The Occupation Thesaurus E-Book

Becca Puglisi

• Herausgeber: WS
• Serie: Writers Helping Writers
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 579

Beschreibung

What if you could fast-track the reader’s understanding of a character without chunky paragraphs of description that kill the story’s pace? And what if you could use a common element of daily life to explore story goals, relationships, themes, and even the character’s internal growth? You can. It’s time to activate the power of your character’s occupation. Whether a character loves or hates what they do, a job can reveal many things about them, including their priorities, beliefs, desires, and needs. The Occupation Thesaurus will show you how a career choice can characterize, drive the plot, infuse scenes with conflict, and get readers on the character’s side through the relatable pressures, responsibilities, and stakes inherent with work.

Leseprobe

THE OCCUPATION THESAURUS:

A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers

ANGELA ACKERMAN

& BECCA PUGLISI

THE OCCUPATION THESAURUS: A WRITER’S GUIDE TO JOBS, VOCATIONS, AND CAREERS.

Copyright 2020 © by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

All rights reserved

Writers Helping Writers®

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in print or electronic form without prior permission of the authors. Please respect the hard work of the authors and do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials.

ISBN: 978-0-9992963-7-0

Edited by Michael Dunne and C.S. Lakin

Book cover design by JD Smith Design

Book formatting by JD Smith Design

THE WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®DESCRIPTIVE THESAURUS SERIES

Available in nine languages, sourced by universities, and recommended by editors and agents all over the world, this bestselling series is a writer’s favorite for brainstorming fresh description and powering up storytelling.

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition)

The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Attributes

The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws

The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces

The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Places

The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma

The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles (Vol. 1)

The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles (Vol. 2)

Emotion Amplifiers: A Companion to The Emotion Thesaurus

TABLE OF CONTENTS

It’s All in the Details …

The Motivations behind Career Choice

Careers that Characterize

Jobs as Sources of Tension and Conflict

Jobs Can Support Story Structure and Character Arc

Vocations as Thematic Devices

Choosing a Career for Your Character

Additional Tips for Writing about Occupations

Final Words from the Authors

THE OCCUPATION THESAURUS

Actor

Air Traffic Controller

Animal Rescue Worker

Animal Trainer

Antiques Dealer

Architect

Auto Mechanic

Babysitter

Baker

Barista

Bartender

Book Conservator

Bouncer

Bounty Hunter

Business Tycoon

Carpenter

Cashier

Chef

Children’s Entertainer

Chocolatier

Clergy Member

Concierge

Conductor

Coroner

Corrections Officer

Crime Scene Cleaner

Dancer

Deep Sea Diver (Commercial)

Dentist

Dietician

Diplomat

Docent

Dog Groomer

Dream Interpreter

Driver (Car)

Emergency Dispatcher

Emergency Medical Responder

Emergency Room Physician

Ethical Hacker

Farmer

Fashion Designer

Firefighter

Flight Attendant

Food Critic

Food Stylist

Fundraiser

Funeral Director

General Contractor

Geologist

Ghostwriter

Glassblower

Graphic Designer

Home Health Aide

Human Test Subject

Hypnotherapist

Interpreter

Inventor

Janitor

Jewelry Designer

Judge

Landscape Designer

Lawyer

Librarian

Lobbyist

Locksmith

Mail Carrier

Makeup Artist

Massage Therapist

Master Brewer

Mechanical Engineer

Midwife

Military Officer

Model

Nanny

Novelist

Nurse (Rn)

Outdoor Guide

Paleontologist

Paralegal

Parole Officer

Personal Assistant To A Celebrity

Personal Shopper

Personal Trainer

Pest Control Technician

Pharmacist

Physical Therapist

Pilot

Podcaster

Police Officer

Politician

Private Detective

Professional Athlete

Professional Mourner

Professional Poker Player

Professor

Radio Dj

Rancher

Real Estate Agent

Receptionist

Recruiter

Referee

Reiki Master

Reporter

Robotics Engineer

Secret Service Agent

Security Guard

Server

Skydiving Instructor

Small Business Owner

Social Media Manager

Social Worker

Software Developer

Sommelier

Street Performer

Talent Agent

Tattoo Artist

Taxidermist

Teacher

Therapist (Mental Health)

Tour Guide

Treasure Hunter

Veterinarian

Wedding Planner

Yoga Instructor

Appendix A: Occupation Speed Dating

Appendix B: Career Assessment

References

Additional Expert Sources

THE CONFLICT THESAURUS (Volumes 1 And 2)

Recommended Resources

More Writers Helping Writers Books

One Stop for Writers

About the Authors

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS …

Wherever you are on the creative path, sooner or later one question pokes its way to the center of your thoughts: What does it take to become a masterful storyteller?

The answer? So many possibilities. Is it tenacity—a butt-in-chair mentality that keeps authors chipping away at their stories, no matter how many drafts it takes to get it right? Is it hard-won knowledge acquired from thousands of hours of focused reading, studying, and applying one’s craft? Is it a passion for uncovering a character’s deepest layers to give readers realistic players who have desires, fears, and vulnerabilities just as they do?

Honestly, it would be hard to list all the contributing factors for becoming a great storyteller, but one thing is certain: skilled writers display a willingness to see the job through. Whether they are researching, planning, drafting, or revising, they seek to unearth what’s meaningful, which requires paying careful attention to the details.

And details? Well, they matter—in careers, life, and storytelling.

Let’s consider the focal point of any work of fiction: the protagonist. We know that readers respond to the ones who are relatable and interesting and whose behaviors make sense within the story. To create characters like these, we authors must know a lot about them: their personality traits, emotional wounds, passions, hobbies, quirks, and so much more. These details are important because they’ll reinforce our protagonists’ desires, goals, fears, and needs, which, in turn, define their arcs and determine their actions throughout the story.

