Creating conflict.

Plan each conflict scene carefully so that it rings true. Don’t have those ridiculous scenarios where a character is offended by the most innocuous things another character does or says. Ask yourself if it would honestly offend you personally. Don’t set them up in stupid situations just to create conflict.

Here at least, I’m all for honestly and realism in fiction. If a third character is creating confusion that leads to the conflict, then that can work. But I don’t know many people that just shut up if confronted with the person they believe wronged them. I guess a writer can make it work, but they have to be damn clever in crafting it.

Then you have to love those romances where, despite all indications to the opposite, they just don’t believe the other character is attracted to, or loves them. Seriously? The characters must be blind or plain stupid.

For God’s sake rather give them a flaw where they just don’t see themselves as lovable. And don’t make the rejection a reason for the other character to have a hissy fit because they don’t believe them. I hate stories that go around in ever diminishing circles of inanities until they disappear up their own arses in a puff of obscure dialogue.

Arguments—make them cohesive and logical. Above all, don’t make your hero or heroine look like a complete idiot with a daft argument—it makes you, the writer, look even more stupid. 

One of the reasons why writers create these improbable conflicts is to fill space, make the story go further. They need to pull their heads out of their backsides and get real—be original, make it plausible and put some work into the plot..

What this sort of contrived writing tells me about such authors is that they have one thing in mind, churn out books and hope to fool some poor sod into buying them. Why would one keep reading an author that does this? “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” Chinese proverb.