Conflict seems to be a tough one for a lot of authors to handle when it comes to their stories. They hear about it all of the time when they go to workshops and they learn about the character's GMC (Goals, Motivations and Conflicts). And yes, these are indeed conflicts at one level. These are individual character's issues. In other words, a single character has a goal to achieve, has a motive to achieve it, and a conflict standing in the way.
No problem there.
But when it comes to romance, we have to deal with another level of conflict, and that has to be the conflict standing in the way of the two characters actually getting together. Often you will hear editors and agents talking about "raising the stakes" for the characters. We want the readers to know that, yes, they will make it to the happily every after (it is a romance after all), but we need to know that they will have to work for it.
Think of it this way. If all the characters have to do is say the "L" word, then this is not a conflict. While for most of us, getting that word out the first time is tough because we really don't know the reaction of the other person, there really isn't much to lose other than maybe a little awkwardness. A real conflict however is the characters have to decide between a relationship and something else. Let's say take the classic trope of a corporate romance. The company has a policy of no in company romances. So, do they have a romance or does someone find a new job? Does someone choose to relocate to make a romance work or not?
Yes, a lot of these conflicts can start externally, but the conflicts WILL interact with the character's personal GMC. So that character in the corporate romance has a goal of upward mobility in the company, their motivation is to prove to their family they can do it because the entire family has always been successful, and their conflict is their internal belief that they have been told by professors in college they would never do it and they should just get married. Now add in the romance.
See what I mean?
Hopefully that clears things up!
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