C.S. Larkin on Writing Internal Change

I ran across C.S. Larkin's blog Live Write Thrive this past Monday when I had overslept and was far behind in my daily schedule. I dallied over, skimmed, How Does Internal Conflict Fit into the Character’s Arc? and these points caught my eye:

Once you know that a missing need is the key to the character’s internal motivation, that piece of the puzzle often becomes clear. Sometimes it actually helps to start your exploration of their arc with this element. If you can easily identify the void the character is desperately seeking to fill, use that information to fill in the rest of the gaps.

What story goal might he pursue because he subconsciously believes that achieving the goal will meet his need?

What external conflict source could realistically oppose him in the pursuit of that goal throughout the story?

What internal conflict would get in the way?

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When you’re nutting out your character’s internal conflict, think about things the character wants that put him at odds with himself—things like…

Opposing or competing wants, needs, or desires

Confusion about how he should feel

Questions surrounding his core beliefs or values

Indecision, insecurity, self-doubt, or another emotion that puts him at odds with himself

Conflicting duties and responsibilities

Grappling with an aspect of mental health

A fear that keeps him from doing what he knows he should do

A secret he thinks must be protected (maybe relating to a past wounding experience?)

These are just a few possibilities. Basically, you want to look for internal areas that are a source of struggle for the character. These are places where they’re always fighting with themselves—or places they consistently avoid or deny. Identifying those areas can help you narrow the field of possibilities for your character’s main source of internal conflict. Then it’s a matter of finding the perfect one to fit your character and their story.

These might come in handy whenever I get back to my "Chasing Ashes."