Here’s a quick lesson in drama that’s been prevalent in my current project: Don’t Let Sleeping Dogs Lie.
What’s this mean? It means, when two characters have a conflict occurring between them, don’t let either of them take the easy out. There should be no taking the high ground, at least not without immediate consequences.
During an argument in the real world it is the socially conscience thing to try and diffuse the argument as quickly as possible. To let bygones be bygones, or to at least let out a grumpy “fine.”
People recognize, or at least I recognize, that things escalate really fast and that it’s smart to stop things before it’s too late.
If you do this in fiction, you’re in trouble.
Always let things escalate, that’s where the fun is, that’s where the story is. Recently in my writing I’ve noticed a habit of letting one character give up just as things are getting interesting. I’m trying to quell that habit, and it’s a first step to recognize that it’s there.
So, all this to say, let things go too far. Keep the argument running, keep feeding the flames. You aren’t your characters, so enjoy pushing them farther and farther and farther. Right over the edge.
Let ’em get angry for once.