Publisher: Writers Helping Writers

ISBN: 978-1-7361523-0-0

If characters drive the story, then conflict operates as the engine to every tale. Keeping this tenet in mind, writing experts Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi return with their most ambitious, hefty thesaurus yet. The latest in their thesauruses of manuals and instruction tools for writers comes with a thoughtful examination of the place of conflict in a story. 

Like all of the other books in the series, the co-authors begin with a section on the subject at hand. They discuss conflict and how it relates to plot as well as to the inner motivations of characters, the outcome of the choices made as a result of conflict, and more. The introductory section alone is worth the price of the thesaurus. Ackerman and Puglisi offer critical teaching here that every writer should bookmark as they work.

Following the introduction, the book comes in a format slightly different from previous volumes in the series. The thesaurus is divided into different sections, such as “Failures and Mistakes” and “No-Win Scenarios.” Each section includes a possible scenario and details on that scenario. 

For example, in the listing for “Being Given An Opportunity to Cheat,” examples include “a friend offering the character a copy of the exam to study” and “receiving insider information that could be used to make an investment.” Following the examples comes a listing of minor complications that occur as a result of the possible scenarios. The listing also includes potentially disastrous results of the conflict.

Ackerman and Puglisi don’t stop there, however. They offer possible internal struggles, emotions and negative and positive traits associated with the conflict, and outcomes. In the introduction to the book, the authors briefly discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Each entry addresses how a particular conflict would affect a character based on that hierarchy. In other words, the book examines conflict in multiple dimensions and on multiple levels. It’s comprehensive but also leaves room for writers to adapt the information to their story’s needs.

Given the vast variety of types of conflict, the authors have already announced they’ll be releasing Volume 2 next year. Knowing what comes in this first volume, writers serious about their work would do well to invest in this volume and put the second one at the top of their list to purchase. I recommend writers Binge, many times, The Conflict Thesaurus.