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Q&A Is a neutral/impartial story "boring"?

I think a story can be impartial without being boring. IMO a story is boring when it lacks conflict or unresolved conflict. Readers are interested at first by interesting characters, but that won'...

posted 7y ago by Amadeus‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-19T22:13:12Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31257
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T07:17:15Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31257
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T07:17:15Z (almost 5 years ago)
I think a story can be impartial without being boring.

IMO a story is boring when it lacks conflict or unresolved conflict. Readers are interested at first by interesting characters, but that won't last long. They become interested in the story because of conflicts, and wondering what the characters are going to do, or how those plans are going to work out.

That is what makes a story interesting. I may be rooting for A more than B, but the author does not have to do that, I can be interested or worried for A as I read her ideas and plans, and interested in a more hateful way in what B is doing and his plans that are endangering A. Or vice versa. The reader will pick their side, an author might be able to pull off being neutral.

A can be in conflict with B, without either of them being villainous or evil, just because there are a lot of goals that can only go to one of them. The Olympic gold medal in a particular race, an acting role, a promotion, their mother's approval (just kidding).

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-11-06T03:43:22Z (about 7 years ago)
Original score: 2