Becoming Moms

 

Character & Conflict

I recently read that good stories always involve character & conflict.  I thought about the simplicity of that statement. I don’t know that I’ve ever pin-pointed the make up of a good story to just 'character' & 'conflict' before.

But here’s the thing – it’s true.  Good stories, memorable stories, stories worth retelling – they all involve a character we love and a conflict that challenges the characters we’re attached to.  Character and conflict are necessary components of a good story. 

Here’s an example.  I’m going to tell you one story, in two different ways.

Story A

Jack woke up. He took his new bike for a ride around the neighborhood. He came home. The end.

Story B

Jack could hardly sleep. He had saved his money for months and finally purchased his dream bike.  It was perfect in every way that he imagined, and as soon as tomorrow arrived, he’d finally have the chance to ride the bike he had been dreaming about & saving up for.  When morning came he couldn’t wait any longer. He crept out of the house and rolled the bike out of the garage. The feel of the handlebars, the sound of the tires on the pavement – it was all exhilarating.  

Jack hopped on his bike and began to peddle. He races with the wind turning street corners, hopping on & off the sidewalk, gaining rhythm. It’s the ride of his life.  He can hear the wind in his ears.  Just as Jack turns the next corner he turns a bit wide and is met by the headlights of an approaching car.  The car’s horn blares loudly. The headlights glare. Jack panics.  His heart is racing. One moment he was the king of the world and with this turn of the corner his palms are sweating, his heart races, and he thinks he might not live to see another day. 

Jack careens to the right. The car misses him. But he eats the pavement. With a nasty road rash Jack heads home. He had the ride of his life and he can’t wait to ride another day. The end.

…so. Which story is more memorable? Which was more exciting? Which would you be more likely to retell?  Did one of the stories have your attention more? Did you learn anything from one story, more than the other?

I’m willing to bet that Story B was your favorite. I bet it captured your attention, got your heart pounding, and took you on a white-knuckle ride with Jack.  Did you worry for him? Were you relieved for him?  Did you feel like you were on an emotional roller coaster that left you smiling and happy in the end?

So what? You ask.

Character & conflict – two necessary components of a good story. Two necessary components for a story worth retelling. If we agree that character & conflict are necessary for a good story – why do you think that it would be any different for the story of our lives?

My life story is different from your life story. Your daughter’s story is different from her friend's. Her story is real and it’s full of drama, pain, challenge, & conflict. It’s also full of good things, memorable moments, and dreams come true.  Your daughter is the main character – who is she in the story? What conflicts is she facing on her current page? How will she write the rest of her existing story?

She’ll write her story after watching her parents write theirs. She’ll decide when to pick up the pen (or maybe a pencil) She’ll decide if she’s going to write her story like story A or like Story B. 

How will you teach her to shape her character and use conflict to give her story life, meaning, and something worth retelling?