One detail often overlooked by writers is the character’s occupation. Perhaps it seems insignificant—an aspect of characterization that simply rounds the character out rather than lending strength to the story. And if this were the case, a writer could just assign their character a profession they’ve personally done or that they find fascinating, and move on. But here’s the thing: used to their full potential, occupations can be powerful drivers in the story, helping to characterize, steer the plot, generate conflict, reveal dysfunction, and provide a route for character arc growth—and that’s just to start.

So, insignificant? Not in the slightest. Because a job can influence so many story factors, careful thought should go into selecting one.

Think about this from your own perspective. When it comes to your current occupation (or past jobs), were they chosen randomly, without much thought? Probably not. You may have been drawn to them because of your interests and areas of giftedness or because the job met a need, such as supporting your family or making a difference in the world. Maybe it was a simple matter of convenience and what was available. Regardless, there were reasons behind every employment decision you’ve made.

The same should be true for our characters. If we choose their jobs thoughtfully, readers will have a better understanding of who they are, what skills they possess, and their motivations and priorities. Not only do jobs provide valuable characterization indicators, they tie in to the plot itself, providing characters with the abilities and knowledge they’ll need to succeed or by creating obstacles to hinder them along the way.

A well-chosen occupation can strengthen your story on many levels, but there are so many options. Let’s start by delving into the reasons behind career choices so you can home in on your own character’s motivations.

THE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND CAREER CHOICE

Because so much of a person’s time is spent at work, occupations are usually chosen with thought and care. Personality and hobbies can influence this decision, but by themselves, they’re just not weighty enough to prompt a choice that might span many years or even a lifetime. No, big-time decisions like a career need a lot of consideration, and the primary factor that often tips the scales in favor of one over another is motivation.

Simply defined, motivation is the reason behind a choice or behavior. For any given decision there are multiple possible motivations. As parents, for instance, we often explore the reasons behind our children’s troublesome actions. If we can figure out why they engage in certain behaviors, we can guide them into changing those habits for the better. Why does my kid lie? is a question many parents have asked. The answer will be determined by the circumstances and any number of reasons from the child’s perspective:

He doesn’t want to get in trouble.

He doesn’t want to disappoint his parent.

He’s protecting someone else.

He’s looking for a reaction.

He’s trying to boost his esteem by claiming things that aren’t true.

He doesn’t understand that lying is wrong.

He truly forgot and has remembered the details wrong, making his story sound like a lie when it’s really not.

Like us, our characters have many possible reasons for the choices they make—including the jobs they pursue. Their motivation typically boils down to one of two drivers: basic needs or unresolved wounds.

BASIC NEEDS

According to famed psychologist Abraham Maslow, every person has five basic needs that, when met, make them feel fulfilled. Destabilization of one or more of these needs will cause discomfort—a ripple that disturbs a relatively calm surface. Should this discomfort grow too big or last too long, a person will feel compelled to set things right again by addressing the need that is most vital.

As the diagram shows, the foundation of the pyramid represents our physiological needs because those are the most important; without food, water, air, and the like, we would cease to exist. Should our physiological needs become threatened, we will be driven to reinforce them. Safety is the next most critical need, followed bylove and belonging, esteemand recognition, andself-actualization.

Here’s how this works. If an armed intruder breaks into your house, your sense of security will be threatened. Even if everyone escapes unharmed, you may still feel unsafe at home. To feel protected, you might take certain actions, such as installing a security system, taking a self-defense class, or buying a gun. You might tighten the rules for your children, requiring them to be home earlier at night or call more often when they’re out. All these choices are driven by your need for safety and security.

Basic human needs are important motivators for our behavior. Because fiction reflects real life, they also galvanize our characters and will push them toward certain actions and choices, including the all-important decision of which career to pursue. Let’s take a deeper look at this need-occupation connection.

Physiological Needs

Food, water, shelter, and sleep are some of the most basic needs. A character worried about survival will look for work that pays enough to guarantee it. This probably won’t be his dream job, one he’s most qualified for, or even something that brings him great satisfaction. Depending on his level of desperation, it might even be unhealthy or toxic, putting other needs at risk. We’ve all heard of real-life scenarios in which someone turns to prostitution or dealing drugs out of a critical need to make money to survive. The job may endanger them physically, strain their personal relationships, and kill their self-esteem, but none of that will matter because the first order of business is to stay alive.

While most jobs don’t create this level of distress, many people do choose them to solve an immediate problem. The job may be temporary—one that is abandoned when the physiological needs are taken care of—or the character might stick with it out of habit. Either way, if physiological needs are in peril, the character will be compelled to fix the situation immediately, and they won’t have the luxury of being choosy about the work they do.

Safety and Security

Once survival is no longer at stake, the next most critical need is safety, health, and security for the character and her loved ones. For instance, someone living in a dangerous area where gang members are trying to recruit her children might decide to take on a second job so she can afford to move to a safer area. She might not love janitorial work or driving a taxi, but that doesn’t matter when her family is being threatened. Tough decisions have to be made in this situation, and job choice is one of them.

Love and Belonging

Next on the hierarchy is our need for meaningful connections. This includes loving others, being loved by them, and experiencing true intimacy. Okay, you think, I can see how this is important to people, but what does it have to do with occupations? The truth is, deliberately or subconsciously, jobs are sometimes chosen more out of regard for other people than for ourselves.

A character from a tight-knit family may accept a position that’s closer to home, even if it’s less desirable than other offers. Someone else might pursue a career because she comes from a family of first responders or nurses or teachers, and following in her loved ones’ footsteps provides a sense of belonging. In another scenario, a character who loses her father to cancer may take over his real estate practice as a way to honor him and keep his legacy alive. In situations like these, the character’s need for love or belonging drives her decision-making.

Esteem and Recognition

Every person, and therefore every character, needs to feel valued, appreciated, and respected by others while also having a healthy regard for themselves. If a character longs for esteem and recognition, it can push her toward a certain career. As examples, consider these scenarios:

Someone seeking the esteem of others may choose to become a doctor or hedge fund manager simply because, to her, these fields are prestigious and impressive.

A character might pursue a career in a competitive field because she knows that succeeding will bring her recognition and accolades.

