I'm working through the Sanderson youtube classes on writing fantasy and he discusses the idea that conflict can arise between any two (or three) of the three legs of a story - plot, character, setting. But he hasn't given enough examples.
I think conflict and tension are related. I'm trying to increase tension (reader interest) and assume conflict is one way to do this.
But what is mostly happening is that my characters are just arguing more. This has the upside of highlighting an idea to explore, and the downside of making the characters all a little less likable. It's characters conflicting with other characters about their personal motivations and goals.(Think: arguing how to get rid of the ring in LOTR FOTR; different character motivations in conflict.)
I'm concerned I'll end with fifteen chapters of arguments. Yuck. So I'd like to better understand other ways to conflict character, plot, and setting.
Example: What is meant by a conflict between setting and plot? What would this look like? It seems that such conflict would be character-free, so it would not involve people arguing. :-) But might still increase tension.
Would an example of this be something like the plot of LOTR (get the ring to Mordor), conflicting with setting (it's hard to get to Mordor)? Is a plot/setting conflict simply a hurdle like that for a character?
What is a concrete way to understand the idea of conflict between plot/character, character/setting, setting/plot?
Edited: Based on two answers so far, here are examples, I think, of each. Please feel free to feed back and correct. (I still don't have a firm grasp on plot, though.)
Examples of character/setting conflict: (2 each)
Martian: The mission captain being in a ship headed to earth when her crewman is on Mars. Damon battling the elements on Mars
LOTR:Any hobbit struggling outside of the Shire. Aragorn's struggle with his role of the King?
Star Wars: Luke wanting to fight but being told he must farm moisture. Obi Wan wanting to train Luke within a system that does not allow that
Examples of plot/character conflict:
Martian: ?? I think the conflict among his crew mates when they learn he is alive - ??
LOTR: Frodo becoming addicted to the ring while needing to discard it,
Star Wars: Luke desiring to save his friends halfway through his Jedi training
Examples of setting/plot conflict (I might not understand plot):
Martian: The setting of Mars clearly conflicts with the plot of getting him home.
LOTR:I think the setting conflicts with easy disposal of the ring.
Star Wars: Losing the droids on a sand planet threw a monkey wrench in getting the plans easily to Obi Wan.
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