The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles Volume 2

by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi

A story where the character gets exactly what they want doesn’t make for good reading. But add villainous clashes, lost advantages, power struggles, and menacing threats…well, now we have the makings of a page-turner. Conflict is the golden thread that binds plot to arc, providing the complications, setbacks, and derailments that make the character’s inner and outer journeys dynamic.

Inside Volume 2 of The Conflict Thesaurus , you’ll Meaningful conflict can be so much more than a series of roadblocks. Challenge your characters inside and out with over 100 tension-inducing scenarios in this second volume of The Conflict Thesaurus . And for more instruction on how to use this element to enhance your story (and an additional 100+ conflict scenarios), check out The Conflict Thesaurus, Volume 1 .

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Research

302 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2022

About the author

ANGELA ACKERMAN is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of 11 bestselling books for writers, including The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. Her books are available in 10 languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Her home country is Canada.

Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers®, as well as One Stop for Writers®, a portal to powerful tools and resources that help you think like a writing expert so you become a stronger storyteller. A strong believer in writers helping and supporting other writers, she tries to pay-it-forward however she is able to.

http://writershelpingwriters.net
http://onestopforwriters.com

Reviews

[Saraina Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a helpful, informative guide to character conflict! This book is full of great examples that drive the point home, and so. much. inspiration. Like, if you're at a loss for ideas to grow and delve deeper into your character's internal and external conflict, this is the book for you, my friend. The beginning of the book lays the groundwork for building conflict, then the thesaurus itself follows. Also, at the end of the book is handy template for pinpointing your character's goal, motivation, conflict, and the stakes, quick and easy to use. (One blank, and one filled in as an example using the one and only Aragorn himself. I heartily approve. XD)

I loved how the authors explained character agency - the character has to be the one make active choices. Don't just let things happen to characters! A passive hero is...unexciting, at best. I will say, I had an issue with this one comment: "In our zeal to make things difficult for our heroes, it's easy to unintentionally paint them into a corner with no way out. And when they can't save themselves, we may be tempted to employ the ol' deus ex machina plot device: the arrival of a powerful someone or something from an unexpected quarter. A time machine, giant eagles, a freak weather phenomenon, or God himself can certainly get the job done, but in doing so, they rob the character of his agency. Readers don't want to root for a slacker protagonist who can't clean up his own mess. Give them what they want, and resist the temptation to rescue your hero in the climax."

Obviously, I completely understand the principle they're explaining; however, I don't want authors to think they must portray God as passive, uninvolved, sacrificing the reality of his sovereignty in place of character agency. You can absolutely have God work miracle in your character's life, if that's what needs to happen (while still keeping the character active and driving the story forward, of course), because that's real life. It rings true. Just wanted to point that out. *winks*

Overall, this is basically a gold mine of inspiration when it comes to characters, characters, characters. The authors offer solutions to common conflict-related problems, alerting readers to common pitfalls (like the danger of too much conflict - who would've thought that could be a problem! :P), and giving solid advice on the complexities and mysteries of story-writing. (Of which are many, I assure you.) The thesaurus section itself is comprehensive and laid out in an easy-to-read manner. In short, it's practical, solid, and helpful, and I will absolutely be using it for my WIPs. Those poor characters have no idea what's coming to them.

[Jan Sikes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with previous reference books from Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, this new Conflict Thesaurus encompasses all things that can be related to conflict and tension in a story. And let's face it. Without conflict and tension, a story falls flat. There is nothing for the characters to overcome. So, as with Volume 1 of the Conflict Thesaurus, Volume 2 gives examples of conflict scenarios, minor complications, potentially disastrous results, resulting emotion, possible internal struggles, negative traits that may worsen a situation, impact on basic needs, and positive traits and outcomes. It is the ultimate guide to obstacles, adversaries, and inner struggles.
I love that this volume is broken down into sections. It begins with Loss of Control, then moves to Power Struggles, Losing an Advantage, Ego-Related Conflicts, Dangers and Threats, and Miscellaneous Challenges. Each section has numerous examples to help with any conflict situation.
It is truly another essential part of the holy grail for writers. If you are serious about your craft and enjoy having helpful reference books at your fingertips, this is a must-have for you! I highly recommend it, along with Volume 1 as well.

[Soquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Volume 2 for review and count myself lucky to get to use it right away.