If the culture teaches that certain employment opportunities are more respectable than others (white collar vs. trade skills, owning your company vs. working for someone else, etc.), the character may chart a career course that will bring her the most recognition.

A character might choose a challenging occupation because she wants to prove to herself that she’s capable. She gets a charge from doing something that few people can do.

Self-esteem is also part of this need, so a character may choose a job because she’s good at it and it gives her confidence.

The esteem and recognition section of the pyramid may appear small, but don’t underestimate its importance. Characters looking to blaze a path for themselves, escape feelings of low self-worth, or prove to others what they can do are likely to choose careers that will raise their esteem and bring about internal satisfaction.

Self-Actualization

It may seem as if this need is the least important, but, in reality, it’s what most people strive for. Humans want to be fulfilled and satisfied, achieving their full potential. Many times, this means living according to their beliefs, values, and true identity. A character seeking to meet this need may very well choose a job to achieve one of the following:

Freedom and Independence. She may stay with an occupation that isn’t perfect because it provides her the money and freedom to pursue personal activities that make her happy, such as traveling, learning new skills, or spending more time with family.

Validation of Values and Moral Beliefs. Characters who are focused on something bigger than themselves may gravitate toward careers that reinforce their ideals. Choosing work that is rewarding (rehabilitating animals, providing humanitarian medical care in a third-world country), allows her to serve others (social work, nursing), or solves a global problem (being an inventor, pursuing a career in the sciences) would potentially generate a great deal of satisfaction.

Purpose. Some characters may feel called to a certain profession—even from an early age. Working in that field will provide a sense of purpose for them, resulting in gratification because they know they’re doing what they were meant to do.

Fulfillment through Philanthropy. If it’s true that the ends sometimes justify the means, a character could choose a career because it enables her to help others. The work may be stressful and the hours long, or it might be downright boring. But to her it’s worthwhile if it provides the time or funds needed to help people or advance causes she believes in.

Happiness. This is an important part of our self-actualization need. It’s key to people doing what they do; whenever possible, they choose a profession that brings them joy.

UNRESOLVED WOUNDS

While a missing need can be a big motivator, there’s another factor that might push your character toward (or away from) a career: an emotional wound.These painful past traumas leave them feeling so vulnerable and exposed, they become willing to do almost anything to avoid experiencing that kind of pain again. In the aftermath, fears take root, along with lies a character may believe about himself or the world (I’m worthless, you can’t really know or trust anyone). This not only damages his sense of self-worth; it also leads to dysfunctional behaviors and attitudes that are meant to keep potentially hurtful people and situations at bay.

The choices characters make after a wounding event will differ from ones made had nothing bad ever happened to them. To avoid risk, they may underachieve, turn away from passions, resist change, or refuse to take chances—all of which will sow unhappiness and cause unmet needs.

A good example of this is the protagonist from the movie Good Will Hunting. Will is a genius, able to memorize everything he sees and solve math problems that stump most of the world. As a result, we’d expect him to be working as a code-breaker for the government or teaching advanced mathematics at a prestigious university. But the first scene of the movie shows him pushing a mop down a hallway. Why is one of the most brilliant young men in the country working as a janitor? The answer lies in his traumatic past.

Abandoned by his parents and abused in the foster care system, he has serious trust issues. This means that when he finds someone he can count on, he’s incredibly loyal. This results in him choosing a job that enables him to stay close to his friends. And, despite his brilliance, he’s plagued by self-doubt, which causes him to avoid any career that would require him to live up to expectations or be responsible for others.

This fictional situation is realistic because it shows how things work in real life. Wounds influence behavior and choices, so tying your character’s past trauma to his career adds layers and authenticity that will resonate with readers.

Wounds run the gamut from mild to deeply traumatizing, and each character will respond uniquely to them. When it comes to choosing an occupation, this can go one of two ways: wounds can push characters toward certain jobs or repel them from the ones they really want.

Choosing a Job because of a Wounding Event

Imagine a protagonist named Casey, who was raised by a career criminal. Her father’s knack for keeping his nose clean and thwarting the authorities kept him mostly out of prison, which meant he was constantly around to belittle and humiliate her. He was proud of his professional accomplishments, which were abhorrent to Casey, birthing shame despite her having done nothing wrong. His professional network involved a lot of family members and close friends, so she could easily have followed in his footsteps. But she decides to go a different route and becomes a cop.

And she’s good at her job. No wrongdoer can give her the slip. Tough as nails, she does what needs to be done in the most unforgiving environments. But she has no compassion to soften her sharp edges. This keeps her from being a great cop. And it causes problems at home, because when her kids break the rules, she sees them headed down the same path as her father, and she absolutely can’t have that …

It’s easy to see why Casey chose the field of law enforcement: she can’t stand her father and wants to be nothing like him. He flouted the law, so she becomes the law, ensuring that the people she pursues face justice. This is her duty and her penance, her way of dealing with the shame inflicted upon her by her outlaw father. Her behavior also shows how unresolved wounds are impacting her in the present. The resulting attitudes and habits will need to be dealt with for her to successfully traverse her character arc.

Avoiding a Job because of a Wounding Event

Just as wounds can lead characters toward specific careers, they can also cause them to avoid the ones they most desire.

Imagine a character who has struggled his whole life with a debilitating speech impediment. Mike is highly intelligent and gifted in science, but the social aspect made school a nightmare—the bullying, the behind-the-back snickers, the well-meant pity from his teachers. As a result, he spent his free time alone, studying his passion: forensics. He dreamed of becoming a coroner, but that would’ve required additional schooling, and after graduation he swore he’d never set foot in a classroom—real or virtual—again.

So as a young twenty-something, he works as a crime scene cleaner. It’s a quiet background job where he only has to talk to a few co-workers. It also allows proximity to the kind of cases he might have worked had he pursued his dream. Each day, as he cleans up crime scenes and natural death environments, his brain can’t help but notice the clues and try to piece them together to see the whole picture. But the picture is always incomplete. His work scratches the itch but never quite alleviates it. And it gets worse as time goes on.

