Indirect Versus Direct Conflict

[BendtedWreath]

Hello, everyone. I'm stuck again.

I've done some digging on this, and strangely enough, I keep finding business solutions for managing and resolving direct and indirect conflict...but not enough examples about literary nuances/distinctions between direct and indirect conflict. @CassieQ has been kind enough to point me in the right direction by mentioning "ramping up tension" between two opposing characters. But I wanted to ask everyone's thoughts as a whole on this subject matter. 

Disagreements: This makes sense to me; two parties have different views/goals/morals/feelings, and they are struggling with meeting one another halfway through the use of conversation, written words, or any other form of communication. (Note: Disagreements can also be entirely internal and completely cut off from the second party, such as unresolved resentment due to either unintentional or intentional miscommunication.)

Physical Altercations: This also makes sense to me; two parties have different views/goals/morals/feelings, and one of them (or both) physically lash out at one another instead of trying to meet one another halfway. (Note: Physical Altercations can also happen haphazardly if one party is stuck in their own head/emotions and decides [impulsively in the moment or intentionally in the long-term] to lash out at anyone in their line of sight or a specifically chosen target)

Rivalries: I view rivalries as a mixture of all of the above, where there is either unintentional or intentional miscommunication/misunderstandings that can lead to either disagreements or physical altercations between two parties, on multiple occasions. 

===

Having said all that, my questions for you are (Note: You don't have to answer them all, just whichever you choose to help with.) :

1. What is a writing example for direct vs. indirect conflict in terms of a disagreement between two parties? 

2. What is a writing example for direct vs. indirect conflict in terms of a physical altercation between two parties? 

3. What are any other types of conflicts that I didn't mention that would result in a direct vs. indirect conflict? Please write an example. 

===

Much obliged, your confused and train-commuting friend,

Ben 

Edited January 24, 2025 by BendtedWreath

[kbois]

6 minutes ago, BendtedWreath said:

Hello, everyone. I'm stuck again.

I've done some digging on this, and strangely enough, I keep finding business solutions for managing and resolving direct and indirect conflict...but not enough examples about literary nuances/distinctions between direct and indirect conflict. @CassieQ has been kind enough to point me in the right direction by mentioning "ramping up tension" between two opposing characters. But I wanted to ask everyone's thoughts as a whole on this subject matter. 

Disagreements: This makes sense to me; two parties have different views/goals/morals/feelings, and they are struggling with meeting one another halfway through the use of conversation, written words, or any other form of communication. (Note: Disagreements can also be entirely internal and completely cut off from the second party, such as unresolved resentment due to either unintentional or intentional miscommunication.)

Physical Altercations: This also makes sense to me; two parties have different views/goals/morals/feelings, and one of them (or both) physically lash out at one another instead of trying to meet one another halfway. (Note: Physical Altercations can also happen haphazardly if one party is stuck in their own head/emotions and decides [impulsively in the moment or intentionally in the long-term] to lash out at anyone in their line of sight or a specifically chosen target)

Rivalries: I view rivalries as a mixture of all of the above, where there is either unintentional or intentional miscommunication/misunderstandings that can lead to either disagreements or physical altercations between two parties, on multiple occasions. 

===

Having said all that, my questions for you are (Note: You don't have to answer them all, just whichever you choose to help with.) :

1. What is a writing example for direct vs. indirect conflict in terms of a disagreement between two parties? 

2. What is a writing example for direct vs. indirect conflict in terms of a physical altercation between two parties? 

3. What are any other types of conflicts that I didn't mention that would result in a direct vs. indirect conflict? Please write an example. 

===

Much obliged, your confused and train-commuting friend,

Ben 

Wow... your timing is spot on. I literally just finished dealing with an irate resident.

Direct conflict:  The issue was a notice we gave him regarding items on his site that needed to be addressed. 

He was trying to argue with me saying that we are accusing him of not having a valid registration displayed. 

Our notices are basically a checklist... we place an X next to the violation and highlight when it needs to be taken care of. 

He could not comprehend that there was no X checked off by the registration. It was checked next to the 'remove clutter.'

No matter how I tried to explain it to him he didn't get it. This is a direct conflict... both of us engaged in verbal sparring. 

He's lucky I didn't lean over the counter and initiate a direct physical altercation and throat punch him, especially after he started bad-mouthing my staff. I shut that down pretty quick. 

