. Someone who isn't responding to repeated attempts to contact.

A struggle is not (necessarily) a conflict.
In a conflict your character will push forward while someone or something pushes back creating a struggle. But unless your character is moving towards something, a struggle is just floundering.

Obligations. A hated job. Restrictive traditions. Physical handicaps. Those can all create struggles for your characters. But if your character isn't struggling towards something, if he's just struggling to keep his sucky life from being suckier, then the struggle you've created is torment and torture not born of conflict.

Conflict doesn't drive a plot.
Conflict doesn't set a story in motion.
Conflict emotionally energizes a story. Conflict makes the story more interesting.

But it's confusing to cast conflict in the role of moving and driving. The purpose of adding conflict to a story is stop your character! To get in his way and test his resolve.

Motion and drive come from Desire PLUS Goal, that is, the opportunity to fulfill the desire.

Capturing Conflict Exercise 4
In your notebook, as you watch shows and read, write the character's goal in a single short (!) sentence. Then keep track of the obstacles she encounters. Make note of which are delays and which are organic, that is, created because of who she is (her flaw) and by what she does.

(From Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict by Cheryl St. John.)

TYPES OF CONFLICT
There are two: internal and external.

Typically your character will wrestle internally and externally with big conflicts made up of lots of little conflicts. An internal conflict will pull him between two ideas, desires or emotions. An external conflict will be with someone or something who pushes him back away from his goal. And all along -- in every scene! -- there will be mini conflicts as he wrestles with emotions and people who want him to give up.

The external types of conflict are usually divided into, just to be confusing, two to seven different types. The shifting number isn't nearly as confusing as most explanations of what each are!

What's the difference between a T. Rex trying to eat your character (Nature), a vampire seeking to drain his blood (Supernatural), an android trying to execute him (Machine), Zeus throwing lightning bolts at him (god)?

In terms of conflict, nothing. The conflict for each is "Do I live life?" or "Do I give up life?" The plots -- the series of events and the motivations behind the choices made -- can be wildly different, but it doesn't make sense to let the outer wrappings of the two opponents define conflict. A struggle with someone who wants to kill your character isn't unique just because he can be seen through or pop fangs from his gums. All the above conflicts are a person going head to head against a powerful but defeatable opponent. There's no story reason to put them in separate types.

But what about: Your character is lost in the mountains as a blizzard rolls in (Nature)? Otherworldly forces force your character to face the sins of his past (Supernatural)? The God he's held faith in for fifty years has let an earthquake wipe out his home and family (God)?

Those definitely feel like very different conflicts. So rather than dump every robot story into Person vs. Machine and every shark story into Person vs. Nature, look for what unique questions you can force your character to struggle with by pitting them against a machine, God, fate, nature or society. Let the type of conflict be defined by what issues the two sides wrestle with.

Also see External conflict vs. Internal conflict, for a good clear explanation of the two.

Individual vs. Self
This is an emotionally-charged internal struggle between two choices.

• Loyalty to King or God? -- Becket
• Loyalty to family or love? -- Romeo and Juliet
• Justice or revenge? -- Batman
• A cloistered life or a secular life? Preserving your home or preserving your family's lives? -- Maria in Sound of Music
• "To be, or not to be ...?" -- Hamlet
• Logic or emotion? -- Spock
• "Should I stay or should I go?" -- The Clash

Sometimes the struggle can be simplified to a progression of, This seems right! But, wait, it's wrong. How can wrong feel right? Can both be right? Which is right (for me)?

Sometimes it can be simplified as, I know I'm right. But, wait, my way made it worse. I need to try my way harder. But I'm making it even worse. That other way may work for some but that other way isn't me. How can I still be me if I have to be not me?

Both choices will have their upsides and downsides. Both mean losing something your character values. Both involve pain, fear, loss of identity, betrayal of others or of own values. And a potential host of other bad feelings your character doesn't want to feel. One thing your character is certain of, she can't have both! (Note: A story may resolve with her discovering a clever way she can have both, but the conflict -- and tension! -- throughout the story will come from her certainty that she can't.)

Remember, conflict isn't a struggle with a situation. Conflict is a struggle between two choices. There must be at least two (emotionally tearing) sides pulling in incompatible directions to have a conflict.

Picture shoulder angels. If both angels have convincing arguments, you've got a conflict. If you can frame the internal conflict with an OR between the two options, you've got a conflict. If both choices involve pain then you've got a compelling conflict.

