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My Feelings Are "Conflict" Enough
Nov. 7th, 2019 08:59 amI think the concept that there must be "conflict" in a story is overrated. Something should change, whether it's a situation, a character, or the reader's perception, but "a lack of conflict" always seems to be what straight men critique in stories told by other voices.
The dogmatic insistence on "conflict" in any given narrative also strikes me as an American thing. One of the main reasons I was attracted to literature in translation is because non-American fiction tends to allow the story more room to grow quietly and organically.
Like, I'm not a huge fan of Banana Yoshimoto, but I remember reading Kitchen for the first time as a teenager and being so amazed and gratified that the story was more or less about everyday life and the narrator's experience of her relationships and environment. It's not as if nothing happens in the book, but it's all very chill, with the narrator processing her emotions after a major event occurs instead of right in the heat of her emotional turmoil.
Hollywood storytelling is a lot of fun, but I just don't think that sort of narrative structure and emphasis on overt conflict translates well to fiction. This is one of the main reasons I appreciate fanfic, to be honest. I love the worlds and characters of popular entertainment franchises, but good lord am I tired of explosions.
The dogmatic insistence on "conflict" in any given narrative also strikes me as an American thing. One of the main reasons I was attracted to literature in translation is because non-American fiction tends to allow the story more room to grow quietly and organically.
Like, I'm not a huge fan of Banana Yoshimoto, but I remember reading Kitchen for the first time as a teenager and being so amazed and gratified that the story was more or less about everyday life and the narrator's experience of her relationships and environment. It's not as if nothing happens in the book, but it's all very chill, with the narrator processing her emotions after a major event occurs instead of right in the heat of her emotional turmoil.
Hollywood storytelling is a lot of fun, but I just don't think that sort of narrative structure and emphasis on overt conflict translates well to fiction. This is one of the main reasons I appreciate fanfic, to be honest. I love the worlds and characters of popular entertainment franchises, but good lord am I tired of explosions.
