This is part three of our three-part series on why conflict is needed in narrative writing. The first post discussed why some young writers struggle with conflict and how conflict adds excitement to stories. The second post showed a connection between conflict, theme, and plot.
In this post, I’d like to address a concern many people have that learning all of this can somehow be confusing and really is too much for students to accomplish at the SEA level.
Let me start by asking a question:
What is the purpose of narrative writing instruction?
When most of us think about developing critical thinking skills we think about math and science. When they think about developing creative thinking skills, we think about visual arts and maybe even music. What many people don’t realize is that narrative writing covers both critical and creative thinking in meaningful ways.
When students have to come up with reasonable challenges and obstacles for their characters, describe how characters solve the main problem, and explain the impact of the experience on the character – that’s a lot of critical and creative thinking right there!
Having conflict in a story is both for the story and for the writer.
Ultimately, narrative writing is about sharing a point of view. Being able to express ideas in writing is a crucial skill that continues to benefit individuals throughout their lives.
So, it’s not just a narrative. It’s not just a problem for a fictional character in a fictional situation. Conflict is needed in a story to help develop critical and creative thinking.
The next time you’re working with your young writer on their stories, find out what they think, how they feel, and discuss with them how problems arise and are solved and what happens next. They’ll be learning far more than you might realize.
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