Developing Dramatic Conflict

Every good play needs a healthy dose of conflict. It’s why audiences stay invested in the play. This guide will show you how to create rich dramatic conflict.

Terminology

Conflict: the tension created in the play by complications and different viewpoints of the characters.

Goal: the thing that a play’s character needs or wants to achieve. It can be something physical, like money, or something more abstract, like acceptance or happiness.

Obstacle: anything that gets in the way of a character achieving what they want