There is no such thing as a good story with no conflict in it. While we like to have conflict-free lives, we must have conflict in our books in order to keep the reader’s attention. This, my fellow writers, is where the Try/Fail cycle comes into play.
Try/Fail Cycle
Over the course of your book, you need to have the characters try and fail at least twice before succeeding at something. This builds the tension and makes their successes more fulfilling for the readers. There should be one main objective for the protagonist in a book, and that character can’t reach the goal until the end of the book.
There are two ways to create conflict. When the protagonist is facing a problem, you have to ask yourself if they will overcome the problem or not. The answer will either be yes or no, but the story can’t end there. The answer needs to be expounded upon to make it an interesting story.
No, And
The first option when confronted with a problem is for the protagonist to fail. Will she find her dad before the killer does? No. But don’t leave it there. No, AND something else happens to make it worse. The girl doesn’t find him AND now the killer is holding her dad captive. That escalates the conflict and keeps the reader intrigued.
The No, And option is great for building tension fast. The original problem not only is left unsolved, there’s a new one on top of it. This is a good technique to use right before the climax as it brings the protagonist to her lowest point right before the big triumph. The reader will experience a rush from the emotional rollercoaster that will hopefully leave a lasting impression.
Yes, But
The other option for a protagonist when facing an issue is to conquer it. Will she find her dad before the killer takes his life? Yes. Again, we can’t just give a clearcut answer. Yes, BUT something else goes wrong. The girl finds her dad BUT the killer catches her and takes her captive too. This closes one case of conflict but opens a new one.
The Yes, But method is important to keep up morale. Reading a story where the protagonist always fails and things keep getting worse will depress the reader. You need to add in moments of triumph as an emotional boost. The reader needs someone to cheer for and not someone to only pity. Giving the protagonist these small wins will draw in the readers and make them more invested in the protagonist’s overall success in the book.
Final Thoughts
As you write a book, your protagonist should go through many Try/Fail cycles with the No, And/Yes, But scenarios. The character should learn from every fail and build up her skills to a point where she can realistically succeed in the end. When the readers reach that moment, they should be on the edge of their seats cheering for her because they’ve seen what she can do and how much she had to overcome to get to that point. So, when you find yourself stuck in your writing, ask yourself what problem your protagonist encounters next. Then, figure out if it’s a No, And or a Yes, But scenario, and write that scene.
Thanks for reading!
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