One of my favorite YouTubers is Lucas Strunc (he/him), aka the LocalScriptMan. He’s a Narrative Consultant and his videos are largely about storytelling, sometimes specifically the medium of film but more so just narrative in general.
So my philosophy is don’t think of people as naturally opposed to each other. Instead think of them as fundamentally different and then ask what would bring those differences to a head.
Lucas Strunc
2 months ago, as YouTube put it, he released a video talking about fight scenes. I have a fight scene coming up in a few chapters and I figured getting his thoughts on the matter could be immensely helpful. As I’ve come to expect from his content, it was. I’d recommend watching the whole video.
I want to take a look at this absurd little doodle drama that pops up 8:55 to 12:55. I’ll transcribe it for you.
Bloobus is a fundamentally anxious person who deals with his anxiety by seeking to understand everything around him.
Bleebus, in contrast, gets her sense of purpose from keeping others happy. She's a caretaker of sorts.
Bloobus and Bleebus have been in the same friend group for years. So they wouldn't randomly pick today to start fighting. Like, sure, their motivations might be reflected in their banter and in the way they socialize and present themselves. They certainly have contrast but just being different is not enough to push two people into an altercation. I mean, you're different than the people around you but you aren't always fighting them unless you are fighting about something.
So my philosophy is don't think of people as naturally opposed to each other. Instead think of them as fundamentally different and then ask what would bring those differences to a head. Bloobus values the truth. Bleebus values the group's happiness.
In the space between Bloobus and Bleebus we have a friendship, shared history, and a trajectory of them at least staying friends… maybe they were going to make a brown baby (color theory). Lucas will find a way to add a conflict between these two characters.
It appears that the ideal situation to make these two characters is a dark secret that will make everyone unhappy. Bloobus thinks that the people have to know regardless of how it affects them. Bleebus doesn't want people to be hurt, so she thinks they should hide the dark secret.
So now they aren't just clashing, they're clashing over something. And if your characters have different beliefs, you can find that something for them. The best part is the something doesn't have to show up immediately. Especially in a more episodic story your characters can tolerate or even love each other for seasons, plural, until a custom built situation finally drives a wedge between them and forces them to either reconcile their differences or tare each other apart.
Drama baby!
That’s the part that I specifically wanted to share. Lucas gives a great example of how two friends can end up in conflict.
#TeamBloobus