In a situation like this, the character’s wounding event (a speech impediment) is keeping him from his dream job. He’s chosen the next best thing, but it’s unsatisfying because he’s living below his full potential. Throughout the course of Mike’s story, this lack of fulfillment is going to grow until it becomes something that he must address. He’ll eventually have to recognize that his un-dealt-with wound is festering, causing a malignancy that is slowly infecting his whole being. And he’ll be forced with a decision: continue in a safe but miserable existence or face his fears and risk being hurt again so he can ultimately live his best life.

Remove the backstory from either of these scenarios, and we have no idea why the characters chose their careers. But once we learn their history, we understand. The characters become real and vulnerable and so much more interesting. We know not only what happened in their past, we can also see their path forward—the realizations and changes they’ll have to make to be fulfilled both professionally and personally.

CAREERS THAT CHARACTERIZE

Let’s say you’re at a party, and you strike up a conversation with someone new. What’s one of the first things you’re going to ask?

“So, what do you do?”

The reason this question comes up in this context is jobs characterize. Like it or not, we tend to size people up and put them in boxes. And a person’s chosen field of work can reveal a lot about who they are.

Granted, not every stereotype is accurate, and we obviously want to avoid clichéd characters; individualization is an important part of the character-building process, so we’ll discuss this in-depth in just a bit. But, at first blush, a character’s job can provide a baseline for readers about things that are probably true, shortening the learning curve in the getting-to-know-you process. Here are a few things your reader may infer about a character simply by knowing his occupation.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

Certain traits will make it easier for a person to succeed at a given job. And usually people want to be successful; that’s one reason we gravitate toward careers that play to our personality. So when a reader sees a character working in a specific field, they’re going to draw some conclusions. This gives authors a leg up when it comes to characterization, enabling them to show personality simply by revealing that cast member’s job.

To test this theory, what positive qualities come to mind when you think of a kindergarten teacher? Traits like compassion, gentleness, and patience probably top the list. It looks different, though, for an ER physician, who might be pegged as intelligent, decisive, and calm under pressure. There are exceptions, but certain traits do help make someone a good teacher or doctor or farmer. (For more information on the jobs associated with specific dominant traits, see Appendix A.)

Conveying your character’s personality to readers without resorting to info dumps and long passages of narrative can be challenging. This is where occupations can come in handy, enabling you to kick-start characterization with a minimum of words.

TALENTS AND SKILLS

Every career requires a skill set that goes beyond personality. Talents and abilities are special aptitudes and areas of exceptionality that can make a person good at her job. A chef is going to be skilled at cooking or baking. A bouncer is likely adept at self-defense. When readers are introduced to a professional poker player, they can surmise that the character will know how to read people.

Unless an unmet need or other higher motivation is steering them, characters will pursue jobs they’re good at and enjoy (just as we do in the real world). Talents and skills are found in that intersection and often will lead someone toward a particular job. Because readers make associations about what it takes to succeed in various occupations, your character’s choice in this area will naturally showcase his aptitudes, no infodumps needed.

HOBBIES AND PASSIONS

Many careers are born from a favorite pastime. This may be the case for a museum docent who knows every possible thing about ancient South American civilizations and wants to share his knowledge with others. A geologist may pursue that career because he’s spending his free time studying geology anyway, so why not get paid for doing what he loves? This is the reason many people choose a creative or artistic field of work. In cases like these, a career can loudly proclaim the character’s interests and preferred diversions, offering insight into what sets them apart from others.

PHYSICAL DETAILS

Some jobs can give readers a hint about the character’s appearance. Models tend to be attractive by society’s established standards. Laboratory technicians wear lab coats. Professional athletes are physically fit. Whether it’s the uniform or expectations that go with the job, an occupation can provide many unspoken clues about how a character looks and behaves at work.

PREFERENCES

Sometimes a character will work in a field because he’s forced to or it’s the only thing available. But when he’s free to choose, a job will usually indicate certain preferences. An outdoor guide will be a nature enthusiast who would rather work outside than in a cubicle. A personal shopper should enjoy shopping. A nanny hopefully likes working with kids. While characters in a given career will have their own personal passions, that employment choice will often reveal something about their basic preferences.

IDEALS AND BELIEFS

Another reason a character may choose a profession is that it aligns with his deepest beliefs. A clergy member may follow this path because, to him, helping people find God is the highest possible calling. A career in the military is often preceded by a strong sense of patriotism and respect for one’s country. Careers like these can immediately say something to readers about the character’s ideals and values.

ECONOMIC STATUS

As indelicate as the subject may be, many jobs are associated with economic status. A character who is a successful lawyer, doctor, or business tycoon is going to read rich while someone in an entry level or blue-collar position (cashiers, car drivers, babysitters, or bouncers) may be perceived by readers as being less privileged.

Even without any fine-tuning or individualizing—which is always a good idea, to avoid clichés or stereotypes—an occupation can suggest many things about a character. Unless you have a strong story-worthy reason for doing so (and we’ll get into those later), picking a career for your character that doesn’t gel with his personality, beliefs, and skills is going to weaken him. Like pieces from separate puzzles, they won’t quite fit together. Make sure his job is perfect for him in this story, and you’re on your way to creating a character that rings true with readers.

JOBS AS SOURCES OF TENSION AND CONFLICT

Conflict provides a steady stream of challenges on the path to the character’s goal, so it’s a necessary ingredient in any story. The formula is quite simple: a character wants something, and obstacles get in her way. Conflict comes in many forms—barriers, problems, crises, opposition—and if we bring our A-game to the keyboard, these complications will hit our character from different directions.

Some conflicts are small—micro challenges that increase the tension within a scene, making the figurative wall blocking the way to the character’s goal that much higher and harder to scale. Other conflicts are more significant, providing serious obstacles for her to fight past, which threatens her ability to win and raises the stakes. These macro conflicts often have wider, story-encompassing effects, because when stakes are raised due to something personal being at risk, the character and everyone involved will have something to lose. The power of conflict is that it forces your character again and again to recommit to her goals, prove her dedication, and (if she is on a change arc) stick to the journey of growth that is necessary for her to succeed.

