Let's say you wanted to create a hundred conflict ideas with the same story. Let's say you wanted it to be character-driven. How would you go about doing that? Maybe it's a soap opera. Would you make your characters passive or active? Which would be the best to create conflict?
Conflict comes from someone wanting something they can't immediately have. So you give your characters wants/needs, then present obstacles. I'm not sure what you mean about the "hundred conflict ideas with the same story" - can you clarify that?
" you want 100 conflicts ," the old man snarled from the bar, knocking back another shot of gut rot before spitting on the saw dust covered floor " well you can't 'king have them" "yeah" the young writer said stepping away from his laptop "you want to make something of it you old fart"...
Immediately starting conflict all depends on how you start your story. I don't see this as something that's very hard to do. And character-driven usually comes down to voice. But 100 conflicts in one story... Why? Have you read books that do this? Maybe in a fantasy novel. I admit I don't read fantasy. But if you are talking about a character-driven piece of work, I don't see why you would need or want 100 conflicts.
With 100 conflicts in the same story, you are going to need a full cast of characters. You can focus on one MC but you need other characters that want the same thing, some that want a slightly different version of what the MC wants, some that want the opposite, and some that just want to disrupt everything. I would attack it in an umbrella format: one over-arching desire that breaks down into different parts. In order to reach the over-arching desire, the MC must pursue smaller things first. Then all you have to think about is who or what gets in the way. You could almost set it up like a traditional quest, but I'm not certain what genre you are considering. Sounds like a fun challenge!
"Then the sultan wept. For a hundred concubines might be seventy-five too many." "Come, come now, a quick rub on the old magic lamp and the genie can give him an eternal erection." How long do you want your book to be? 100 conflicts sounds like the neverending story of obstacles. Think the best bet is to start out trivial and slowly (agonizingly slow) build up to a final extremely epic conflict to finish it all off with.
Mankind wanted to live forever. But the sun has a life span just like people. That's a trillion conflicts right there.
Conflict can come with decisions/choices - who to marry, shall I continue in a dead end job or leap at a new risky opportunity, what should I wear. Especially when the conflict has results - wearing a blue or yellow sweater doesn't much matter unless you make it matter. Conflict also comes from opinions/arguments which don't always have to be verbal they can seethe below the surface as set up for future showdowns. Like say if a college roommate strides into her room and pins up a poster reading Meat eaters are Killers! and her timid roommate cringes inside because her father owns a barbecue chain. Conflict also comes from desires/wants/needs and how to achieve them. Inner conflict can come from past hurts, prejudices, fears, old baggage that sabotage your mc's ability to get the things he/she wants. Conflict killers are when things are going too easily, people agree too often, and the MC gets what they want immediately. Stir things up by making sure your cast of characters aren't always like minded. Or that your character doesn't have every talent, money, health, charm to achieve anything he desires.
Easy. It's to do with your argument. A bad example: We raise taxes. We don't raise taxes. That immediately gives you two characters with two conflicting points of view. Both arguments have merit. How to fully resolve the argument in storytelling form is another discussion.
You mentioned soap operas. Soap operas have a lot of conflict, most characters have a number at any time. The way that the vast majority of that conflict is created is either by using hearsay (so-and-so said such-and-such), or by rifts in opinions or belief systems ('so-and-so was just kidnapped!' 'good, they deserve it.' 'omg! you used to be his brother! how could you?' 'I ain't his brother no more.')
