One of the challenges to writing nonviolent stories is that there’s just something so satisfying about the simplicity of crushing opposition. Especially when times are difficult and progress feels slow and uncertain, it’s thrilling to have a nice clear and simple conflict with no ambiguity where one can just let loose and WIN!
But just because many violent stories have these characteristics doesn’t mean that only violent stories can satisfy them. Quite to the contrary. The human desire to win is a desire to win a clear victory over SOMETHING, but based on my experience overcoming a minor plumbing challenge, I’m putting forward the hypothesis that we’re actually pretty flexible about what. The key is to have a clear goal, a goal that is challenging enough to be uncertain if one can achieve it, and to ultimately triumph (ideally on a fairly short time frame). It is the desire to test oneself and to triumph in the face of adversity that is the thrill.
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