Whether you need macro or micro conflict for a scene, occupations can provide a vast field of potential land mines. We know that people work for many reasons: to provide for themselves and those they love, to feel valued, and to find meaning—to name just a few. Because a job integrates so thoroughly with your character’s life, it naturally creates soft spots and sensitivities that can be poked. As the author, you can decide which foundations you want to shake and how hard. Even the threat of conflict can awaken insecurities. Let’s look at some of the ways your character’s job can cause problems in different areas of her life.

RELATIONSHIP CONFLICT

The people closest to a character have insider access to her thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and emotions, which, when you think about it, is no small thing. In most cases, these are people your character invited into her life—meaning, the relationships are personal and therefore are important to her. But, at work, she’s not able to choose, and circumstances may force her to share space with people she normally wouldn’t seek out, such as a racist co-worker or a demanding boss. It may be a constant struggle for your character to decide whom she will let in and who must be kept at arm’s length.

High expectations, tight deadlines, small margins, and too much responsibility (perhaps for too little pay) can supercharge emotions, generate friction, and create the perfect storm for conflict around the office. Among co-workers, a range of problems can crop up and derail a character’s plans. For example, being saddled with the boss’s entitled, incompetent kid when productivity is paramount could put your protagonist’s bonus in peril. In itself, this is bad enough, but throw in a five-digit gambling debt, and you’ve got a nightmare scenario. Or what if your protagonist is competing for a promotion against a conniving co-worker who doesn’t think twice about interoffice sabotage and throwing people under the bus? How will your hero come out on top?

At work, people have differing viewpoints, opinions, manners, and personalities that are not always compatible. And, in most occupations, everyone is expected to put differences aside and work as a team. Only … is that what happens, especially these days? You don’t need a physical watercooler to spread gossip when everyone in the office has text-messaging. And why risk being overheard bad-mouthing a co-worker when you could use IMs and memes instead? Face it, around the office, smiles can hide knives.

Here are some of the ways work and relationships often make bad dance partners.

Power Imbalances

In any organization, some people will have power over others, maybe because of their prestigious position, seniority, or friends in high places. Wherever your character lands in the food chain, he will have to answer to those in charge, and as we all know, not all bosses are created equal.

It’s unfair, but sometimes the best-suited people don’t always get the coveted positions, especially in management. An internal shuffle might drop a supervisor into a role he’s not capable of handling, or it could award him a position due to bias or nepotism. It doesn’t matter if the boss is unethical, lazy, egotistical, or plain bad at his job; your character must find a way to work with him. This might mean having to kid-glove his temper, follow insensible processes, ignore his hypocrisy, or cater to his narcissism. Power in the workplace can be a carrot or a stick, promising advancement if the character falls in line or a layoff if he doesn’t.

And it’s not just the boss who can make life easy or hard for your character. Other people will control the budget for new purchases, decide who is eligible for company training, and dictate who gets the graveyard shift. All sorts of factors might go into the decision-making, including pettiness. At a grocery store, the head cashier is usually tasked with assigning where the service clerks will work. If your character gets on that person’s bad side, she might find herself consistently running the slowest register and bagging groceries unassisted all day long.

Industry or personal bias (gender discrimination, ageism, racial or religious prejudice) by higher-ups could also block your character from advancing professionally. If she’s being harassed or marginalized in the workplace, this could cause big problems and reawaken psychological wounds, threatening everything she is trying to achieve.

Power imbalances can also come from unusual places. Consider a new hire who, to your protagonist’s horror, is someone from his past, and there is an ocean of bad blood between them. Imagine the leverage this new guy would have because he knows all about your hero’s shady past, or he’s privy to a secret that, if revealed, could mean jail time. Conflict resulting in a loss of control for your character can be electrifying, resulting in readers who are glued to the page and agonizing over what will come next.

The Land of Bad Decisions: Workplace Romances

A common trope in fiction is the office romance, when the lines between personal and professional relationships blur. Long, late nights trying to meet a deadline or a desire to cut loose at the conclusion of a successful project can lead to bad decisions, such as an impromptu tryst with a co-worker or inviting the boss’s hunky assistant into the boardroom for something other than dictation. Office romances are usually forbidden for good reason—they produce unwanted drama. And when the sparks inevitably fizzle, everyone else may need chainsaws to cut the tension, which could undermine the unity and teamwork needed for your character to achieve her goals.

Another problem with these relationships is that both parties don’t always end up on the same page. For one, the break room booty is all fun and games, but for the other it may become serious. If a careless “I love you” or “When are you going to leave your husband?” spills out, a cold breeze might blow in. The lovestruck whispers change to “We should really stop” and “This was fun, but let’s keep it professional from here on out.” Heartbreak is never easy, but when you’re forced to see and work with the person who discarded you, it can lead to resentment, anger, and the desire for revenge.

With bad breakups at work, the possibilities are endless for delicious conflict. Some staples, such as career sabotage, blackmail, and threats to tell the wife, are often used because they work. But instead of replaying the same old recording, add a twist that readers haven’t seen. What if the jilted love interest threatens to tell the boss’s angst-ridden teenage kid instead of his wife? Ouch. And it would take a special kind of vengefulness to bypass family members and hand evidence of the affair to the chin-waggers at his church. Sharpen your imagination to come up with creative ways to get even, and remember that sometimes small cuts cause the most damage.

Problems at Home

Work-related conflict can cause relationship fallout when the two biggest parts of the character’s life collide: their work persona and their at-home identity. Just because the uniform is hung up, it doesn’t mean that the character’s brain has turned off. Bouncy kids eager to see their parents after a long day, a hungry spouse asking about dinner, or a cat with digestive problems can send your character over the edge, leading to overreactions and an evening of regret and apologies.

