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CHRISTIAN & WOMEN'S FICTION AUTHOR
M. L. Bull
INSPIRATIONAL RELIGIOUS FICTION
Touching Hearts One Story at a Time . . .
THE BRAINSTORM BLOG
TIPS, TRICKS, & "OUT-OF-THE-BOX" IDEAS FOR FICTION WRITERS

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External Conflict: 7 Main Types of Story Conflict
Conflict is one of if not the most important story element in a short story or novel because it's what helps keep readers engrossed within stories and books. Similar to plot, conflict is an engine that moves a story forward. After all, if nothing is going on and there's nothing to overcome, there's no story to tell. External conflict is the obstacles and complications outside of characters in their story world, such as an altercation between two opposing attorneys, a fore
M.L. Bull
Oct 23, 20255 min read


External Conflict: 6 Outside Forces in a Story World
External conflict is the impact of outside forces that come against characters in a story. There are a number of different types of conflict, obstacles, and challenges characters could face during the plotline, but specifically there are six forces that characters are more than likely to deal with in some way or another. These include natural disasters or storms , supernatural or evil spirits , governments or institutions , people or villains, animals or creatures, and socia
M.L. Bull
Oct 15, 20256 min read


Internal Conflict vs. External Conflict: How They Differ & How to Use Them Effectively
Imagine you're a firefighter that rushes to an emergency house fire. The burning flames and suffocating smoke of the house fire is the...
M.L. Bull
Sep 8, 20255 min read


The 5 W Questions Method: Who, What, When, Where, & Why
One of my all-time favorite board games to play is Clue . You know, the one with the colorful suspects where players have to identify the...
M.L. Bull
Aug 28, 20254 min read


CHARACTERS: Creating Character Interviews & Backstories
Before writers write about their cast of characters, it can be extremely helpful to complete character interviews and backstories. Both...
M.L. Bull
Jun 21, 20253 min read


Back to the Basics - Part 1: The 6 Essential Elements of Story Writing
There are many parts to writing a story, but there are six essential elements in particular that really make a story what it is, and...
M.L. Bull
Aug 26, 20239 min read
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