And the meek shall inherit the storyline

[John Dean]

I am currently developing a talk on the role of Conflict in Crime Fiction, to be delivered as part of Darlington Arts Festival in North East England (May 17-20, 2019, details to be announced).

But why choose conflict as a subject? Because we live in an age when people increasingly challenge each other and when the ‘ordinary’ man or women is more prepared to challenge those in positions of authority as well.

A world where they are more prepared to be outspoken, particularly on social media, to defend the things they care deeply about. Perhaps in ways they never thought possible.

That can create an atmosphere that is febrile (a word often used to describe the various Brexit debates currently raging) and, when people feel like that, conflict is always possible. Nay, inevitable. 

But why is conflict important to crime writers, indeed any writer? Because stories need things to happen and that usually comes out of conflict - characters argue, fight, feud, emotions run high, pretty much anything is possible.

I will be developing these ideas in my talk but, in short, it is through seeing people in conflict that we see them at their truest. That’s brilliant for writers. It shapes plots, motivates characters.

I plan in my talk to show how a writer can develop a character through conflict, which can provoke a strong reaction in readers and make for good drama – and hopefully for a good talk as well!