Character vs Supernatural

Rosemi Mederos: 00:01

If you have plot bunnies coming out of your plot holes, it’s time for a writing break.

Welcome back to another Writing Break. The school year is well underway, and if you’re a teacher, a parent, a student, or a commuter, you’re most likely wishing for some supernatural powers right about now. But just because you aren’t a supernatural creature, doesn’t mean you can’t write about them.

The Writing Break cafe is open, so let’s gather on the Overthinking Couch to discuss the literary conflict of Character vs Supernatural.

Ghosts, demons, gods, and other mythical creatures can all be found in character vs. supernatural literary conflicts. Some people lump fate and destiny in with the supernatural, but I like to keep that separate, so we’ll be discussing that in a couple of weeks.

Today, we’re discussing conflicts between your character and supernatural entities–that is, beings that are beyond the realm of natural law as we know it.

To write this type of conflict well, a challenge will arise from at least one supernatural entity that your character, or a group of characters, must face head on. There’s no getting away from it, so make sure to close up any loopholes so that your readers don’t sit around wondering why the character chose to grapple with this supernatural power.

Whether your characters battle dragons and warlocks or vampires and werewolves, your readers will want to know your protagonist’s internal and external battles as they confront the supernatural threat.

Character vs supernatural conflicts allow authors to explore the limits of human capability and understanding as well as themes of faith and belief by presenting questions about the existence of the supernatural and its impact on humanity and society.

Keep in mind that readers who are enthusiastic about character vs supernatural conflicts want the supernatural element to be central to the book. Don’t take too long getting us there, and don’t make the supernatural aspect a side element to the story. If you’re going to write about the supernatural, readers will not be forgiving if you don’t go all in. That being said, it might be in your book’s best interest to add more than just this one literary conflict to the story so that the story and character arcs are more engaging. Check out the other episodes this season for information on 6 other types of literary conflicts.

Next time, I’ll be back with some publishing news and the fun literary conflict of character vs technology. Until then, thank you so much for listening, and remember, you deserved this break.0

If you would like us to visit your favorite independent bookstore, feature your favorite independent author (even if it’s you), or discuss something you’re overthinking about, please email me at podcast@writingbreak.com.

Thank you for making space in your mind for The Muse today.

Writing Break is hosted by America’s Editor and produced by Allon Media with technical direction by Gus Aviles. Visit us at writingbreak.com or contact us at podcast@writingbreak.com.