When Both Characters Are Right: The Real Definition of Conflict

Writers confuse argument for conflict. They’re different things with different effects on readers.

Argument is one character wanting something while another objects; that’s an obstacle wearing a person’s face.

Real conflict is two people who are both completely justified. Take the mother who refuses to let her daughter leave town—she buried her husband eight months ago and is terrified of being alone. The daughter has a career offer that won’t come again. Both are right. The reader can see it.

That discomfort is the whole point. When the reader understands both sides and feels the pull, they can’t simply root for one character. They need to know how this gets resolved.

The test: for every major confrontation in your manuscript, can you write one honest sentence explaining why the opposing character is right to resist? If the best you can do is “she’s afraid” or “he’s stubborn,” you haven’t built conflict yet.

Open your draft. Find your three biggest confrontations—the scenes with the most tension and the most at stake. For each one, write a single sentence from the opposing character’s perspective that makes their position genuinely reasonable. If you can’t write it, that character needs more work before the scene does.

---

Want more craft lessons like this—plus personal feedback from me? The Authors Success Bundle Pro gives you access to all 20 Writing Academy courses. Special offer: subscribe now for 70% off—just $29/month