As the story progresses, your character will learn more about both sides. Her feelings will grow and the balance will tip. But to keep the internal conflict compelling, keep the pain. A choice between a great love or the now-bitchy family has lost its internal conflict. But a choice between a great love (hated by the family) or a beloved sister (who will be cut off with the family) maintains the emotional, opposing pulls.

There's more at Paper Wings, Man Vs. Self: How To Create Heroes With Heart. (If you register at their site, Creating Conflict, the PDF download, has all of their articles on conflict.)

Individual vs. Individual
Individual vs. person, ghost, tiger, vampire, self-aware computer, Romulan, android, (little g) god ... Anyone or anything who feels your character threatens what they care about and directs energy to stop your character. Pretty self-explanatory!

Except that not all conflicts within a story are between the good guy and the bad guy. Some stories don't even have a bad guy. Quite often the most interesting conflicts are between allies, friends, loved ones, love interests.

Examples of conflicts that aren't all just good guy versus bad guy. Often the external conflict with an ally will reflect an internal conflict your character struggles with. (I listed one conflict for each pair but those certainly aren't the only issues they conflict over.)

• Buffy vs. Giles, Physical or Mental -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• For that matter, at various times, anyone vs. anyone else, My way or Their way -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Woody vs. Buzz, Caution or Impulse (among many others!) -- Toy Story
• Kirk vs. Spock, Action or Thought -- Star Trek
• Half a future couple vs. the other half of a future couple -- any love story
• Clarice Starling vs. Hannibal Lecter, Facts or Passion -- The Silence of the Lambs
• Spider-Man vs. Peter Parker, Responsibility or Self -- Spider-Man
• Nicholas Angel vs. Danny Butterman, Law or Good -- Hot Fuzz
• Felix Unger vs. Oscar Madison, Neat or Sloppy -- The Odd Couple
• Toula Portokalos vs. her father, New or Tradition -- My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Light Yagami/Kira vs. L, Justice or Law -- Death Note
• James Bond vs. Q, Winging it or Planning -- James Bond films
• Individual who wants to live vs. Individual who wants to eat them, Live life or Feed life.

A more thorough discussion is at Paper Wings, Man Vs. Man: The Hero’s Mirror.

Calvin as a Force of Nature

Individual vs. Unstoppable force (Nature)
In Creating Conflict and at TV Tropes a good distinction is suggest between person and Nature. A person can be defeated where as Nature can't. Nature can only be survived or (in some cases) changed.

Storm, avalanche, supernova, forest, desert island, cave or mine, plague, earthquake, fire, drought, arctic freeze, heat wave. And, depending on the context, a pack of starving wolves, swarm of bees, zombies, alien invasion, Godzilla. Anything your character is certain is Death Incontestable.

Which means conflicts with animals -- unless the character and reader are convinced they can't be defeated -- are usually Individual vs. Individual. Moby Dick, that's often cited as a conflict with Nature, isn't even that. The whale wasn't in conflict with Ahab. The conflict between them was all in Ahab's head so it is a conflict with self. As Starbuck says to Ahab, "Moby Dick seeks thee not. It is thou, thou, that madly seekest him!"

Ayn Rand argued that "man against nature" is not a conflict because Nature has no free will and thus can make no choices.

In Creating Conflict (the chapter is linked below) the argument is that in most stories Nature is an obstacle. Nature creates an internal conflict when it's used to force your character to confront the certainty of her death. A flooded basement is an obstacle. A forty foot wall of tsunami rushing at your character is unstoppable. She might be able to get out of its path or find cover but she can't stop the wave.

Whether Nature can be in conflict with a person or not, nature stories can be compelling because of what's at risk. The deadly external danger makes every choice an internal conflict between life OR death: Do I choose this less difficult path that is more dangerous OR this more difficult path that may up my chances of survival? Do I stay here where it's less safe OR brave the danger of travel to a safer location? And since Nature is unpredictable, even the safer choice is never safe.

Examples

• Chuck Nolan vs. the island -- Cast Away
• The Poseidon survivors vs. the ocean -- The Poseidon Adventure
• The population of Pompeii vs. the volcano -- Pompeii
• humanity vs. the Andromeda Strain -- The Andromeda Strain

And at some points, when the characters knew their only chance of survival was to flee or bunker down ...

• The scientists vs. the dinosaurs -- Jurassic Park
• Living people vs. zombies -- The Walking Dead (among many others)

There's a very good discussion of this topic at Paper Wings, Man Vs. Nature: It’s More About Dying Than Surviving.