The amount of thought and detail that go into these writing thesauruses is impressive. Any writer who desires readers to connect with their characters needs this essential tool. Each entry resonates with authentic details of how real people respond physically and emotionally to the various types of conflict as well as examples of each conflict. Not many enjoy conflict, so I also like that in addition to negative traits that might worsen the situations that positive traits to help the character cope and positive outcomes are also considered.

I own the entire collection of Ackerman and Puglisi's books. One of the things I appreciate is that before you get to the actual entries there are always around fifty pages of great applications. This is the second volume of the Conflict Thesaurus and instead of repeating what was in the first volume, new material is presented. Each section of the introductory material would make an excellent writers' conference class. Be sure to read them to make the most of using this book and strengthening your own writing and story development.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - again! I will say that I'm a fan of this series of thesauri, but there are some that I think are better than others. I read this book as an ARC version, with the proviso that I would give my honest opinion in a review. So here it is.

You already know from my five star rating that I think the book is awesome, but here are my reasons why:

1) I read and reviewed Volume 1 (which I also thought was amazing), but I believed that by the time Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi reached Volume 2, there would not be a lot more to actually say about conflict in the early "descriptive" section. Nor could I see how much more they could add to the actual thesaurus. But believe me, there is a ton of new material which is incredibly insightful within the earlier treatise section, as well as ideas for the thesaurus section ... a whole book full, in fact. :)

2) Not only is the new material insightful, but when going through the book, I found my mind jumping to my current WIP (work-in-progress) as well as roughly plotting in my mind, future books with ideas brimming to the surface, all saying "Write me. No, write me first."

3) For those of you who have looked at and read Volume 1, you'll know that much of the conflict that is described focuses on the characters and the situations they find themselves in/put themselves into. Volume 1 is therefore ideal for character-driven arcs. Conversely, Volume 2 is a lot more plot-centric, with the types of conflict that arise as a result of things happening to the characters and how they might deal. But please don't think to yourselves "I never write plot-driven stories," or "I don't write character-driven stories," and think that you don't need one volume or the other. Every (decent) novel has the main story arc and the underlying one. Invariably one is plot and the other is character (or vice versa). So in my opinion, you need both these volumes to make your story complete.

If you write stories, whether it's your first novel or another in a string of successful books, you will find ideas in these two volumes to satisfy the very essence of conflict in your G-M-C trio. I do not hesitate in making my recommendation to you to add this to your collection.

[Tracy Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Ackerman and Puglisi’s writer’s reference guides since they wrote the Emotion Thesaurus. This latest installment, the Conflict Thesaurus, Vol. 2, is more than just a thesaurus. It starts with solid writing advice for writers that will help writers who are early in their career and need help with plot or character development.

I like the way the book is laid out. The bread and butter conflict of the book breaks down into six categories of conflict with multiple individual scenarios. Each individual scenario, for example, Being Trapped, spans two pages starting with examples—different ways a character can be trapped, minor complications, potentially disastrous results, resulting emotions, negative traits that may worsen the situation, impact on basic needs, positive traits to help the character cope, and positive outcomes. Each conflict entry in the book uses the same easy-to-follow format for character arc.

I also appreciated the samples and suggestions in the appendices, the snippet from the Conflict Thesaurus, Vol. 1, and especially the recommendations of books by other authors.

[Randy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to be chosen for Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s street team as one of their Advance Copy Reviewers.

A great addition to my writing arsenal! They turned me into a true believer and an evangelist for 'Writers Helping Writers'. I started with their earlier books: Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, and Emotional Amplifiers, to help me ‘show’ instead of ‘tell’ in my fiction writing. I wish I’d had this collection when writing my first novel series. All the books and tools from Writers Helping Writers are amazing.

There needs to be conflict in every scene and character of a (good/successful) novel. These two Conflict Thesauruses will help tune up your storytelling game considerably. Even non-fiction writers need conflict to show the need for their product, advice, or opinion. Combine these with the Emotion Thesaurus and you no longer have any excuses for flat, lame writing.

The first thirty-six pages layout the reason, definition, ways and means of and how to add conflict, the results and the way to resolution. This section is written in easy-to-understand language with examples and a good sense of humor. I suggest you do not skip this section, even if you think you know it already.

The next 250 pages are the meat of the book, laid out under logical and easy to follow categories with enough ideas and examples to make your head spin. These authors have done the heavy lifting to make your writing life easier, more efficient, and more effective.
They conclude this tome with a nice template for ‘Goal, Motivation, Conflict and Stakes’ tracker for your characters, and a Climax Troubleshooting list of problems and solutions.

As much as I enjoy holding a physical copy in my hands or laying it out on my desk, I find it more practical to use the ebook/pdf copy. I keep it open when writing and it’s easy to scroll through the index, or use the search/find feature to quickly get to the entries I need. Hyperlinks to related entries are frosting on the cake.

I highly recommend this book and all the resources from Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. If you have writer friends–give them these gifts!

[Karen Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, it's great. It's full of analysis and contains a tidal wave of inspiration. I really enjoyed the first section, which is a discussion on the uses of conflict. It’s full of examples from popular fiction and movies, examples that help cement the effect of conflict in the reader. You may not know all the references, but usually you can find at least one instance that resonates.
The bulk of the book includes the analysis applied to various high-level scenarios. After a brief discussion of the conflict scenario, ideas are lumped under examples, minor complications, potentially disastrous results, resulting emotions, possible internal struggles, negative traits that may worsen the situation, impact on basic needs, positive trails to help the character cope, and positive outcomes.
It must have been fun to brainstorm all these suggestions.
I love how Ackerman and Puglisi give inspiring prompts that an author can use for minor conflicts or for major ones. The options listed become fodder for every imagination. There is so much in this book that I found it impossible to sit and read it straight through. Rather, I had to put it down and stare into the distance as opportunities and variations played out in my head. The book sent my ‘what if’ engine into overdrive.
This thesaurus helps challenge this conflict-adverse person (I mean, why can’t all my characters just get along?!!). It suggested ways to subtly layer little struggles into larger areas of the craft, like increasing tension and complicating a scene. It provides suggestions on potential outcomes from actions that can deepen the reader’s understanding of the character.
Not to say it’s a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ approach to writing a story. Rather, it’s a huge buffet to feed your creativity. Bon Appetit!

[Brandi MacCurdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Writer's Helping Writers group and their wonderful collection of Thesauruses designed to assist authors of all levels with the crafting of their novels.

The latest addition to the collection - The Conflict Thesaurus, Volume 2 - is another gathering of critical information for all authors. Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi once again provide their audience with the fruits of their diligent labor in constructing this resource.

The beginning of the book tracks like The Conflict Thesaurus, Volume 1, with explanation of the process of creating conflict within your plot and characters. Information included on pressing conflict within your subplots interesting. As an author who struggles with subplot this was quite beneficial. As was detailed description of breaking down how subplots have their own conflict and resolution but also tie into the main conflict arc.

A specific section, Common Conflict Conundrums contained vital details for new authors or those struggling with their characters and plot.

All the following Conflict entries create endless possibilities you can tie into your story, I found the following to be most helpful:

Interesting entries: a family member dying, a recession or economy crash, being stranded, being sued, losing access to someone important, way of life being threatened

Entries I’ll be using for sure: being captured, being bullied, having to stay behind, being poisoned

Entries that hit too close to home: Having a panic attack, a fear or phobia rearing its head

The entire book is full of information you may not find elsewhere. Included in each conflict scenario is how that particular incident would have an Impact on Basic Needs. This is fundamental in understanding your character and their drive.

Don't miss out on this wonderful resource that will undoubtedly make your writing better.

[Erica Converso · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conflict Thesaurus: Volume 2 is an absolute treat. I've been following the Writers Helping Writers series since early on and have found their reference materials to be more cohesive and in-depth than nearly anything else on the market. This book, a sequel to the first fantastic volume, starts with a reminder of just where conflict fits within the storytelling picture, and outlines basic macro-types to help authors figure out the over-arching structure of their story. It also covers how subplots work, how best to weave them into a larger narrative, and how to amp up your conflicts to increase the stakes and push characters into a corner or out of their comfort zones.

While the early section is so chock-full of advice that it would be worth the price of admission alone, the meat of the book is in the thesaurus entries themselves. For each specific conflict type, writers find examples, complications, emotions the event might trigger, ways the conflict might impact a character based on their personality traits and needs, and possible positive outcomes if the character is able to use the conflict to further their growth.

If this sounds like an extraordinary amount of information to absorb, you'd be right! And it's that very depth that makes these books so useful to writers. An amateur writer can gloss over various entries, looking for a potential plot, while more seasoned authors might be better served looking up the particular conflict that impacts storylines already set in motion, looking for the little nuances that will make the situation ring truer and the characters grow more organically. I've used this book in my own work for just this reason and have found my work greatly improved for the effort. Grab this one for your writing tips library - and then go out and grab the others. You'll soon be very glad you did.

[Tara Baisden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am honored to be a part of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi's street team and appreciate the chance to review their newest release in the Thesaurus series. To be honest, I think every writer, author, and "will someday be" authors need this book on their writing desk. Five Stars is my rating for this newest edition, "The Conflict Thesaurus (Volume 2) - but honestly, it deserves a million stars. There is a wealth of information in this latest release, more than I imagined possible, actually.

Conflict is essential when developing novels, both fiction and non-fiction. I have found that having both volumes of The Conflict Thesaurus nearby while fleshing out ideas and theories, has opened new ideas for me to venture into. Sometimes while writing, for me at least, it's easy to stumble along a narrow path going in one direction only with blinders on. With the aid of these books, I can expand the narrow path I sometimes follow into a wide open road of possibilities - which, of course, creates a well-written piece. These books aid, or should I say, jump-start my creativity and open the gate wide open from the narrow-path thinking I typically fall into. No, they do more than jump start - they make my level of creativity explode into even bigger possibilities than I sometimes find myself exploring.

Volume 2 of The Conflict Thesaurus series is a gold mine. A wealth of information you absolutely have to have in your writing craft library. I dare you to explore it!

Kudos, Angela and Becca on another job well done!

[Stuart Wakefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how there are those books that you read and the author says "Do this, and this, and this, and you'll have best-selling fiction on your hands," but then you kind of cringe because you don't want your book to be a carbon copy of 10 other books out there? I'm too busy reading really good books to read ones that make me yawn.

There's always the risk with writing craft books, especially those in a series, that things can get a bit same-y. And I don't have time for same-y. I read a lot of fiction books and a lot of craft books for my job as a book coach, so I need to quickly identify books I think might serve my clients.

And this is one of those books.

This book has 500 pages of detailed conflict examples and each entry includes a list for 'Ten Ways My Main Character Could Die' and 'Sixty Bodies Found Floating In The Blood-Filled Canal'. It also includes a section on 'How to Suggestively Use Your Main Character to Poop in the Elevator.'
Oh, wait, that's another book. Stupid, stupid, Stuart. Why did you do that? In public? On the internet?!

See? I'm already conflicted.

This book explores many forms of conflicts from losing an advantage over someone else, to conflict of egos, and oodles more.

And don't skip the intro. Do not! I made the mistake of skipping the intro in my first read through because in most books it's a lot of fluff, but there's valuable information here that sets up the rest of the book so you get the most out of it.

This will make a great addition to any writer’s bookshelf, particularly your own.

[Jennifer Noseworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of Volume 2 of The Conflict Thesaurus to review and to say it impressed me is an understatement. After reading Volume 1, which was fabulous, I didn't think there would be much that could be added to Volume 2. I was totally wrong. This 2nd volume of the thesaurus explains in detail the importance of conflict in your story, ways to create more conflict, and how to make conflict central to your story, amongst other things.

The most exciting part of this book is the actual conflicts themselves. This book covers conflict because of a loss of control, power struggles, losing an advantage, ego-related conflict, dangers and threats, and finally a variety of miscellaneous conflicts. This book contains over 100 different conflicts altogether and each detailed entry includes many examples of the conflict, the minor complications that can occur, the potentially disastrous results, the resulting emotion from the event, and internal struggles that your character could face. Finally, it delves into what negative traits may worsen the conflicted situation, the impact on the character's basic needs, and what positive traits the character may possess to help them cope with their different situation and positive outcomes from the conflict.

This book would be a welcome addition to any writer's bookshelf.

[Elena Markem · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series should be an autobuy for any writer!

I’ve covered my copies of every book in this series in post-its and page flags. Never do I go through one without not only finding what I need—but more that I expect, and this addition is no exception.

Like Volume I, this edition includes wonderful ideas for conflicts big (Dangers and Conflicts) and small (Ego Driven Conflicts), and like with their other books, Ackerman and Puglisi have opened the thesaurus with important craft information on how to use conflict to pull your readers into your books and closer to your characters. Yup, it’s like getting two books in one, reference and craft.

There are so many ways to use this book. Layering these conflicts (in combination with the ones in the first volume) will move your story and help your characters grow. And if you’re stuck? Check the list—you’re sure to find something you can throw at your character to make their life challenging (and by extension, make your writing easier and your book better).

I recommend this series to all of my writer friends (I've even bought copies as gifts), and this is another jewel in the collection.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader’s copy of The Conflict Thesaurus volume two from the authors.

I have a few of the Writers Helping Writers books and they are some of my go to reference books.

I have volume one of The Conflict Thesaurus and was excited for the second volume.

The second volume includes a great explanation of why a story needs conflict to be great. I loved that they included examples from popular movies and shows to explain concepts. It made concepts easier to understand. I am excited for the included appendices which will come in handy.

This book is a great addition to a writer’s reference library.

[Sonia Bellhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of The Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2 to review. It is impressive the amount of thought that has gone into exploring each scenario. In real life, we are conflict-averse, but it’s an absolute necessity in fiction. This book is a wonderful avenue for exploring sources of conflict for our characters. Character’s responses to conflict won't all be the same either. It’s a book that I will use constantly, to give myself more insight into broadening and deepening conflict and thus improving my storytelling.Highly recommended

[M.E. Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Writers Helping Writers. Since cracking open their Emotional Thesaurus in 2012, I've added each of their subsequent editions to my personal library. The books are wonderful brainstorming resources and have prompted me to look at situations in myriad--and often unexpected--ways that have helped me create award-winning stories. I had the good fortune to receive an advanced copy of this book before the launch, but this review is my own--and the Conflict Thesaurus (Volume 2) is another winner.

[Sharee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to have the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2 to add to my collection. This must have resource offers a wealth of information for authors. No good story can exist without strong conflict and this book provides reliable, meaningful, and essential options. I love the depth of information included in the Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2! It’s great for brainstorming, diving deeper into a character or a plot, and strengthening the storyline.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 2 of The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles is a tool that I have no hesitation in calling indispensable. It’s a book that you can crack the cover and immediately start using in either creating a new story or working on a current one. It can help resolve writer's block as well as assist with fine tuning a finished product. I absolutely recommend it and other books in Ackerman and Puglisi's writing thesaurus series.

[Christina Sneeringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a writer, the Conflict Thesaurus is one of the most used references on my shelf, and volume two is an excellent addition to the series with even more conflict to choose from. Full of lists and suggestions, it is so easy to use and the range of topics to choose from is excellent. Truly a fantastic addition to a writer's reference library.

[Shelly Chalmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a huge fan of this series of writers' resources for a long time, and this one blew me away. Reading through this second volume especially spurred so many different ideas - both for new stories and those already in development. I highly recommend this if you're looking for story inspiration, or you want to deepen / add more conflict to a current WIP. Such a treat!

[Lisa Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the first volume, and it is so helpful, so I was thrilled to see a second one is available. When I'm drafting or stuck, I flip through for inspirations.

I have many of these thesaurus in ebook and might want to get them in paperback as well for desk reference!

[Patricia Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conflict Thesaurus is one of the best tools a writer can have. It's helped me work out the plot of my next book and is great for creating my characters.
I have all of the thesaurus books and use them all the time!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has filled my heart with emotions. I feel like I'm ready to write the great American novel now thanks to the helpful advice.

Seriously, this is a great look at how you should look at what makes your characters tick.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own the entire collection of these books. They are all great additions to my write ng resources library.

This particular guide has excellent tips and pointers for injecting high-quality conflict into one's novels.

[Holly Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another staple writing resource by Angela and Becca! The conflict thesaurus is an excellent addition to my writing craft books to up the tension and conflict in my novel.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource, so very helpful

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference book. I bookmarked so much information. Very helpful for my WIP.

[Willow (Taylor's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same with Volume 1: well made but not as good as the other writing thesauruses.

[Agus Ciptosantoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bagus.

[Liya Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both this and Volume One have been instrumental in my neurodivergent writing journey. When I get writer's block, I turn to these to help get my thoughts forward and clear again.