CONFLICT THESAURUS

BEING MADE TO WAIT



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HELPFUL TIP:

Conflict is your story’s secret sauce, supplying tension, friction, and complications to a character’s journey. It comes in a million different forms, so identify the obstacles and problems that will hit your character the hardest by using the Character Builder to uncover their primary insecurities, fears , and desires. Don’t forget to include everyday conflict scenarios that will frustrate them and keep the pressure high.
CATEGORY:
Increased pressure and ticking clocks, relationship friction, duty and responsibility, loss of control

EXAMPLES:
The character being placed on hold during a phone call
Arriving on time to an appointment with a professional (doctor, lawyer, beauty services, etc.) and having to wait
Standing in line to purchase goods, receive services, or utilize a facility 
Waiting to hear whether an adoption has gone through
Awaiting the return of a loved one (from college, a business trip, deployment, etc.)
Waiting to receive test results (for medical care, an academic assessment, etc.)
Anticipating an update on an injured or sick loved one
Anticipating the arrival or departure of a visitor
Awaiting the arrival of transportation (a train, a car service, etc.)
Missing a window for career advancement and having to wait for the next opportunity
Waiting for a paycheck or financial settlement
Experiencing travel delays due to traffic, construction, route changes, or an accident
Waiting for news from law enforcement regarding a criminal investigation
Waiting for a jury to return a verdict 
Being impatient to reach legal age and enjoy certain privileges (drinking, voting, gambling, etc.)
Having to wait on personal milestones, such as getting married or starting a family
Waiting for someone to wake up from a coma 
Dealing with quarantine requirements
Having to put off an important surgery or medical procedure

MINOR COMPLICATIONS:
Losing time
Experiencing schedule disruptions or delays
Having to seek out alternative options that might be available sooner
Feeling frustration, anxiety, impatience, uncertainty, and stress
Loss of money (if the character is missing work, quarantining, paying expediting fees, etc.)
Anxiety over possibly missing a phone call, email, or other form of communication
Difficulty focusing on day-to-day tasks
The character driving others crazy with their constant requests for information
Not being able to secure a gift for a loved one
Lowered morale in the workplace
Resenting the person responsible for the wait   
Becoming crabby or irritable

POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS RESULTS:
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RESULTING EMOTIONS:
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POSSIBLE INTERNAL STRUGGLES:
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PEOPLE WHO COULD BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED:
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NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT COULD MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE:
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IMPACT ON BASIC NEEDS:
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WOUNDS THIS COULD LEAD TO:
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POSITIVE TRAITS TO HELP THE CHARACTER COPE:
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POSITIVE OUTCOMES:
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