[Thirdly]

9 minutes ago, kbois said:

Wow... your timing is spot on. I literally just finished dealing with an irate resident.

[Thirdly]

I'm sorry you had so much trouble with trying to explain things to that resident @kbois, but I'm still laughing at that last bit you wrote about it almost escalating to a fist-fight then and there. OH! That's something to point out, actually!!

Misplaced anger is something that can lead to both a direct and indirect conflict (not me almost mispelling indirect), like in the case of the resident lashing out at @kbois staff over a notice that they didn't fully understand (sounded like they assumed the highlighted and X'd out ones were in the clear and the blank ones were the ones they were lacking). Highlighting USUALLY clears this out, but it did nothing in this case. 😂

Let me see if I can think of some examples:

1. What is a writing example for direct vs. indirect conflict in terms of a disagreement between two parties? 

Direct: "Grey is the most neutrally flattering color for all shades and there's nothing you can say to make me think otherwise." "The hell ever, it's black all the way! Screw you and your grey fetish!"

Indirect: "Grey is the most neutrally flattering color for all shades and there's nothing you can say to make me think otherwise." "...You do know that black is also slimming?"

2. What is a writing example for direct vs. indirect conflict in terms of a physical altercation between two parties? 

Direct: "This Friday afternoon. Schoolyard. No spectators." "You're on!" (the two meet and either beat the crap out of each other or make out?)

Indirect: "I heard it was Chad that spread the rumors about you giving Theo a blowjob in the men's room on the second floor." "Oh fuck, Chad heard us? I hope Theo doesn't break up with me because of this!"

3. What are any other types of conflicts that I didn't mention that would result in a direct vs. indirect conflict? Please write an example.

Direct: Calling someone out on the spot after being groped in a non-consensual manner. "Respect my boundaries! If I were a felon, you'd have lost your hand right then and there." 

Indirect: Calling someone out after the fact of being groped in a non-consensual manner. "Text: I didn't want to embarrass you in public, but I don't appreciate being touched without permission, let alone in inappropriate ways. The next time it happens, I won't hesitate to report you."

[BendtedWreath]

32 minutes ago, kbois said:

He's lucky I didn't lean over the counter and initiate a direct physical altercation and throat punch him, especially after he started bad-mouthing my staff. I shut that down pretty quick. 

Lucky resident indeed! Hope he finally figured things out and cooled his head.

[BendtedWreath]

9 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

Indirect: "I heard it was Chad that spread the rumors about you giving Theo a blowjob in the men's room on the second floor." "Oh fuck, Chad heard us? I hope Theo doesn't break up with me because of this!"

I know this was just an example, but I found myself invested in this scenario. Does MC and Theo break up because of Chad's malicious rumors? 🤣

[Thirdly]

23 minutes ago, BendtedWreath said:

I know this was just an example, but I found myself invested in this scenario. Does MC and Theo break up because of Chad's malicious rumors? 🤣

To be honest, I might have read something like that somewhere and it just exists in someone else's story with different character names. Or it could have even been a scene from a comic or webtoon I read. 😂 If pressed to write a similar scenario with a higher chance of NOT copying someone else I'd have changed the aspects around a bit. Example: If it was the character names, a quick name swap is easy or even making sure that the last names are not the same. If this scenario occurred in a school setting, I'd have changed it to a corporate building or a restaurant or, hell, a hospital. If it's the act of spreading rumors that is too similar, I'd have changed that to a photo taken or video footage! Then, you can even change things around, including who the MC even is!

Original: "I heard it was Chad that spread the rumors about you giving Theo a blowjob in the men's room on the second floor." "Oh fuck, Chad heard us? I hope Theo doesn't break up with me because of this!"

Reworked: While in the waiting room, Taylor's breathing quickened when he saw the thumbnail of the clip sent to him by a number he didn't recognize. He didn't have to click on it to know that someone caught him giving Charles a blowjob while they waited in the patient room. Neither of them even heard the door being opened enough for a phone to record them! Taylor pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought of who would want to blackmail him like this? Did he even know any nurses? The only name that came to mind made him shake his head in disbelief. Why would his cousin Cam Cox do such a thing?  

...and I think it still counts as indirect conflict because he isn't confronting his cousin "Cam Cox" in any way yet, but a storm's brewing.