Demanding careers can impact the character’s personal relationships in a myriad of ways. Relocations for work disrupt friendships, schedules, and a sense of belonging. Shiftwork means having to lean on a spouse or grandparents to help with child care. Too much travel, late nights, and missed violin recitals or little league games can pile on the stress for a character who’s just doing what he has to do to keep his job. He might suffer guilt for not prioritizing family time while the partner taking on the most at-home responsibility feels underappreciated or abandoned. Frustration can build as both people make demands that the other can’t meet. And if the couple becomes so exhausted by work and domestic responsibilities that they’re unable to nurture their marriage, they may forget why they joined forces in the first place.

Money has always been a common friction point in relationships, and this can play in your favor. What about a husband who doesn’t support his wife’s career because it doesn’t pay enough? That judgment might cause her to doubt herself and question her own worth, and eventually she’ll resent him for making her feel this way. Or perhaps jealousy is the issue and he’s unsupportive because her job brings in more money and accolades than his, which bruises his ego.

Another real-world scenario is when one partner’s career is assigned a higher priority than the other’s. Consider Steve, a personal trainer who’s working toward opening his own studio, and Alicia, a street performer who works nights so she can be home with their physically disabled son. Everything is going smoothly until a recording of Alicia’s act goes viral online. Suddenly the phone is ringing nonstop with booking requests and agents clamoring to sign her as a client.

But making that jump will require her to work more hours, and someone has to be at home with their boy. So Alicia sits Steve down for some straight talk: this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance for her to see how far she can go. So Steve needs to quit his job to care for their son.

Maybe Steve doesn’t want to quit work, especially when he’s so close to finally achieving his own goals. If he recognizes this as his wife’s big moment, he may reluctantly agree, but how will this impact his fulfillment? And how will the relationship be changed by the implication that his wife’s dreams are more important than his own?

Conflicts that pit work against family responsibilities cause some of the most difficult situations to navigate. They’re also a great way to explore deeper emotions as your character is forced to make hard choices about her needs, identity, and duty to others. Choices are always key for our characters, providing opportunities for them to decide what happens next. If they’re able to redirect energy from work to something else because it’s the right thing to do, they’re choosing to reshape their goals, which can lead to fulfillment. But a character who feels that a loved one is forcing him to sacrifice something he loves may grow resentful, unhappy, and jaded at how unfair life can be.

Readers understand the difficulties of balancing work, family, and relationships. Including this kind of common-ground conflict scenario can add a sense of realism to scenes and put readers more firmly on the character’s side.

MORAL CONFLICT

Characters are formed in the mixing bowl of past experiences: how they were raised, who influenced them, and what they were taught. All this produces a specific worldview—an attitude about society, the people in it, and how everything works. Embedded within this perspective is something powerful enough to influence a character’s everyday behavior and actions: moral beliefs that form how he discerns right from wrong. These beliefs can be so charged with emotion that they become part of the character’s identity, driving him to risk everything to uphold them. But, as happens in the real world, not every situation is straightforward—meaning, right and wrong aren’t always easy to define.

Different Lines in the Sand

Work brings together people from all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, each with their own worldview, moral code, and goals. As a result, not everyone shows up with the same values and right-or-wrong boundaries. This can result in behavior that interferes with the job or causes a moral crisis.

Let’s say our character, Gary, works for an antiques dealer. One day, he overhears his boss lying to a customer about the history or condition of an item. Gary brings this up later, but his employer brushes it off, saying the customer isn’t savvy enough to know the difference, anyway.

This bothers Gary because it goes against his ethics to work for someone who scams people. But the moral conflict might not be easy to resolve if he really needs his job—maybe because his wife just had heart surgery, and he’s got a mountain of bills to pay. Loyalty can also confuse the matter if his employer hired Gary after he was released from prison and couldn’t find work elsewhere.

Moral conflicts involving others are often messy, so it can be tempting to try to sidestep them by doing nothing. But we’ve all heard the old maxim about not choosing still being a choice. Morals are tied to a person’s identity, so doing nothing is often synonymous with condoning. No, a choice must be made, and either way, consequences will follow. If a character acts unethically, going against his deepest beliefs, it may result in loss of self-worth or reputation. If he stands his ground and holds true to what he believes is right, he might still lose something important: his freedom, influence, power, or job.

In Gary’s case, he might choose to ignore his employer’s dishonesty. But, as time goes on, it will become harder for him to look himself in the mirror. Deep down, he’ll know that while he isn’t the one lying to customers, he’s allowing it to happen, and that makes him complicit.

No matter what the moral conflict is, your character’s actions and choices will say a lot about him and convey his deeper (or shallower) side to readers. Additionally, this internal tug-of-war can be effective for demonstrating your character’s growth. In the same way that an alcoholic must say no to the next drink in order to bring about a larger change, your character must also reject the temptations that may further him professionally but wreck him personally. Once a conflict grows strong enough to trigger his deepest morals and values, he’ll no longer be able to avoid his problems and will be forced to do the hard, internal work that will bring about meaningful change.

The Slippery Slope of “Just This Once”

Like other types of conflict, moral challenges cause problems of varying degrees. But even small dilemmas in this area are dangerous, since they can slowly erode someone’s moral fiber. A character may decide that using petty cash one day to pay for his lunch is justified, considering all the off-hour work he does. Then he does it again. And again. Over time, it becomes a habit. Where does this pattern of line-crossing end? Will he recognize himself down the road, when he’s finally caught dipping into those funds to pay his electric bill?

This bending of the rules in small conflict scenarios can quickly escalate to something more substantial. A character may agree to cover for a co-worker who wants to cut out early, believing that an hour is no big deal. But what if the co-worker’s ex-boyfriend goes missing shortly after she left work, and his mutilated body is discovered a few days later? Now your character’s life is upended as he becomes a key player in a murder investigation. And he must come to grips with the knowledge that he may have aided a killer.

When Duty Meets Morality

Sometimes a character’s loyalty is tested when duty clashes with moral beliefs. A soldier might be ordered by a dictator to kill innocent villagers as a lesson to others. Does he do so or refuse? If threatened, will he yield?

