Thanks but — where’s the conflict? I want CONFLICT!

In fact, if you don’t give me more conflict, I’m going to have my post beat the crap out of yours! ;)

You’re right about people’s aversion to trouble and aversion to writing about it. It makes for lots of boring stories about boring cocktail parties. In fact, nearly all the students in one of my writing classes were women and for months I ended up reading stories with no conflict, no apparent stakes. The worst thing that happened was someone not being invited to a party. No physical fights, no Mean Girls, no smile to your face and stab you in the back psychological war, nothing remotely like conflict, just disappointments, misunderstandings and loneliness...damn, it’s been awhile…I hope they’re all OK.

I guess what I’m thinking is, male writers may have an easier time because they create or have more exposure to conflict, so putting it on the page is easier, whereas females might be wired to avoid or ignore conflict, so they find it harder to put into words. Still, in a world where half your audience is male, you’d better find some conflict in your story because not getting invited to a party is just another day.

Maybe I’ll write a politically incorrect story about the politically incorrect…trouble enough?