Traditionally, novels tell stories chronologically, from Point A going to point B, and so on. The skillful twists and turns the writer creates are what make the reader turn pages. Along with the plot, conflicts arise that a character must resolve to end on a high note. A great conclusion is always satisfying, and writers have long been oriented in chronologically resolving conflicts. Readers are often unaware of this structure because they are mostly absorbed in finding out what happens next.

Without conflict resolution, characters do not experience change. They do not evolve as they learn nothing. In resolving conflicts chronologically, the writer may sometimes find it too uniform. However, there are two types of structures the writer can use: the progressive and the inverted resolution. Let’s have an example.

Story: A struggling ghostwriter receives a rare commission to ghostwrite the autobiography of a Middle Eastern tycoon, and he accepts. Upon tagging along with the tycoon for the writer’s research, he discovers that the tycoon is involved in illegal weapons trading, and has been supporting terrorist groups. He is now too deeply committed to back out. If he exposes the tycoon, he will be killed. If he writes a revisionist autobiography, he could earn accolades, but the moral implications would haunt him forever. He is caught in a difficult moral choice.

Conflicts in order of appearance: 1) He needs to earn money to support his family. 2) He is not respected in literary circles. 3) He is too proud to ask for financial support. 4) His fellow writers are doing far better in their careers. 5) He has an unsettled Oedipal conflict with his father. 6) He is hungry for an accomplishment. 7) He has long been praying for a huge break.

The progressive resolution: The writer resolves the conflict in order of appearance, beginning with the first (needs to earn money). When the writer has resolved this, he proceeds to solve the next, until he resolves the final conflict and the novel ends.

The inverted resolution: The writer works at resolving the final established conflict (praying for a huge break), and works his way backward. For example, a resolution to conflict #7 could be that the writer gatecrashed at a party and meets the tycoon, who offers the writer the chance to ghostwrite an autobiography. The writer can use this resolution to move to conflict #6, in which he could now proudly tell his colleagues that he is working on a big project. The writer skillfully uses each resolved conflict as a tool to help resolve the next conflict. When he reaches the first conflict and resolves it, the novel ends.

Events that take place in the lives of characters may appear chaotic. This is because the writer has established that his character has made choices. These choices resulted in events that the character is either happy or regretful about. If he is regretful and feels the need for rectification, resolving this conflict becomes necessary. Readers are not concerned with the order of how the writer resolves the conflict. What matters to them is that they arrive at a satisfying end.