Issues can also arise when a character experiences conflicting needs, desires, beliefs, or goals. In the movie Sleepers, four life-long friends from Hell’s Kitchen embark on a vendetta to destroy their childhood abusers. When two of the friends are arrested (legitimately) for murdering a former tormenter, they petition their priest to provide their alibi. His former altar boys—once young and innocent, victims themselves of a horrible crime—are essentially asking him to lie under oath to save them, leading to a heart-wrenching decision that, either way, will result in tremendous loss.

PERSONAL CONFLICT

When personal choices begin impacting job performance, it can threaten career stability and throw other parts of the character’s life into chaos. Take a character who drinks to cope with life stress. One day she’s able to control her intake, and the next she’s not, and it’s affecting her productivity and quality of work. If she continues, she may eventually be let go without a reference that would help her find a new job. Well-connected friends in the industry may not vouch for her because they’re unwilling to risk their reputations for someone who has become unreliable. In this situation, the friction between her and her peers combined with her inability to find employment becomes a one-two punch of conflict that will cause even more problems.

Personal Sacrifice

Some jobs are demanding, and to do them well, a sacrifice is required—time and energy that normally would be dedicated to other things. This tradeoff might seem fine at first, but it can lead to a crisis down the road. Take Lydia, a dancer who dedicated herself to her art, sacrificing personal goals and relationships in order to be the best. She’s achieved acclaim and success, but now that younger dancers are entering the field of competition, getting roles is not as easy as it once was.

Then it happens—the contract with her dance company is not renewed. Lydia is gutted when her career ends without warning.

The aftershocks of being cast aside spread through her whole life, threatening important areas of need that used to be secure. For example, she hasn’t invested in building meaningful relationships outside her company, so she struggles to feel connected to anyone (love and belonging). She refuses to be around other dancers andendure their pity because she feels used up and worthless (esteem and recognition). Worst of all, Lydia feels like her identity has been stolen. She was a dancer; it was her dream. Without it, she doesn’t know who she is (self-actualization).

The future seems bleak. How will she support herself? All her education revolved around dancing, so unless she can transition to a secondary career as an instructor, studio owner, or choreographer, she’ll be in big trouble. She can go back to school to gain skills in another area, but that means not getting paid for a while. Once her savings is gone, she will have no way to pay for her apartment, food, or other necessities (physiological needs).

When a career that demanded dedication and personal sacrifice ends, it’s common for a person to feel victimized. Like Lydia, a character may harbor ill will toward the industry that used her up, resent the society that ignores her mistreatment, and even be angry with family and friends who are not as supportive as they could be. Regardless of the job, when it is taken away, navigating that new reality is a challenge. Lots of difficult emotions need to be processed.

The good news about this scenario is that we’re all familiar with the heartache and disillusionment of something precious ending prematurely. We can use the character’s painful circumstances to remind readers of a time when things went sour for them, encouraging empathetic bonds to form.

Feeling Evil? Use Maslow’s Hierarchy to Compound Conflict

We shared earlier how Maslow’s hierarchy can be used to identify missing needs that could contribute to a character’s choice of career. But, as we all know, life happens, and what was once satisfying can become ho-hum, frustrating, or downright dangerous, given the right circumstances. On-the-job conflict can be the corrosive element that eats away at a character’s needs or puts them at odds, leading to a workplace showdown.

Dara is an assistant to a hip-hop singer, managing her transportation, hotel, and travel details when they go on tour. She also organizes her interview and appearance schedules, ensures everything in the singer’s rider is supplied, and runs other errands as needed. Dara loves having access to celebrities and the glamourous lifestyle that goes with the job, and while it’s tasking and she doesn’t always get enough sleep, it’s fulfilling, it pays well, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

One night after a show, Dara accompanies the singer to their hotel and picks up mail at the front desk—mostly cards and letters from fans. The year before, her boss was targeted by a stalker (who was eventually caught and thrown in jail, thankfully), so Dara monitors mail closely to avoid passing along anything upsetting.

While the singer changes for an after-party, Dara stays in her adjoining room and plucks a red envelope out of the mail pile. When she opens it, white powder spills out, coating her hands. She gasps and drops the card before realizing she’s just inhaled the substance into her lungs.

The doorknob connecting her suite to the celebrity’s rattles. Dara throws herself against the door and yells to the singer to call the police and get out of the hotel. While Dara waits for emergency services, she uses a pen to open the card and slide out a photo. It was taken over the shoulder of the singer as she signed an autograph—the stalker’s familiar calling card. Shaking and numb, she collapses into a chair, wondering how he got out of jail, how security didn’t spot him. He’s probably even more unstable after all that time in prison, and if he blames the singer for his incarceration, how far might he go to get back at her?

She stares at white-dusted hands. Is it anthrax? Ebola? She rushes to the bathroom and scrubs her skin raw. Her breath grows short, her chest tightens, and she’s sweating profusely by the time first responders arrive.

After a few days being quarantined and surrounded by doctors in special suits, Dara is given the all-clear. The tests have proven the powder to be simple cornstarch and her initial symptoms no more than a panic attack induced by the event.

When she returns to the hotel to pack up her things, it’s filled with flowers and cards from well-wishers in the industry who had heard what happened. The singer is in tears, apologizing, mortified that one of her fans had done this. She goes on about how tough Dara is and asks if three days will be enough time off. Dara smiles and says all the right things, but deep down she knows that she’s done. The cameras flashing in her face in front of the hotel, the paparazzi yelling out questions about it all being a PR stunt, the closeness of strangers and their access to her—mentally, she’s already writing her resignation letter.

Basic human needs are powerful. A person can have everything in place, feel completely fulfilled and in love with what they do, but if something comes along to significantly threaten that stability, everything tilts. Dara’s safety and security were shaken, reminding her how fragile life is. The danger that comes with proximity to those in the spotlight is no longer a risk she’s willing to take to feel self-actualized.

Warring human needs create big problems in storytelling. Your character who found love and belonging in the community of law enforcement may retire to pursue safety and security after being shot. Your mechanical engineer can enjoy what she does but have her self-esteem damaged by a demanding and belittling supervisor, causing her to leave her dream job to work for someone else. There are infinite ways basic human needs can intersect with your character’s job, forcing her to make choices she wouldn’t otherwise have to make.

