It's interesting how writers use conflict as a focus point for fiction, it's what drives a story forward... without it, it would be like trying to power an engine with water... a failure.
Would you rather read a story about how Dave and Molly live in their comfortable semi-detached house, with two kids running about, and two luxury sedans in the drive - in short, the ideal family? Or, how Will and Fiona have to move from town to town, city to city, always running, always dodging - because he gambled their last savings away and she is too much dependent upon him to lead a normal life?
Conflict. Most of us try our hardest to leave it out of everyday life; I mean, it can be a pain if every two minutes you have to argue with someone about something; your brother about going into your room and taking your possessions, again! For example.
Conflict is something that we, as people, try to escape from, but then use, as writers, to provide an unstable platform for our characters to stand on - something that will topple their world, down into the obscuring murk that lurks at the bottom of the shit heap. And then, we pile on a whole tonne of crap on top of their heads, for good measure. It's interesting! It makes the real people laugh, cry, love, hate, tell our friends, tell strangers, tell no one... it drives us to feel.
Up here, in the clouds of comfortable living. Up here, where the shit we put our characters through can't reach us. Up here, where we lie to ourselves.
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