The Foundation of a Great Conflict: Pt4

Good decisions

No one can tell you what a good decision is. A good decision for one person may be a bad decision for another. A good decision when you are twenty years old may be a bad decision when you are forty. So, how do you know if a decision is good? A good decision is one which does not hurt you, hurt another person, or start a chain of events that will cause future damage.

We make good decisions as we grow, heal, mature. That is why the average character is weak at the beginning of the novel but each conflict pushes them to grow, mature, heal, until they learn how to make good decisions.

Maturity is a learned behavior

The ability to make good decisions can be taught

The hero in a story can learn how to make good decisions. They are pushed from one conflict to the next, learning skills, developing problem solving strategies. This is the foundation of a good conflict. It shouldn't just be something interesting that happens to the main character. A good conflict has a purpose. There is a reason it is in the story.



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The Business of Novel Writing

The life of a novel writer has many perks. The uninitiated masses envisions us working in our pajamas while writing fluff about faraway places where beautiful people have spectacular adventures. After chuckling, writers patiently explain how many hours it can take to research and plan a novel, or the number of times a novel is rejected before it sells.

Writers possess an intangible element that prevents them from taking the well-worn route. A regular paycheck with benefits is attractive to the normal person. I tried it once, but it didn’t last. Face it, writers are not free to enjoy an easy life while others toil from nine to five, writers must write.

The life of a novel writer is burdened with unpaid bills, deadlines, and rejection letters. But, there are a few blessings that outweigh the heaviest burdens, like the joy of being published and holding your own book, studying a truly fascinating topic for a new plot, or enjoying the spiritual journey only a novel writer can understand.

The initial lack of income causes many new writers give up. They believe the passion to write is a prank their muse is playing on them. They become confused with all the rules, styles, genres, and markets.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Time Management

Many things cut into your novel writing time. Answering emails, critique and email groups, blogging, and writers groups offer little benefit to the average writer. The time spent in critique and chat groups could be spent taking classes, learning about the craft of writing, or sharpening your prose.

Newsletters and Critique or Fan Groups

We all signed up for at least one newsletter that promised to help us earn a living, only to learn it is only a clever marketing tool to sell products. Novel writers spend several years learning their craft, and writing one or two novels, before seeing any money. These groups only charge $20 or $30 each, but it adds up over time.

Writing is a Business

View your novel writing as a business. Organize your time, learn something new each week, and write. Writers write. Writing and reading are the fastest roads between a new writer and a published author.





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The Foundation of a Great Conflict

The secret: Good People Make Bad Decisions
I learned the secret of a great conflict through my own life.

What is a Good Decision?

What makes a good decision a good decision? What makes a bad decision a bad one? Is it just the consequences of these decisions and our actions, or is there an underlying definition of ‘good’ and ‘bad.’

Many of us mess up our lives for years because we let others dictate our definitions of good and bad. I was one of those people. For more than twenty years, I listened blindly while others dictated what was good and bad. I followed without arguing, trying to force myself to live a life that earned their approval. I was over thirty five years old before I realized that the life I lived, the person I had become, and my future goals, did not earn my approval. I did not like the person whom I had become.

I begged for other’s approval, feeling discouraged when they withheld affirmation and elated when I received the smallest praise. I lived my life to please others. This drained me, emotionally and physically. I was often sick. My list of successes and accomplishments was very short. I compensated with beliefs that “My greatest accomplishment is helping _______ reach their goals.” “I am a good person because my family is comfortable and well cared for.”

I never realized how these beliefs were ruining my life, and my family’s lives, until I worked as a housekeeper. Over the two years that I cleaned house, I started to notice a difference between the families of ‘good’ women and women who did not fit my definition of good. The first set of women (men) managed their homes and families so well that their adult children still lived at home, had no goals, and no independence. The second set of women (men) gave their children independence, allowing them to grow, but they were there to catch them when they fell.

I started to realize that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are only perceptions. Of course, society has limits: do not steal, do not have an affair, do not kill, do not abandon your responsibilities. We understand these rules because we recognize the damage these things have on others, but more importantly, they can ruin our lives for years. We know they are wrong because they damage our ability to enjoy life, respect ourselves, and be happy – even if it seems like we ‘got away with it.’



Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.

Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News

Teen Troubles

My son is going away for a weekend. I plan to get a lot of work done. I remember when the biggest concern I has was which acne treatment would work the best. Now I have to worry about his friends, what they value, and what my son will value. Being a writer can increase the tension of being a parent. We have a clear understanding of how fast a life can change.

I like worrying about acne and whether to buy Orvo or something else. All those normal aspects of childhood. Will he come home unscathed. Most likely. He will call before doing anything dangerous - but something worse will happen ... he will grow up a little more.