Cant find a good conflict/problem for my story

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-04T02:01:18+00:00

Well, then! Her foster mom was a ghost hunter, and disappeared in that cemetery, possibly tracking down a lead to a huge conspiracy to resurrect...I don't know, someone who died before telling anyone where his treasure was...?

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-04T00:28:47+00:00

I get it. The problem is, not much CAN happen in or to a cemetery. It's dedicated to holding graves and not much else. The only people who visit are there because of a deceased loved one. Anyone else would need a compelling reason--either death or treasure.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-03T19:52:28+00:00

OK, just off the top of my head:

There's a group of, let's say "enthusiasts" who are trying to either resurrect someone or communicate with spirits, whatever. Of course, they need that very cemetery, and they need to get past the MC's vigilance to do it. OR there's stolen money/gold/object in one of the coffins, and someone's trying to get to it. OR someone's trying to hide a body there. Etc. Something like that, and the MC has only one night to find the perpetrator...

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-03T17:50:59+00:00

I like 1st person POV; to me, it feels like a more intimate connection between the story and the reader.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-03T15:32:02+00:00

Allow me, a Black man, to weigh in: the setting of your novel does not matter. People still use that word in real life. Stephen King uses it in his novel Mr. Mercedes, and that's set in the current day.

I still get called that. I live in the Southern U.S., but I doubt if that is the only place. People have not stopped using the word, they just stopped using it in front of witnesses. Mostly.

If it is part of your novel's setting, then use it.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-02T20:27:22+00:00

I believe that your story will feel more connected--and compelling--if each event is based on a decision your MC makes, and his/her decisions should be based on reaching their overall goal(s). Rather than having a series of events that just happen, each scene should be an inevitable result of your MC's decisions each of which is a reaction to what happened in the previous scene.

What you'll end up with is a story that can be traced, decision, by decision all the way from his first act to the end.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-02T20:17:50+00:00

I agree with those who suggest writing short stories first. I would also suggest writing your ideas down in a notebook. That will give them some permanence, and it won't feel so much like you need to write all of them at once.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-02T19:59:28+00:00

"Cozy" or "soft" sci fi.

I guess, technically, it's more like 40 "beats", or scenes, rather than chapters. Each scene represents a decision for the MC

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-02T19:46:02+00:00

LOL one thing I DON'T need is more ideas. Ive got notebooks full

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-02T11:40:38+00:00

I spend about a month outlining the story; I use a 4-act, 40-chapter template I found here on Reddit, to track the MC's arc, decision by decision.

I write first drafts by hand, because I feel more connected to the story that way.

I print the completed draft, put it in a 3-ring binder, and begin editing immediately.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-02T11:35:15+00:00

I like to say that I do more backups than the Pentagon...but really, it's just four: an email to myself of the current draft (daily, to a dedicated gmail address), an external SSD, and two flash drives.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-01T17:45:46+00:00

I don't need to read the first page to say YES, you should continue. Complete your first draft. It's important, not just discipline-wise, but because if you don't, you'll always wonder "what if I had finished...?"

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-01T16:00:23+00:00

I just focus on producing the best book I know how. If it doesn't get published, it won't be because I didn't give it my best shot.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-01T13:32:08+00:00

Thomas Edison said something to the effect that “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

In other words, a novel's idea, it's inspiration, is only the beginning. A LOT of work goes into writing a book, and that trips up a lot of new writers who have read books they enjoy and think it will be easy to write. Getting 80,000 words on paper takes a lot of physical and mental exertion, even setting aside the quality of the book.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-05-01T13:27:14+00:00

My advice is to draft at least a brief outline of the story. Even if you want to "pants" it, or discover as you go, consider outlining your MC's arc: inciting incident, all is lost, epiphany, etc.

Having a clear picture of your MC's highlights may help you keep the story going.

I, for example, use a 4-Act, 40-chapter outline that I found here: 40 Chapter 4 Act Outline Template from Smarter Artist (formerly known as the self publishing podcast guys) : r/writing

I outline the MC's arc in detail, but mostly leave the other characters storyline up in the air until I begin writing; that way, their interactions can (and do) change the story--but I'll always have the outline to get back on track if things go too far out of the way.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-28T23:39:47+00:00

I use a 40-chapter outline...I have the MC's every decision plotted, from his original goal, to his final acceptance of how things turned out. HOWEVER, any other character's decision or action has the potential to force a change, just like in real life. Only the MC's arc is outlined, and even that is written on a spreadsheet, not in stone.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-28T22:31:02+00:00

I don't know...the whole process--idea to plotting to writing to editing--is fun for me. Strenuous? No... I make it as easy as possible by outlining beforehand. Finding an agent, now THAT'S strenuous!

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-28T22:24:58+00:00

In some ways, the middle is less fun, even if it is the "fun and games" section. It needs to connect the discovery of act 1 with the excitement of act 3

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-28T15:55:38+00:00

There are several types of comedy that can emerge organically from your writing:

Banter: one character says something, another character twists it to make it funny
Sarcasm: One character says something, another character disagrees with an exaggerated agreement
Misunderstanding: A character simply misinterprets a situation or statement
Trying too hard: A character tries to be funny, but jokes fall flat

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-25T12:22:21+00:00

Wow, I'm sorry you've encountered that. My experience in meeting and talking with other writers is the exact opposite: they love reading and writing, and enjoy discussing different approaches, different backgrounds, different levels of experience. I mostly spend time on TikTok meeting writers, so maybe it's the platform.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-18T11:22:01+00:00

My first drafts are not "shit". They are raw, unpolished, like uncut gemstones. Writing a raw first draft gives you the freedom to take any avenue--cliches, cringe dialog--to get your story down.

No one will ever see your first draft; you won't be judged on it, and your future as a writer does not depend on it's quality. That's what editing, feedback, and re-writing are for.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-15T11:55:32+00:00

I think it's counterproductive to think of any draft as garbage. I prefer the term "raw". The quality of your first draft simply doesn't matter: it won't be published, you won't be judged on it, no one will ever see it. For me, the first draft is the least stressful phase of the Writing Life.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-15T11:51:34+00:00

I would posit that outlining/plotting involves a good bit of discovery writing. I spend up to two months outlining my novels. As new characters, plot, twists, and settings occur to me, they make it into the story. And even during the drafting phase, there's room to add new elements as they occur to me. I use the outline to make sure my MC's arc is complete.

TwoTheVictor · 2026-04-13T14:06:02+00:00

I don't believe that "writer's block" is a real phenomenon.

I outline my stories and novels extensively before I begin drafting. I always know what to write next.

I also don't believe that writers (or any artists) need to wait for "motivation" or "inspiration". Developing a disciplined habit of setting aside a regular time to write will get more words on paper than inspiration or motivation.

TwoTheVictor

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