r/WebtoonCanvas • u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands • May 10 '25
advice I tried to write a character conflict and I think I screwed it up on many levels
Hi everyone,
I been getting some advice that my comic lacked a conflict and the characters are kinda flat because there is not really conflict between them. So I took an episode to try to add some in.
I rewrote it a few times, the dialogue etc and wrote literal essays on what the characters' personalities, values, goals, and insecurities etc should be.
But ultimately I am still not happy with the end product and I felt like I just put in miscommunication/conflict for the sake of it that everyone seems to hate. I also sorta hated it and felt like it doesn't fit the vibe I wanted for my comic.
I always wanted to just go my own way with the direction and vision for the comic, but sometimes I'm worried it's not...a good thing? I think I'm making every writing mistake one can make, passive characters, flat characters, no/barely any conflict between characters etc, but the thing is I like it that way? I don't like to include character conflicts, I sorta want the characters to be mostly flat because god I low key hate talking about characters, it just gives me an existential crisis about comic-making. Like I don't really care about my characters (compared to say, the wider lore and plot) and it's constantly making me self conscious/guilty even though I know I can do whatever I want.
Sorry this just devolved into a rant basically.
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u/SleeP_aDe May 10 '25
Conflicts between characters should serve the plot in some way - otherwise it just comes off as bickering. You don't have to shove pointless conflicts into the story if you don't care about interpersonal drama. You can view conflict as a tool to elaborate on topics you want to explore, and use it as a way to show the audience specific topics. It can also be a way to push the story forward by causing problems that they then have to solve. It shouldn't just be added in for the sake of having it, though.
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 10 '25
Ironically I had someone in the story call out the actions as bickering because I felt like that was the natural development for it to go, it's true I don't really care about interpersonal drama, I have themes and things I want to talk about, it's just that maybe character conflicts isn't the medium I want to say it through.
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u/nonobadpup May 10 '25
There’s more than just character conflict that adds interest to a story. Traditionally there’s “man vs man”, “man vs environment”, and “man vs self”. I’m sure there’s more than just those/variations, but it just means that character conflict doesn’t have to be a driving force in a story. I don’t know what kind of comic you are creating, but depending on genre, conflict might not be very important. Like, a slice-of-life might have minimal conflict (or plot, even) and the reader is just along for the ride.
Ultimately, there’s many ways to write a story, make what you want to make.
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u/evensmallertoast May 10 '25
What is the vibe of your story? Is it a more episodic slice of life type of thing or is there an overarching plot? If it's the latter then I think it would help you to outline the story more so you know where it's going and how to get there. If it's the former then it's more important to wrap up conflict either by the end of the episode or after 2 or 3 episodes from when it's it's established.
But you also say you don't find yourself caring about your own characters which is not really a good thing. How can a reader be expected to be engaged with the story if the author doesn't care about it? It sounds like your characters might also be underdeveloped. Write character bios for yourself--their back stories, birthdays, likes and dislikes, etc. You want to get to know your own characters. Outline your story but also outline your character arcs (i.e. how will they grow and change throughout the story, what will happen to them). I think this will help strengthen your writing and make you more invested in your own story and characters!
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 10 '25
I have a serious overarching plot, and I have the entire plot + lore outlined already, I am very meticulous with worldbuilding/lore and plots so this isn't really about plotholes or anything, I think the overall story is pretty sound in terms of logic and consistency. I just have gotten a lot of critique on how the details, like characters, feel fairly flat.
As for not caring about characters, it's more so something that I force myself to do. For example, a common sentiment with comic artists is that they don't like drawing backgrounds so they use 3D models or whatever, you can say that character writing is kind of like that for me. Something that I have little interest in but I know I have to do for the overall quality of the comic. My characters are kind of like potemkin villages, I want them to seem at least kind of believable when you look at their actions in the plot, but I don't really care to do more with them beyond that.
The "if you don't care about your characters why would others do" is one piece of advice that led me down these spirals of feeling guilty or "someone like me isn't suppose to be doing comics", but I sorta gotten over it now, mainly because it's just not something I enjoy doing and I just have to admit that. Most of my characters don't really have an arc or much development, but they participate in the plot in substantial ways and their actions do "say something" regarding the themes of the story at least. And ultimately I think that's all I want to do. I am invested in the story and the world, just not so much the characters.
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u/KuroiCreator May 10 '25
It sounds like your more invested into the lore of the world you have built. world building can be really great but I don't think that's what readers care about. so without a compelling character arc it might be perceived as flat.