Individual vs. Society (ideology, religion, tradition, culture)
Individual vs. rules, laws, customs, cultural norms, beliefs, attitudes. Society can be the society of a country, a town, a clan, a religious group, a family maintaining years of tradition.

I like what Lora Innes at Paper Wings says about conflicts with society. "Your hero is part of the group he is either working to change or rebelling against. And by being a member of the thing he seeks to change, he first must change himself."

If your character has already separated herself from the society she objects to (and doesn't want back in), then it's her against a pervasive faceless storm of people. In other words a conflict with Nature.

Fighting society while remaining a part of it is what separates this conflict from the others. Ask what is the "cost to relationships, cost to reputation, cost to future, cost of failure" if your character takes on this battle? (The link below goes into more and better detail than I can.)

• Mr. Banks vs. narrow expectations of Edwardian business -- Mary Poppins
• Light Yagami/Kira vs. Japan's justice system -- Death Note
• The Parr Family vs. Superhero Protection Program -- The Incredibles
• Atticus Finch vs. racial prejudice -- To Kill a Mockingbird
• Ferris Bueller vs. the school system -- Ferris Beuller's Day Off
• Calvin vs. modern society -- Calvin and Hobbes
• Joseph Merrick vs. Victorian society prejudice -- The Elephant Man
• Erin Brockovich vs. the power company -- Erin Brockovich

For further examination, check Paper Wings, Man Vs. Society: Your Hero Will Change The World & The World Will Change Your Hero.

Individual vs. Machines and Technology
It's a rare conflict with a machine in a story that rises above a physical struggle between individuals, one who just happens to not be biological.

The true conflict comes from the internal conflicts the encounters stir up so, like Nature, Machines and Technology are catalysts for internal conflict.

• If humans create a machine that's indistinguishable from a human is the machine a human? How would the machine answer that question?
• If a human is enhanced with mechanical parts, at what point does he become machine and not human?
• Machines are our creations and we their Creators. What if the creations decide their Creators aren't worthy enough to serve?
• How will our view of ourselves as creators of machines change when the machines create machines to help them?

And a billion other questions that could be asked and explored. Perhaps asked by machines who are programmed to write stories. What kind of takes would machines have on Machine vs. Human conflicts?

Examples:

• David Bowman vs. HAL 9000 -- 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Deckard vs. the replicants -- Blade Runner
• The Connors vs. T-1000 -- Terminator 2: Judgement Day
• Neo vs. the Matrix -- The Matrix
• humans vs. a host of machines -- Battlestar Galactica
• Data vs. himself -- Star Trek: The Next Generation
• various crews vs. the Borg -- several Star Trek series
• Buffy vs. Adam -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• WALL·E vs. pretty much everything -- WALL·E
• The crew vs. Bishop -- Alien
• The Iron Giant vs. those who saw him as the weapon they created him to be -- The Iron Giant

There's a passionate examination of machine conflicts at Paper Wings, Man Vs. Machine: The Storyteller’s Frontier.

And a BBC article about the conflict looking at movies and reality, Why do we love the drama of Man versus Machine?

Individual vs. Fate, Destiny or The Truth
The unique aspect of a conflict with Fate is the character believes the conflict is external. He thinks the conflict is, "The future I choose" vs. "The future Fate has chosen for me." But in reality "The future Fate has chosen" doesn't offer options. The true options are an internal conflict: accepting the Fated future or being miserable with the Fated future.

Fate can be the inevitable or the truth like death, aging, change. Or being The Chosen One. Most time travel stories either blatantly ignore or wrestle with the question of whether fate and time are fixed.

A conflict with Fate involves accepting death. It's the death of a life that was imagined, the death of a dream, the death of your character's identity, the death of free choice, the death of his view of reality.

The fives stages of grief might be helpful as your character works from denial through to acceptance or whatever stage he stops at.

Examples:

• Harry Potter vs. the prophecy.
• Scott Calvin vs. the Santa Clause that must turn him into Santa -- The Santa Clause
• Luke Skywalker vs. his destiny to bring balance to the Force.
• Julius Ceasar vs. the soothsayer's warning against the Ides of March.
• The Connors vs. the Judgement Day that the Terminator has already experienced in the future.
• George Lass vs. fated deaths -- Dead Like Me series
• Phil Connors vs. his (repeating) life -- Groundhog Day

Individual vs. God
If God is a superhuman being, conflicts could fall into Individual vs. Individual. Just an individual with kick-ass powers.

