I hate to argue, but…

Writing Prompts
Written By Lisa Manterfield

Conflict creates tension, propels a story forward, and keeps the reader engaged. And there’s nothing like a good argument (a literal conflict) to set characters at odds, amp up emotion, and get to the core of who a character really is under pressure.

Choose two characters from your story. Put them in a room (or car or bank vault or Hobbit hole) together and start an argument.

Stuck for ideas? Here are some universal sources of conflict:

  • The in-laws

  • What to watch on TV

  • An impulsive purchase

  • A secret unexpectedly revealed

  • Politics

  • A lie

  • The kids

  • Conflicting memories of a shared past

Lisa Manterfield
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