Fiction, conflict, and issue #1

There's ( at least ) one thing I have in common with the character Gregory House, M.D. We both abhor boredom. The people I see on the train who sit and stare straight ahead or inside the train even are mysteries to me.

I'm not talking about the clearly distressed or schizophrenic; but rather the people who just don't need to be applying their minds to something at a given moment. I like to veg as much as the next person, maybe more... but I'm reading while doing it. Or chatting. Or drawing.

Or writing, as it happens.

Or at least following something complex and finding new levels. Boredom is icky. Conflict might not be fun, but it's interesting. It holds your attention. Lots. It's a basic precept of fiction.

One way to describe every piece of great fiction is to break it down thusly:

1. Write a character and put him in a tree.
2. Throw rocks at him.
3. Get him down out of the tree.

If you skip one of those steps, your fiction sucks. I don't crave conflict, but I do abhor boredom. And I like fiction. Reading and writing it, so in at least one way I enjoy the study of conflict; the sculpture of it, maybe.

Let's take two characters... Inara and Malcolm. And let's chart some conflict.

...

Issue #1

Inara and Malcolm both like to be sexual, and are both seasoned lovers and partners, but not with each other. The two of them have never been involved, and they've both had enough train wrecks and Last First Kisses and heartache to know they want to be picky with the whole falling for someone thing.

Inara and Malcolm are very good friends. They've pretty much managed to sidestep the issue of sexual attraction from who they were in their friendship. They've shared each others' exploits and falls. Laughed and comforted one another after various issues. They both can play with others casually, and have done so.

But another factor they both share is this: when a significant potential partner comes along, the sexual attraction acts like a slingshot for something more than the physical. They can both play with people who are nice, sweet, interesting and attractive, and not get mired in anything messy or painful.

As long as the play partner doesn't matter. If the other person matters, if they're special, then both Inara and Malcolm can pretend to be casual, but they're both incapable of it. So they play with people they like, but are very careful about who they choose to play with -and- care about. They're picky, as I've said, and they are not looking to repeat any prior mistakes, or explore how to get really good at new ones.

Then something changes between Inara and Malcolm.

They are now -quite- attracted to one another. And they both matter to one another very much.

Issue #1: If I play with -you-, I will likely fall for you.

And this is soooooo not the only issue. Stayed tuned.