If God can't be defeated, conflicts could fall into Individual vs. Unstoppable force.

Could if you don't exploit some unique aspect of the relationship. One unique quality is the element of faith in a being who can't be proven to exist. If events suggest God has betrayed the character's trust and faith, that sets up an internal conflict that can't easily be sparked any other way.

What if God were proven to exist? Does that make faith meaningless? Should God then be brought up on charges of negligence for standing by allowing bad things to happen to good people?

The Christian -- or the secular Christian -- version of God offers some unique conflicts. A God who commands his followers to love him but who can squash them like bugs creates a version of love that is intertwined with fear. Is obedience love and love obedience? Is free will really free will if choosing from column B gets you a trip to Hell? Might there be a reflection of the parent/child relationship?

Examples:

• Steambath, a play (available on DVD) by Bruce Jay Friedman, explores the after-lives of several characters who pause in the steam bath before passing on. God is the steam bath attendant, though most of them don't realize this.
• In Joan of Arcadia, God appears in different human forms, interacting with Joan.
• Supernatural series, from the 4th season on deals with a God that even the angels have never seen.

Portrayals of God in popular media could be a source for inspiration.

Another page, though parts of it are heavy going, is Existence of God. It covers the history of proving and disproving both the Christian and Hindu creators.

Individual vs. the Supernatural
Quite often in modern fiction the supernatural is usually either Individual vs. Individual or Individual vs. Unstoppable force. Again. In most TV shows the supernatural is just natural but hidden from ordinary people. In fantasies what's supernatural to the reader is just natural to the characters.

What questions can you manipulate your character into struggling with that can only be done with a supernatural opponent?

It used to be that ghosts and other supernatural entities were used for psychological assaults, in some cases turning an internal conflict into an external conflict or forcing a character to face something internal that they'd suppressed.

Poe's tell-tale heart was, it's suggested, the narrator's guilt over a murder he had committed. The spirits forced Scrooge to face a past, present and possible future he was refusing to look at. Banquo's ghost is MacBeth's murderous choices taking form.

At one time the supernatural could be used to force characters to question their understanding of reality. That's harder to pull off now! That story has been told so many times, readers are anxious to move past the "Is this real?" to get to something fresh. Though a person of faith facing an entity that causes him to question what he believes, and his struggle to reconcile the new and old knowledge hasn't been exhausted. And how does an atheist reconcile holy water, holy ground and crosses if they can ward off supernatural beings?

Examples:

• Everyone vs. the birds -- The Birds
• Benjamin Button vs. his reverse aging -- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Scott Calvin vs. his old life -- The Santa Clause
• humanity vs. Death who's off the clock, Death vs. life as a human -- Death Takes a Holiday
• Alice and logic vs. Wonderland -- Alice in Wonderland

Joyce Fetteroll ©2014

Spring Fever

Spring Fever is an annual condition that strikes everyone in the world of Beldeen. For a week everyone goes a bit crazy. Everyone has always prepared for it. No one expects to get any productive work done.

Now there's a cure for Spring Fever. But this is tradition! It's natural Beldeenian biology! Sure some things still need to get done during Spring Fever. Kids need fed. Fires need put out. Prisoners need watched. But there's pressure for everyone to take the cure and stop being so foolish for an entire week.

Write a scene, a short story, even a poem :-), with characters on either side of the issue. (You can decide how crazy "a bit crazy" is.)

Edged in blue

Edged in blue

What's a warm up?

Beachballs and bumblebees

Aggie wanted the bag of marbles.

Well, that's not particularly interesting! Without emotional connection, who cares whether he or she gets the marbles?

So create some emotional significance! Choose three very different Aggies. The setting can be contemporary, fantasy, historical or whatever. Think outside the character box. If one Aggie is a child, make another an adult. Mix the sexes. Change their economic station. Choose a different country. Make one an animal. Or an alien.

In a brief paragraph, describe what the marbles mean to Aggie. Are they a symbol of abundance? Do they connect to the past? Are they a rarity? Do they feel like love? Perhaps it's what Aggie wants to use them for that's emotionally charged. What's at stake if Aggie doesn't get the bag of marbles?

Moonchild

Moonchild

What's a warm up?

