Before the Flood

At left, a boy plowing a potato field prior to the farm being flooded in the TVA electrification project. This particular farm is on the edge of the expected hydroelectric project so may or may not have ended up under water.

Conflict. Man v Nature. Man v Man. Man v Unknown. These all work for me. Man v himself - not so much.

I love literary fiction where the transformative effect of an inner conflict is critical to seeing the transformation of a character. It isn't merely the external conflict driving forward ( aka the Die Hard effect).

 However, I also enjoy an enthralling and engaging exterior conflict. I need both.

Sometimes, when I am not conflict focused, I can create a story with the focus on inner transformation in the absence of a compelling exterior conflict. I find this lazy writing. I find it maudlin. I am ashamed of such writing.

So, conflict. That needs to be on my mind first when I'm scratching out a rough draft.

How about you? What is the piece of craft which takes active concentration for you?

I'm off to write, and concentrate.