What about the Dream Job?

Sometimes a character sets his sights on a position that he believes will completely fulfill him. But the reality rarely lives up to the hype, and he may end up disappointed mid-career, wondering if he made a mistake.

If he’s invested a lot to get to this point, letting it go can seem terrifying—and possibly stupid, if he’s good at what he does, makes decent money, and has earned the esteem of the people around him. This creates inner turmoil, because leaving a job is a scary prospect, yet deep down he knows that staying might make him overworked and unfulfilled.

A character can get stuck in this place between settling and risking because both options lead to uncertainty. Staying in the position might result in regret because he lacked the courage to reboot and move on. Switching also carries costs, such as debt for new education, losing time as he builds new skills, and other factors. And what if he fails, or years down the road yearns to return to his previous career because, in hindsight, he realizes it was better?

Choosing a job, whether for the first time or during a life pivot, requires a leap of faith. Faith is not always in large supply for a character who has been beaten down by people and circumstances. With each negative experience, the risk of decision-making holds more weight. Showing characters wrestle with the age-old life question of “Is this what I really want to do?” is a great way to humanize them to readers through real-world commonalities.

SCENARIOS OUTSIDE THE CHARACTER’S CONTROL

If you’re looking for general conflict ideas that could happen across many professions, try these on for size:

Technology Shifts

Unfortunately, innovation and advancements sometimes result in jobs being phased out. As technology streamlines processes and robots replace heartbeats, becoming obsolete is a worry for many.

Company Mergers

Companies in competitive markets must grow stronger or risk being put out of business by larger, more aggressive rivals. A merger can help with this, but one of the first tasks on the docket will be identifying any redundancies so departments, products, and people can be whittled down to a profitable core.

Economic Downturns

When the markets struggle, so do many industries, and companies within those industries don’t always have sufficient buffer to keep them afloat in the lean times. Recessions, pandemics, wars, natural disasters, and political volatility can all destabilize global and local economies, forcing business owners to cut costs. They might chop underperforming services or products, scale back on new developments, and consider what their biggest costs and areas of risk are, all of which can result in mass layoffs. If a lot of workers are let go at once, finding another job will be harder for your character because a flood of people will be doing the same thing, and fewer companies may be hiring.

When a single industry is experiencing problems, it may seem that it will only impact people within that field, but this isn’t always the case. Whenever people are laid off, have had their hours reduced, or are forced into paid leave, they tend to spend less. The trickle-down effect causes other business owners to feel the pinch as fewer customers walk through their doors. They, in turn, may be forced to tighten their own wallets to weather the storm. This can cause a wider economic crisis across multiple industries.

New Owners

Whenever a business changes hands, the employees hold their breath. Why? Because no one knows what will stay the same and what will change. The new owners might be fine with maintaining the status quo in the short term, but bigger changes are likely coming down the road. They may ditch certain services or products, shift the company’s direction, go niche or wide with their offerings, or change the company’s culture. At the end of the day, employees who are no longer a good fit will be shown the door.

PR (Public Relations) Problems

Sometimes, a company goofs. They fail to test a product enough and it results in a recall, or a poorly planned marketing campaign receives backlash from the community. Maybe they didn’t conduct enough research, or they partnered with a service provider that gets caught doing something unethical, and the business becomes guilty by association. Whatever the reason, when a company’s reputation is damaged, it often results in financial losses.

To regain the trust of the public, the business must make the situation right. This usually involves holding people accountable. If your character was involved, he may be fired or demoted. Even if he wasn’t responsible, companies need someone to blame, and your character could become their convenient scapegoat.

Societal Shifts

If your story takes place in the real world (or is similar to it), society’s opinions will influence the economy. With information so readily available, public opinion can upset industries quickly, forcing businesses to adapt or die. Look no further than the growing awareness of climate change and how consumers are turning to reusables. Stock in a company that makes plastic straws might tank overnight when people are encouraged by influencers and politicians to stop using them. If this business is unable to change their product line quickly, they’ll go under.

HOME OFFICE CONFLICT

Working from home is an increasingly common situation, which, as you might imagine, can lead to spectacular clashes between the character’s two worlds. A buffet of conflict scenarios can derail productivity, distract from critical work, and make him appear unprofessional to those who hold power over his career.

Here are a few ideas to plunder when you need work-at-home conflict for your storyline.

Interruptions

Is there anything worse than being interrupted at a crucial time? Packages requiring signatures, kids tattling on their siblings, the internet crashing, a spouse wanting to discuss the color of paint for the bathroom, a repairman updating the homeowner on the broken dryer—the options are endless.

If your character is anything like a real person, he’s probably also prone to self-interruptions. We’re all tempted to procrastinate when it comes to unappealing tasks. Text notifications, social media, hunger pangs—even the obnoxious siren call of a messy apartment can interrupt the flow of work. If your character falls behind, stress and emotional volatility escalate, and it might cause him to rush through a job, leading to errors and mistakes.

Scheduling Conflicts

Unless your character lives alone, he’s sharing his space with others. If he has kids at home, house guests, or a steady stream of his spouse’s clients coming and going, it might be hard to concentrate. And what about if child care falls through or resources must be shared (like a teen needing the computer for research or a spouse taking over the office to attend an online meeting)?

Another interesting possibility is if your character works with team members in other parts of the world. It may be necessary to have conference calls or video meetings at unusual hours when quiet surroundings aren’t available. Having to run a call during a playdate or family gathering may make your character seem unprofessional and earn the disapproval of higher-ups.

Exposed Secrets

Some people are very careful to keep their home and work life separate. But if your character is suddenly forced to work from home because of an illness, condition, injury, or company policy, it could expose things they’d rather keep hidden. For instance, a hoarder will find it difficult to hide that tendency during a video conference. Also, if your protagonist lives with others in a small space, privacy can be a problem. What if his drunken partner can be heard swearing in the background, or an elderly parent with dementia wanders into view half-dressed?