Developing a Crisis - by Lynn Tincher

Dennis G. Jerz descibes the differences between a crisis and conflict as this:

Summary: Good storytellers differentiate between a crisis (an emergency, such as a car crash or an illness) and conflict (a clash of wills, a difficult moral choice, or an internal mental struggle). Beginning authors often focus on the exciting crisis rather than the conflict that makes readers care about the characters enduring the crisis.

http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative/crisis-vs-conflict.htm

A crisis can be a small part of the over all conflict. Adding a small crisis or two within your story can help define your characters and how they react to the crisis. These will lead to the moral dilemmas or the clashes of wills described above. Everyone loves to see their characters overcome each crisis and you can control what they will endure and what the outcome will be.

The crisis can define your characters persona. They are that which develops personalities and strengths or weaknesses. Design your crisis carefully. They can help show what is happening instead of just telling.

Check out Mr. Jerz website above. There is a lot of good information that will help you in your story.

Copyright 2009 Lynn Tincher