Floating forest

Astro logical

by Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard

Pick your favorite profession, contemporary, fantasy, future, historical. Now pick three astrological signs, perhaps one each from the three different types (cardinal, fixed, mutable. Scroll down to the list of Conflict behaviors for these.)

Based on the traits below (or your favorite description of zodiac traits) create three characters.

Then set them loose in a scene together.

Basic character traits

• Aries - Very forceful confrontational voice, fiercely independent, extremely competitive, freedom-loving, adventurous, enthusiastic, bold, ambitious, athletic, impulsive, reckless, dynamic, powerful, overly-confident, loud, warlike, blunt, hasty, hard-headed, stubborn, strong-willed, hot-tempered, rude, selfish, impulsive, enterprising, a risk-taker, an achiever, tends to act first and think later, the unstoppable force.
  
  
• Taurus - Loves nice things, can come across as extremely materialistic, enjoys the better things in life, sometimes slow to act, great at managing money, loves the outdoors and doing outdoor activities such as farming or gardening, very practical and down to earth, strong appetite, attracted to construction, dislikes change.
  
  
• Gemini - A good arguer, witty, adaptive, flirtatious, playful but may come across as offensive, a trickster, inconsistent, could be touchy, easy to please, intellectual, chatty, quick-witted, a social butterfly, knowledge-seeking, changeable, likes reading, writing and mental games, great at multitasking.
  
  
• Cancer - Very sensitive, has unpredictable moods, romantic, nice, sweet, caring and nurturing, motherly, homey, likes home-cooked meals and quality family time, is socially conservative, and withdraws from the scene when hurt or offended.
  
  
• Leo - Loving, sensitive, loves children, likes luxury and jewelry, bigger-than-life attitude, bold dramatic attitude, ambitious, very demanding, wants to be the center of attention, smart, arrogant, pompous, conceited, intelligent, loud, loyal, strong-willed, tremendous vitality, highly attractive with a distinctive thick mane of hair.
  
  
• Virgo - Perfectionist, critical, detail-oriented, fastidious, practical, intelligent, sharp-witted, keen intellect and powers of observation, shrewd, penetrating, great mental dexterity, judgmental, opinionated, naturally shy, organized, tries to be healthful, likes order and cleanliness, likes simplicity in decorating, knows how to prove points in arguments.
  
  
• Libra - Indecisive, flirtatious, frivolous, graceful, diplomatic, likes equality and justice, loves beauty and beautiful things, a social butterfly, lazy, polite, gracious, has pleasant manners, idealistic, attractive, a peacemaker, makes a great judge.
  
  
• Scorpio - Secretive, passionate, confident, loyal, athletic, hyper-sensitive, mysterious, penetrating, investigative, powerful, sexual, resourceful, jealous, controlling, hot-tempered, magnetic, strong-willed, resilient, resourceful, great stamina, revengeful, self-mastery orientation.
  
  
• Sagittarius - Adventurous, independent, friendly, enthusiastic, broad-minded, overly-optimistic, brave, intelligent, charismatic, flirtatious, rebellious and freedom-seeking, dislikes restrictions, talkative, natural entertainer, impulsive, exaggerating, over-indulgent, blunt, a risk-taker, has child-like wonder, always hungry for knowledge, opportunistic, philanthropic, philosophical.
  
  
• Capricorn - Stubborn, argumentative, stingy, mature/reserved character, cold and detached, cautious, generous, hard worker, very ambitious, likes responsibility, self-disciplined, loves to tease, respects authority, status-seeking, career-oriented, remarkable endurance and patience.
  
  
• Aquarius - Loves to help others, liberal, democratic, humanitarian, broad-minded, likes social equality, a reformer, freedom-oriented, cool, cold and indifferent, eccentric, erratic, rebellious, unpredictable, highly opinionated, original, one-of-a-kind, friendly, sharp-tongued, idealistic, inventive, quick to change mind, resolute.
  
  
• Pisces - Sensitive, friendly, compatible, beautiful eyes and smile, imaginative, escapist, lazy, can be moody, likes to take care of others, offensive.

Conflict behavior

• Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn): Usually responds to conflict with a bold, decisive, instinctive action in an attempt to trump the assault. Easily motivated to start tasks.
  
  
• Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius): Tends to hold in their reaction and respond that the attempt to hurt them was futile, with passive aggressive behavior or with silence. Concentrates on finishing things well.
  
  
• Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces): Tends to be artful with conflicts, and is known to try to avoid arguments. Good at motivating people.

(List of traits from How to Guess Someone's Astrological Sign.)