CONFLICT THESAURUS

AN UNWANTED INTRUSION



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HELPFUL TIP:

Conflict is your story’s secret sauce, supplying tension, relationship friction, and complications to a character’s journey. It comes in a million different forms, so identify the obstacles and problems that will hit your character the hardest by using the Character Builder to uncover their primary insecurities, fears , and desires. Don’t forget to include everyday conflict scenarios that will frustrate them and keep the pressure high.
CATEGORY:
Miscellaneous challenges, a loss of control

NOTES:
It's frustrating enough to be interrupted during a pleasant activity. It's especially annoying when the intruder is someone the character would rather not see. To complicate things for them, consider working an unwanted visitor into their day. For close encounters of the unpleasant romantic kind, see AN UNWANTED ROMANTIC ADVANCE.

EXAMPLES:
A religious proselytizer ringing the character's doorbell 
A guest popping in at an inconvenient time—when the character is high or has planned a romantic interlude with their significant other, for instance
Being approached by an ex while on a date
Someone persistent and repugnant propositioning the character
An abusive or hurtful person from the character's past sending them a text
The character bumping into someone they're not on speaking terms with (because things ended badly between them)
Someone with a restraining order showing up at the character's home
An in-law visiting the character at their workplace
A friend dropping by the character's apartment while they're trying to work
A verbose family member calling the character on their one day off
The character being cornered by a charity coordinator who's always asking people to volunteer
An extended family member calling to ask the character for money

MINOR COMPLICATIONS:
Having to be polite when they don't want to 
The conversation feeling awkward
Having to endure an annoying person
The character trying to hide their true feelings
Having to think up excuses to end the contact as quickly as possible
Lying to the visitor to make them go away, then being found out
Trying to disengage with someone who can't read social cues
Feeling compelled to invite the person in
Being reprimanded by the boss about visitors during work hours 
An anticipated activity being interrupted by the visitor
Being less productive because of the interruption
Being late (to a meeting, picking up the kids, to a date, etc.)
Being too brusque with someone the character will have to see again
Having to be rude because the other person won't listen or take a hint
Being embarrassed in front of a friend, date, or spouse

POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS RESULTS:
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RESULTING EMOTIONS:
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POSSIBLE INTERNAL STRUGGLES:
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PEOPLE WHO COULD BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED:
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NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT COULD MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE:
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IMPACT ON BASIC NEEDS:
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WOUNDS THIS COULD LEAD TO:
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POSITIVE TRAITS TO HELP THE CHARACTER COPE:
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POSITIVE OUTCOMES:
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