Edited January 24, 2025 by Thirdly

[BendtedWreath]

12 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

Original: "I heard it was Chad that spread the rumors about you giving Theo a blowjob in the men's room on the second floor." "Oh fuck, Chad heard us? I hope Theo doesn't break up with me because of this!"

Reworked: While in the waiting room, Taylor's breathing quickened when he saw the thumbnail of the clip sent to him by a number he didn't recognize. He didn't have to click on it to know that someone caught him giving Charles a blowjob while they waited in the patient room. Neither of them even heard the door being opened enough for a phone to record them! Taylor pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought of who would want to blackmail him like this? Did he even know any nurses? The only name that came to mind made him shake his head in disbelief. Why would his cousin Cam Cox do such a thing?  

...and I think it still counts as indirect conflict because he isn't confronting his cousin "Cam Cox" in any way yet, but a storm's brewing.

Now you have me invested in what happens to Taylor and Charles. Just how far in did Cam stick his arm in that room to record them and they didn't notice? 🤣

[Jason Rimbaud]

I have nothing interesting to say or add, but I think Ben is wrong about MC and Theo. What no one knows, Chad wasn't spreading rumors, he was telling the truth and has evidence to prove it. 

 

Indirect

Edited January 24, 2025 by Jason Rimbaud

[BendtedWreath]

2 minutes ago, Jason Rimbaud said:

I have nothing interesting to say or add, but I think Ben is wrong about MC and Theo. What no one knows, Chad wasn't spreading rumors, he was telling the truth and has evidence to prove it. 

[Jason Rimbaud]

Blake laughed and grabbed two beers from the bartender that smiled knowingly at both of them. Blake handed one to Greg and asked, “So why haven’t I seen you around?”

“My house is just up the beach a ways,” Greg said as he gestured over his shoulder. “I’m on a quick, mini vacation.”

“Me too,” Blake said as he led them on a path that led towards the main house. “I came here because a friend invited me.”

“From where?”

“LA,” Blake said with a big white smile. 

“That’s a long way to come for a party,” Greg said with a smirk. “Must either be a good friend or someone you want to fuck.”

Blake laughed but quickly said, “A very good friend. Sleeping with her would not be ideal for either of us. And I usually don’t enjoy sleeping with girls.”

“Me neither, and when I say I don’t enjoy it, I mean I never have,” Greg said as he finally spied Courtney near the house deep in conversation with a very attractive guy. Their eyes met and Greg waved. She waved back but turned her attention back to the guy next to her. “I have a friend just like that back in high school.”

Blake noticed their exchange and asked, “Was that the girl you were looking for?”

Greg nodded and Blake asked, “What did you say her name was?”

“Courtney.”

“Interesting, that’s not the name she gave me when I arrived two days ago,” Blake said conspiratorially as he reached out to stop Greg.

Greg stopped and looked over at the girl some thirty yards away. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, “That would explain why you didn’t know who I was referring to earlier.”

“I guess not everyone here is what they appear to be,” Blake said intently as he peered at  the blond girl. “I’d say be careful but something tells me you already are.”

[BendtedWreath]

20 minutes ago, Jason Rimbaud said:

“Interesting, that’s not the name she gave me when I arrived two days ago,” Blake said conspiratorially as he reached out to stop Greg.

I'm invested in this scenario, too! 

[Jason Rimbaud]

3 minutes ago, BendtedWreath said:

I'm invested in this scenario, too! 

Why don't you give me an email address, I'll give you a sneak peak. 

[Krista]

Miscommunication tropes are the easiest way to depict Indirect and Direct conflict. As the characters typically indirectly hold resentment, feelings, and conversations with uninvolved characters as they're purposely withholding important information from the other involved character. They also engage in direct conflict by arguing about everything that happened prior to or after the miscommunication and about everything not concerning the miscommunication element. It is typically prolonged excruciatingly to the point of direct conflict between my hands and my hair when I read such a thing. 

Of course it has been done well and is rather enjoyable when it is. Most of the time though the miscommunication is entirely wrapped up in the fact there was a "loss" of something. A lost letter, a forgotten or unreceived voicemail or text. When all either idiot had to do was say, "Hey did you get my letter?" or "Hey, did you get my text?" Before erupting into this full-blown no winning situation for 200+ pages, only to be wrapped up whenever the Letter/Text/Voicemail resurfaces and all is well in the world afterwards.  

I'd much rather read a story where they throw hands and then move on to more healthy relationships with other people more attuned to their communication deficiencies.