#vaules

[unwelcome-ozian]

[creativestalkerrs]

dramatizing conflicting emotions and values

I posted this on my Substack blog as well, subscribe to that for more content. Apart of creativestalkerr’s writing lessons.

writing good emotions and value and writing how they can conflict with each other.

When it comes to dramatizing conflicting emotions and values, it’s all about how you manifest those emotions and values in your writing. How much emotional weight is in the values of your character(s) and how you can make your consumer invested in your characters' values?

Planning Internal Conflict: Three Questions:

What Two Values or Emotions are in Conflict?:

These are the two things that your character is choosing between, Emotions attached to the conflict. Emotions attached to that value.

Which Value is Going to Win?:

One value is going to take priority over the other. Give back and forth throughout the story. The realization of the story--the narrative.

How Does the Character Feel About This?:

There are emotions that are attached to their decisions.

Asking these types of questions can help build tension and conflict throughout your story and help you as a writer to flush out and understand these details that you might not really think about otherwise.

Expressing Emotional and Value Conflict: There is a number of ways to express value conflict with your writing, such as;

Action

Thoughts

Dialogue

Backstory

Emotions

It’s good to use all these items in your story rather than relying on just one.

Structural Ways to Show Internal Conflict: There are three primary ways to manifest your conflict throughout your narrative.

Show values conflicting in a series of scenes

Show values conflicting in a single scene

Tell the value conflict is happening through exposition--describing rather than showing

Creating Consistent, but Conflicted Characters: Not every character you write will be consistent with conflict they should act inconsistent as well. We talked about this more in our ‘Dramatizing Inner Conflict.’ lesson a few lessons ago. In that lesson, we talk about how in our everyday lives, we’re always negotiating and figuring things out in our own lives. So, we should write this in our own characters so our consumers relate to them.

Something I want to add that I didn’t touch on much in that lesson, is how we (and our characters) do this in order to get to a comfortable situation with our own values. With this, there comes inconsistency of action--like in that lesson, we want to do this in a consistent way.

How Do You Write This? To make this answer short and sweet, basically how you write this is that you want to prepare your consumer by having a consistent value conflict.

Conflict Over Several Scenes Making Each Scene Unique: When writing your scenes, you want to have your value conflicts play out during the string of scenes, this is commonly used for writers.

Keep in mind that you don’t want the same value to win over and over again, sometimes it will be an extremely tricky situation for your character. If you make your character pick one value over another, you need to justify it. In fact, justify everything you write.

As the writer, you should want to believe what you put in your story. If you don’t then your consumers won’t.

Look at it this way; you can have your main character choose one value over the other many times but they reveal new information and tried to solve the problem that was made with the first scene. Have balance as well, because sometimes your character will [want or have] to pick the other value. If you have written your character to always choose one value over the other and then suddenly pick the other, explore why they might have done that.

Conflict Over Several Scenes: I like to imagine your character trying to balance their values and play them like ping pong. You don’t want your character to be shown completely balancing everything, as this might give conflict. Although you show them doing/enjoying both things, it might not be interesting for consumers. But do show how they care for both.

To fix this and to make it more interesting and with conflict, show scenes in which your character is missing both of those items.

Scenes where your character is missing out on situation one and scenes where they are missing out on situation two. This can still be simple but as a writer, you have to dig into why they feel the way they do. This can show us how your character truly feels in both situations. You want your consumer to feel that loss or it won't feel like a true and serious loss that has happened.

What’s at Stake? Your main character can act a bit evil in the situation. Maybe their angry, upset, happy, or even confused. There will most likely be lots of emotions with the conflict and situation, figure out what all these can be.

There are several steps of emotions that you want to take your consumer throw. You want these emotions to start building up. Emotions can be inconsistent with the conflict at hand this makes things more believable. However, keep in mind that consistent things are with the struggle of values.

Eventually, your character might feel like they have made the right choice causing both your character and consumer to feel rewarded.

Conflict in One Scene: When you want to focus on the conflict in just one scene, you want to make sure you have set up other emotions beforehand.

The value conflicts are there, your main character is still choosing situation one, but they might feel like it's the ‘wrong’ choice. In fact, they might react against it.

This can lead to a powerful moment because it’s happening one after another so you can really feel the emotions because of the conflict. However, it’s important not to overuse this one.

Value Conflict via Exposition: This is where you describe what is happening. Describe how your character is feeling. Always show and not tell, especially when it comes to conflict and emotions.

Conveying values at stakes and emotions that go with the main character through your narration. Show this through headspace or the 3rd person's voice.

​​~Vocabulary~

Dramatizing: exaggerate the seriousness or importance of (an incident or situation).

Manifest: display or show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance; demonstrate.

Attached: joined, fastened, or connected to something.

Priority: the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important.

Realization: an act of becoming fully aware of something as a fact.

Exposition: a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.

Justify: show or prove to be right or reasonable.

Balance: keep or put (something) in a steady position so that it does not fall.

Struggle: engage in conflict.

Rewarded: make a gift of something to (someone) in recognition of their services, efforts, or achievements.

Headspace: a person's state of mind or mindset.

[random-bookquotes]

Values are not attained in a vacuum. All of us are formed by the people and places around us, much like a piece of clay. But unlike an inanimate piece of clay, we also bear responsibility for the values we hold. We are participants in our present and future selves. Gaining awareness of our value systems and where they come from gives us power to move forward into our futures with more clarity of what we want to change and what we want to keep. When it comes to value setting, awareness is your power, curiosity is your weapon, and your actions are the story the world will tell long after you’re gone. This is your shot to write a story you’re proud of.

Corey Yeager, How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself

[mermomninja-blog]

Always Move Forward

 We should always be moving towards what we value most in life. Before you let the words leak from your lips or before you take an action, ask yourself if it is in accord with your values and what are the consequences for that action. Values guide us in the direction we want to move and help us to stay focused. They can help provide us with stability and strength when our lives seem out of focus. Values give us meaning and hold us accountable. HOARDING PENNIES

[justjenus]

Most would put a $$$ price tag on all three yet know they are priceless Being around those of like mindedness is as important as being around those of like kindness @humblethepoet forever spits truth and knowledge. BLESS🙌🙌🙌🙌 #ItsGenuisJustJenus #humblethepoet #vaules #art #poetry (at Raleigh, North Carolina)

[mrsowaters54]

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[jodyxowens]

This is my room window. My homies pull on Rose and scream "yerrrrrrrrr" and i know wussup 🌉🌊👻 #VAULES #jaerubell #jaerubellmusic COMING SOON

[anastasiaroseeatsbooks]

I think I've figured out why I've always hung out with the really poor kids. Why even though I grew up with a lot I never liked the kids with the same up bringing. It's because those with less always seem to understand how much more valuable the nights you come over at two am when I'm a mess are then the trips to Chicago or New York City because I like to travel and taste all the exotic things. Because I love that my wealthy sailing friend and I went to Canada and I'll never forget it. But I'll never forget that my closest guy friend held me a at four am the night before a big test because all I could do was cry over the inevitability of my life ending with me becoming a shell of who I am and the fact that I could have only five years left. I don't care if I'm crying in a Ferrari. I want to know who's next to me when I insist that I'm strong enough to do everything alone.