When I undertook this endeavor, I assumed there would be some WIP backlash. It started immediately when I had to axe out 50 pages that just didn’t fit anymore. It’s better now, I think, but that did cause me some teeth gnashing and other such general pain.

The most recent snafu came up this week as I was getting a sliver together for the pirates to critique. I’ve stumbled across a conundrum. I find myself with so many plot threads that I hardly can keep them from twisting into an unrecognizable ball of literary goo.

“Writing is a journey,” I repeat to myself yogi/mantra style.

It just happens that this journey includes a mystery plot, my heroine’s internal and two external conflicts, my hero’s internal and external conflicts and the set up for another story, in case I choose to use it. Hardly JK Rowling-esque plot weaving required but it’s more than enough for me.

Before the revision, this was a lot easier because 1) my conflicts were mostly internal, 2) there were only two conflicts: his and hers. Now, with all these additional external shenanigans going on, it’s complicating my life. Or, more specifically, it’s complicating my characters’ lives in ways that is complicating my life.

I do think that these new external conflicts make my story better. And, on the bright side, they seem easier to progress than the internal ones, so that is something.

The only way I’ve figured out how to keep track of all of this is to list out my conflicts, pretty much as above with a little more detail, and then after I write a scene, read back through to make sure there’s growth in each specific conflict.

But, I’m not sure it’s working.

So, wenches, HELP! Which type of conflict do you think is easier to write? Which is more important to the story’s overall success? Any suggestions for how to keep multiple conflicts straight and moving forward? And, do you think external conflicts enhance your plot or not?