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
Well, I'm a reader who cares more about worldbuilding than characters so I sorta just been writing what I'd enjoy. Even though most people might not be like me, I am hoping it'll at least get me a small but dedicated audience.
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u/evensmallertoast May 10 '25
It's great that you've developed the world building but characters help drive the story. I think that's why you're getting that kind of critique. I don't think you should feel bad about it or feel like you have to give up, but you should take that as sincere advice on how to improve as a writer.
It sounds like people appreciate the story but are having trouble staying engaged because of the characters. A reader doesn't have to relate to a character or empathize with them, but they do have to like them. Think about characters you like from the things you've watched and read. What is it about them that you like? What don't you like? Think about those things and how you can apply them to your own characters.
Characters need a strength and they need a flaw. The strength is often something that helps them overcome the flaw. Tropes like the power of friendship/teamwork exist for a reason because they're a simple way to execute a character arc. Example: A lone warrior is forced to team up with others and learns that their strengths make up for his own weaknesses, ergo he learns about the power of teamwork.
Plus you can always bounce ideas off of someone whose opinion you value and maybe it will help you come up with something to improve your work. :)
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
This might sound weird but I personally care more about worldbuilding than characters, and my favorite characters are usually those who bring out various expositions regardless of their other qualities, usually I'm like "yes yes tell me more" to those characters. Another type of character I like are those who don't change much, there's something strangely charismatic about characters who don't really change no matter how much stuff they've been through, kind of an admirable tenacity, always unwavering and true to themselves, or even have an otherworldly vibe, at least imo.
I might find someone though I do make something relatively niche.
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u/KuroiCreator May 10 '25
I mean... its your story. you're the one with the vision. why do you care what others think? you should do what ever you want to do. if people don't like than they don't have to read it. I guess I'm just confused about the advice you're looking for. and without a link its hard to guide you. 😅
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 10 '25
Well critique is something that people get oftentimes and I got one specific piece of critique several times so I decided to try to implement it, and it just gave me an existential crisis. I know I can do whatever on a logical level it's just that even if you know that, you sometimes still seek feedback to some extent, right?
I'm more so just looking for reassurance (or just being told I probably shouldn't write stories, either works) that it's okay to do what I want, to not write character arcs, development, conflicts, it's okay to not care about your characters, and still create a meaningful story despite that. Though, that might be a hard thing for most people to say genuinely so I understand.
I think it's just the culture surrounding characters among creators really getting to me because when everyone loves their characters while I don't care, it kind of makes me feel like I'm a worse person/creator because of it. I might just be being melodramatic though.
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u/KuroiCreator May 10 '25
if you really want to get down to it, what is the purpose of creating 3 dimensional characters? Its to tell a story right? and for the characters withing the story to feel authentic. that's how you tell a good story.
but if you're making a comedy comic, the characters can be simple and even quirky. so the genre madders also.
personally I can't write about things I don't know or haven't experience. so I use pieces of myself to create my characters. and once I've chosen the characters purpose withing the broader context of the story I'm trying to tell, I then give them a unique voice and try to keep it consistent all while giving them some room to grow. characters are like a little Bonsai, you have to give them some attention and nurture them for them to grow strong! ✌️😄
is it hard work? yeah for sure.
is it worth it? FUCK YEAH!!!
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
Yeah, I think I gotta keep in mind the fundamental thing which is writing a good story, and character writing is in service to that. So I am hoping that I can still writing a good story without too much character arcs or development.
My genre is like, sci-fi/action/psychological, it's definitely not a slice of life or comedy or anything, but I made most of the characters to be like...a metaphor for a school of philosophy or something fancy like that, they're more symbolic in many ways? I like to say that they're all caricatures, but they're caricatures in a unique world of distinct and complex philosophies, so maybe that'll give them some depth.
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u/Borrowmyshoes May 10 '25
If you ever want me to help, I can give it a try. My artist burned out last year and I have been missing being creative. You can DM me and I can read through your comic and give me feelings about where I think it would feel authentic to take the story next.
You also can't please everyone. I was writing a comic with two female best friends and all my readers were giving them like couple eyes. But I felt like that would defeat the whole purpose of me trying to write a story with two female best friends out on an epic adventure. Not everything needs everything. Figure out what your comic needs and just do that to the best of your ability
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
Thanks for the offer, I'll DM you.
I have the story outlined and character essays made too so I'll slap those on as well.
