Conflict: BEING LIED TO

BEING LIED TO

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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.

Dating someone and discovering they've been dishonest (about their job, marital status, religion, criminal record, financial situation, etc.)
A teenage son or daughter lying about their whereabouts
An employee calling in sick when they're fine
Befriending someone, then learning that their identity is false
The character's spouse lying about their spending habits
A friend lying about why they need to cancel their plans with the character
Students making up reasons for not completing their schoolwork
A family member denying that they broke a valuable item
A rival passing along erroneous information that puts the character at a disadvantage
A politician or government official being dishonest about their past, beliefs, or intentions
A parent lying to the character (about their adoption, unknown half-siblings, etc.)

Suspecting the other person of dishonesty but not having any proof
The character having to control their reaction when they know they're being lied to
Having to discipline the lying party
Having to sleuth around to uncover the truth
Hurt feelings or embarrassment
Friction in the relationship
Mutual friends covering for the person who lied
Not knowing who to trust in a company or organization
Frustration at being kept in the dark
Being unable to act immediately on information (slowing things down)
Ignoring the behavior to avoid confrontation, and it happening again
The character believing the lies they've been told
Not knowing when the person is telling the truth
Telling other people about the situation and creating dissension in the character's social group

BEING LIED TO

HELPFUL TIP:

CATEGORY:

EXAMPLES:

MINOR COMPLICATIONS:

POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS RESULTS:

RESULTING EMOTIONS:

POSSIBLE INTERNAL STRUGGLES:

PEOPLE WHO COULD BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED:

NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT COULD MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE:

IMPACT ON BASIC NEEDS:

WOUNDS THIS COULD LEAD TO:

POSITIVE TRAITS TO HELP THE CHARACTER COPE:

POSITIVE OUTCOMES: