Writing Convincing Arguments between Characters
We all love our fair share of drama and tension in our stories, and sometimes arguments and fights between characters are a part of that. Not always will they see eye to eye; sometimes their beliefs are too different from each other, and sometimes disagreements can be used to drive the plot further. Sometimes a good argument is needed.
But what should you consider when writing a conflict between two characters? How can you make the arguments believable? Here is a short guide to convincing arguments between your characters:
Different Characters Argue Differently:
This aspect is something you could miss easily. In my post about creating unique and authentic characters, I talked about the fact that your character should feel like a real person. This does not only include different ways of speaking (such as speech patterns), habits and quirks, beliefs, and dreams (and so much more!), but also different styles of arguing.
If you ever watched close friends or family members argue with each other, you probably know what I mean.
Example: My brother and my mom are a lot alike in many aspects of their lives, as I am and my dad. That also includes our styles of arguing. When my mom and my brother argue, it is the most uncomfortable situation to be in because they tend to get really loud. However, five minutes later they apologize, then talk calmly about the incident, and everything is okay again (while I am still sitting next to them wondering what just happened, lol). As I said, their arguments tend to be loud and rough, but they are also over quite quickly, and neither of them are hurt by them.
Well…
When my dad and I argue, we do not get loud. No. If we argue, we are these annoying sarcastic people who will say things with a sweet voice but with an obvious edge to our words. Therefore, our arguments are a lot more quiet, but we’ve been told that these arguments are also a lot more uncomfortable to be around than if we would simply scream at each other. Because the whole room gets icy, and everyone can feel the tension.
As you can see, not everyone argues the same way. As should your characters. It can also be quite interesting to see what happens with your characters when they have different styles of arguing. So use this! Think about your characters and how they would react in an argument.
Do they tend to scream? Do they become sarcastic? Is their voice just becoming monotonous, but with an uncomfortable and threatening edge to it? Maybe they avoid conflict all together and flee once an argument starts?
Don’t hold back your creativity.
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2. Boundaries:
There are always boundaries in a fight that shouldn’t be crossed (and please don’t cross them as an author, unless you want these actions to have serious consequences in your story!). There are boundaries that are universally agreed on to not cross: hitting, hurting, insulting, threatening their lives, etc., but there are also boundaries that might be a little different for every person: some people do not accept screaming (which is totally valid, btw), etc.
So think about what your characters would accept in an argument. Maybe you can write a character who does not accept any screaming during arguments, and now they are struggling to hold their own anger back because they don’t want to scream at the other. How would that look like?
Maybe both of your characters are screaming at each other, only to later figure out that their argument did not lead to any solutions but only to hurting the other (which might not even be reconciliatory now)? Maybe one of your characters is quiet during arguments, but the other becomes sarcastic and hurts the other because they don’t think about how this could affect them because they have been arguing like that their whole life?
There are so many things you could do. Think about boundaries for each of your characters and then decide if you want to overstep them during the fight or not. But consider that every time a boundary is overstepped, it leads to consequences. It should lead to consequences, because otherwise you are at risk of romanticizing abusive behavior.
And if you decide to overstep boundaries that result in abuse (like the ones mentioned above), please do not act as if nothing happened after! Please don’t be a part of normalizing—or worse—romanticizing these acts!
3. Reason for the argument:
I don’t know about you, but I personally hate it when writers write about arguments and conflicts between characters justfor the dramatic effect. Like, don’t get me wrong: arguments, discussions, and conflict are part of anyone’s life, and there are really good reasons for characters to have conflicts with each other (and overcoming these can be a great way to depict character growth), but some just feel forced and unnatural.
I, for example, personally hate the miscommunication "Oh, I overheard what you said, but I only heard this one really specific out of context part that makes it seem as if you don’t care for me“ trope.
So think about why your characters could argue and what consequences could occur due to the argument. Is it allowing them to get a deeper understanding of each other after the conflict is resolved? Does the conflict somehow drive your plot further? Does the conflict and its resolution show character growth?
4. Body language:
In order to write a natural-feeling and captivating scene that involves a conflict between characters, you need to know the body language that people use when they are in this situation. There are many factors to consider, the first being the body language and reactions associated with anger. Here are a few examples:
glaring
shaking or raised voice
yelling and screaming
snapping at people
sweating
face turning red with anger
baring one’s teeth
clenching jaw
etc.
But there could also be a glimpse of fear or anxiety in one of your characters during this conflict. Here are a few examples for this:
trembling lips
trembling voice
freezing
shaking
stuttering
flinching at noises
characters might also start self-soothing habits again during arguments and conflicts
etc.
So think about what your characters reactions will be to the other’s style of arguing, and make sure that their body language and reactions match them.
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I hope this short guide helps you to think about your characters a little more, so that you can add another important aspect of what makes them unique. If you’re searching for more writing advice, follow me on Pinterest or check out my other posts! If you need recommendations for writing tools and resources, visit my Benable list!
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