Book Review and Recommendation: The Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2

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If you're looking to add some excitement and tension to your writing, then you need to check out the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2. This book is filled with a variety of conflict scenarios that will keep your readers engaged and turning the pages. Whether you're writing a novel, screenplay, or just want to add more drama to your blog posts, this book has something for you. So if you're ready to up your game, then pick up a copy of the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2 today!

Book Description

Here's what it says about the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2 on Goodreads.

A story where the character gets exactly what they want doesn’t make for good reading. But add villainous clashes, lost advantages, power struggles, and menacing threats…well, now we have the makings of a page-turner. Conflict is the golden thread that binds plot to arc, providing the complications, setbacks, and derailments that make the character’s inner and outer journeys dynamic.

Inside Volume 2 of The Conflict Thesaurus, you’ll find:

• A myriad of conflict options in the form of power struggles, ego-related stressors, dangers and threats, advantage and control losses, and other miscellaneous challenges

• Information on how each scenario should hinder the character on the path to their goal so they'll learn valuable life lessons and gain insight into what's holding them back internally

• Instruction about using the multiple levels of conflict to add pressure through immediate, scene-level challenges and looming problems that take time to solve

• Guidance on keeping a story’s central conflict in the spotlight and utilizing subplots effectively so they work with—not against—the main plotline

• An exploration of the climax and how to make this pinnacle event highly satisfying for readers

• Ways to use conflict to deepen your story, facilitate epic adversarial showdowns, give your characters agency, and infuse every scene with tension.

What You'll Find Inside the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2

The book is divided into a few different sections. First you'll find several chapters about the importance of conflict in your story and how and why you should incorporate it. This includes:

  • Conflict's Role in Storytelling: Shaping the Plot

  • Four Levels of Conflict

  • Keeping the Central Conflict Center Stage

  • How Conflict's Golden Thread Powers the Story

  • Ways to Amp Up Your Conflict

  • The Villain in the Room: Creating Powerful Clashes

  • The Climax: The Pinnacle of Struggle

  • Resolving Relationship Conflict: Not so Fast

  • Character Agency: Put Your Hero in the Driver's Seat

  • Conflict Conundrums

Although I thought I had a good understanding of conflict and its role in my stories, the above sections were mind-blowing. They provided the detailed analysis of conflict I needed to have several "Aha" moments. My mind is swimming with a new understanding of how to use conflict in my writing.

Next, after some final words from the authors, Angela and Becca, you'll find a variety of specific conflict scenarios that you can use to add excitement and tension to your story. The situations are grouped by type of conflict. For example, there are power struggles, ego-related stressors, dangers and threats, advantage and control losses, and other miscellaneous challenges. You'll also find information on how each scenario should hinder the character so they learn valuable life lessons and gain insight into what's holding them back internally.

What I Love About the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2

I love that I can use the Table of Contents to look up a type of conflict, go to the page where it's located, and find details such as examples, minor complications, potentially disastrous results, resulting emotions, possible internal struggles, negative traits that may worsen the situation, impact on basic needs, positive traits to help the character cope, and positive outcomes.

Full disclosure, I'm a fan of the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 1, so I was thrilled to receive an advance reader copy of Volume 2. And I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint! Just like the first volume, this book is packed with a wealth of information on how to add conflict to your stories.

Another one of the many things I love about this book is that it's not just a list of conflicts, but it also provides guidance on how to use each type of conflict effectively. For example, under the entries for Dangers and Threats, you'll find a list of 22 possible dangers your characters could face plus guidance on how to use each one to further the plot or character development.

This book is an invaluable resource and extremely comprehensive guide for any writer looking to add more conflict to their stories. If you're a writer, then you need this book. It doesn't matter what genre you write or what level of experience you have, the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2 will help you take your stories to the next level. Thank you, Angela and Becca for the ARC!!! You are amazing!

Click this link to find a complete list of all the entries in Volume 2 of the Conflict Thesaurus.