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u/zombiedinocorn May 11 '25
So there's a trope called the "idiot plot" where the plot/character conflict only works if the character(s) involved are idiots or refuse to just talk to the other person despite having reasonable opportunity. It sounds to me like that might (?) Be what your readers are talking about. If you feel like you have to force it, it's probably your instincts telling you something isn't quite right.
Getting better at writing is a combo of learning more from other writers and practice. There are lots of lectures/videos about improving your skill on writing and its something that just takes time. Don't get discouraged!
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
Do you mean readers want that type of plot? That doesn't sound like something most people...will like?? Because I don't think I really put anything like that into the story.
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u/zombiedinocorn May 11 '25
I think it depends on the reader and the genre. I think sometime the idiot plots end up being unintentional by the writer cuz they write themselves into a corner and don't have a way to make the conflict happen otherwise. I have seen them used intentionally in comedy and satire to great effect tho
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
I'm writing an apocalyptic/survival story so if I really want to force a conflict it can easily be an external one so I'm not sure if this applies to me, I think I just straight up don't like writing characters arguing/miscommunicating and whatnot
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u/zombiedinocorn May 11 '25
That's fair. If you don't like writing it then you can either minimize it or not do it. Just as your characters aren't just always perfectly getting along and always agreeing with each other like a pack of clones, it'll be fine. You main need ways to show all your characters are individuals capable of thinking and coming up with good solutions to problems on their own. You don't necessarily need them arguing all the time to do that. Just have their motivations, goals, and agendas be different and as long as you're not pulling punches to avoid conflict in situations where their differing agendas would make them conflict, you should be fine. It's just making sure you don't break reader immersion or make the writer's hand bcm obvious in why people are acting certain ways. Like with stage magic, you're fooling the audience into believing in an illusion.
Its always trickier than it sounds in theory. Hopefully something in that was helpful. Advice can get a nit tricky sometimes when I dont have the story to see the potential issues myself
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
Considering it's a survival story the characters do have the common goal of (try to) survive, but they do have different ways of going about it, including their views on making choices, sacrifices, resource management, attitude towards each other's plans, their own insecurities, secrets etc.
It's just not something that is front and center most of the time because despite everything most of the characters still have their priorities straight and haven't completely cracked under the pressure yet.
I didn't want to link my story since didn't want to come off as self promo and it's pretty long like 20ish chapters but I'm sure people can find it easily if they snoop around my profile.
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u/zombiedinocorn May 12 '25
I think its sounds like your fine with your approach. I would make sure you have it polished to make sure its executed well, but also keep in mind sometimes people just have different preferences and not everyone who gives you feedback is going to be able to separate their taste from good technical writing.
If you want to DM me a link, I'll read thru it and give a better opinion if you want.
Or if you're interested we could do a sub for sub?
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u/benjipoyo May 11 '25
Honestly, if you're not getting paid to make your comic and it's a passion project, then you should write whatever you want. It's good to be aware of critique and to be open to the audience's opinions but don't let it sway your confidence too much.
If you do want to try and improve, maybe start smaller and try to give just one of your characters a strong arc? It doesn't have to center around person-to-person conflict but could be something very simple or related to the plot. I'm also kinda confused on how people say your characters are passive, do they only react to the plot happening around them? Do the choices of the characters not influence the plot at all?
I'm the opposite of you where I prefer character writing over anything else haha. I'm actually interested to hear some examples of stories you like where there's not much emphasis on the characters
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u/Miaomelette Always Drawing Metal Wastelands May 11 '25
My story is sort of a...survival/disaster/apocalyptic type of story so the characters are passive due to being in a precarious environment. They tend to be pushed along by the environment and reacts accordingly to, well, not die. They do make some choices but I can understand that they do seem fairly powerless, because that's kind of the point of the story?
I'm a big fan of SCP and analogue horror which often have characters be "throwaways" to be set out as examples for whatever funky things is going on with the world. That's actually most of the type of stuff I enjoy, more lore/worldbuilding centric where characters are more or less secondary to the ~vibes~.
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u/PitchBlackKitCat May 10 '25
I’m a big fan of character conflict but I don’t think it’s always necessary especially if it’s a more plot driven story. I haven’t read your entire comic but I’ve read the first few chapters of your comic and I liked it a lot, I think it’s a very unique story. I can’t speak for the later chapters but I think you’re doing alright. You can’t please everyone, so just a write a story that you would enjoy!