[Op-Ed] Fix boring comics with “conflict energy”

What’s “conflict energy”? It’s a completely made-up phrase I coined specifically for this article, but it aptly describes an increasingly missing ingredient I see within comics. When a comic writer uses “conflict energy” correctly, it greatly enhances the engagement quality of a story. Without it, readers’ minds will wander.

Before I can talk about “conflict energy,” where it fits in a story, and how to use it, let’s break down the basic mechanics of a scene in comics.

Anatomy of a Scene

A scene is the smallest element of a comic story. It’s a building block that takes readers on a journey, and just like the comic as a whole, it has to have a beginning, an ending, and something important that happens in the middle. That something is a conflict.

For example, character A enters a room where character B is sitting. Character A engages in a conversation with character B, and by the end of the scene, character A (and the reader) learns something important to the progress of the story after they leave the room.

That example is a basic scene. It has a beginning, something important happening in the middle, and an ending. We call that “something important happening” a conflict because the story/characters have changed as a result.

(Re)Defining a Conflict

A conflict need not be violence, an argument, or anything that creates trouble. A conflict, in its simplest form, is an interaction that brings about change.

A character learns new information. That’s a conflict.

A character needs a special key to unlock a box. That’s a conflict.

A tree falls in the road, forcing the character to take a different path. That’s a conflict.

A conflict is an interaction that brings about change.

That brings us to “conflict energy”. When a character is faced with a conflict that instigates tension or heightens emotion, that conflict creates energy within the story and for the reader.

Back to the previous example between characters A and B, imagine if the new information character A learns gets character A angry or afraid. If the conflict is executed correctly, the reader will feel empathy with character A and get the reader invested in character A’s journey, giving the story emotional energy.

“Conflict energy” is an essential component for areas we harp on frequently with our reviews – pacing and momentum.

Defining Pacing

Pacing is simply the amount of time it takes for one scene to play out completely (i.e. create “conflict energy”) and move into the next one. Momentum is partly dictated by pacing and partly by what you do with “conflict energy” created in each scene to give the reader the impression the story is inevitably heading to a particular point.

For example, let’s say character A walks into a room and is handed a letter that explains character A’s brother has died. Character A learns something new that changes where they go in the story from that point, and the nature of the conflict creates all the feelings you would expect from learning a loved one has died.

If the writer gets character A to that letter quickly, without wasting time on idle chit-chat with other characters in the room or having character A stop to tie a shoe, that’s good pacing. Get in, create your “conflict energy,” and get out.

Defining Momentum

Now, let’s say character A leaves the building with the shock still hanging in the air when suddenly character A receives a call that his/her partner is leaving the relationship.

Again, we get good pacing by creating the “conflict energy” quickly, and we start to build momentum because the energy stacks, giving the impression the character is being pushed in a direction. In this case, character A’s mounting problems may force drastic action.

When a comic writer has a solid handle on these concepts, you may not like the creative decisions, but the story has a good chance of grabbing and holding the reader’s attention.

Let’s Recap

A scene has to have a beginning, middle, and end.

The middle part of a scene should always contain one or more conflicts, and a conflict is any interaction that creates change.

To get the reader’s attention, the scene must create “conflict energy,” which is an emotional reaction for the character(s) and the reader as a result of the scene’s conflict.

Pacing is the speed at which the creator can start and finish a scene while creating the intended amount of “conflict energy” going into the next scene.

Momentum is created by good pacing and large “conflict energy” that stacks and pushes the story in a particular direction.

If you’re a creator, always check to make sure your scenes are complete (beginning, middle, end) and create “conflict energy” heading into the next scene.

If you’re a reviewer or a reader and wonder why an explosive, dynamic comic is somehow boring, check the progression of scenes for the amount of “conflict energy” created and how it fits into the pacing and momentum. Odds are the comic is boring because it’s missing this essential ingredient.

Now, go read comics!

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