the conflict is entirely internal to the character?
two books that leap to mind are God Emperor of Dune, and Catcher in the Rye. It's been a while since i read either one, but i do remember most of each novel being the main character's inner conversation with himself, trying to explain/justify why he did the things that he did, and what the consequences might be.
advisable for someone to attempt? sure, why not? wouldn't it just be a different style of characterization? not easier or harder, just different?
or maybe, Vio, you mean something completely different by internal conflict?
Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 203 Location: Vancouver, Canada
Internal Conflict
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 2:36 am
While I think that internal conflict is crucial to any good story, I would be very hesitant to throw my whole novel into such a straight jacket. To restrict yourself like that and succeed is certainly a demonstration of writing skill; witness the examples Dagny mentions.
On the other hand, unless you have an exceptional internal conflict, and the skill to carry it off, that kind of grandstanding is rather like playing the guitar standing on your head. Sure, it's impressive, but people still tend to judge you by the music.
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