When Conflict Builds Your Story

I'm a big pusher on conflict. I love it in books...well I hate it too...but I love it. It's frustrating when in your head you are screaming at book characters to watch out, or don't let this one bad thing change who they are. My biggest one is love issues. Ugh, just COMMUNICATE you silly fictional boys and girls. Right? Most of the love conflicts are misunderstandings! But it sure keeps me reading to find out how it plays out.


I wanted to share the excerpt from The Forgotten Realms: Rise of a Guardian where my main character, Killian, begins the real big conflict. He's falsely accused and his life is forever changed. This is the real beginning of the fantastic adventure he will soon go on.

A knock came to the front door and Blake shuffled upstairs to answer it. Killian recognized that Blake did a lot of work for his grandparents around the house. In truth, Killian had never met the two elderly people. Blake said they spent the majority of their days at the country club spending their vast retirement fund. He knew at this time of night they were most likely in bed, although it was still early for their grandson.

“Kill, uh—you gotta come here dude,” he heard Blake’s nervous voice call from the top of the stairs. He swallowed hard, readying himself to face Richard, who he was certain had sniffed him out to Blake’s house.

            To his surprise, he was met at the front door by a hefty dark man in a police uniform. His lanky partner leaned against the side of the house, putting on a stern, serious face that meant he was in no mood for delinquent behavior.

  “Killian Thomas?” the officer asked.

   “Yes.”

   “Killian Thomas you are under arrest for the assault on a Mrs. Laura Peterson, you have the right to remain silent…”

           The man’s voice blurred as he continued to read him his rights. This was not happening. He hadn’t touched Laura. The police officer reached for his wrist to place the cold handcuffs around it, but Killian yanked it away.

            “No, this isn’t right! I stopped it! It was Richard, I called you,” Killian was shouting and desperately fighting against the officer.

            Blake had a hand on his forehead and just stared, not knowing what to do for his friend. The hefty officer gripped his wrist so hard Killian shouted out in pain. The second, lanky officer had joined his partner and was helping detain Killian.

“It's okay, Kill. It will work out,” Blake shouted, trying to reassure him. “Laura will tell them what really happened! I’ll talk to my Grandpa, we’ll straighten this out for you! I promise.” Blake’s voice faded as the police officers walked Killian to their patrol car. They pushed his head briskly so he didn’t hit the side and shut the door on his face.

Killian was sure he was going to be sick.  His shoulders heaved up and down.  "I didn't do it," he whispered obsessively under his breath. "How is this be happening?" Killian glared out the patrol car as he held firm to a single moment of clarity. "Richard," he hissed. Inside he knew it was over— no one would ever believe him over Richard.