CONFLICT THESAURUS

GETTING CAUGHT DOING SOMETHING WRONG



Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Conflict Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

CHOOSE MY PLAN

HELPFUL TIP:

Conflict is your story’s secret sauce, supplying tension, relationship 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:
Failures and mistakes, relationship friction, moral dilemmas and temptations, duty and responsibility, increased pressure and ticking clocks

NOTES:
There are many ways a character's mistakes can catch up with them. We've covered as many examples as possible here, but you can find information on more specific "getting caught" scenarios in the DOING SOMETHING STUPID WHILE IMPAIRED, A PRANK GOING WRONG, and ONE'S INFIDELITY BEING DISCOVERED entries.

EXAMPLES:
The character getting audited for not paying their taxes
An employee being caught stealing from the cash register or giving product to friends 
A neighbor discovering the character piggybacking on their utilities—splitting cable, using their Wi-Fi, or running appliances from the neighbor's power outlets
A co-worker being exposed for taking credit for someone else's good work
A student being caught with cheat notes for a test 
Screenshots of the character's threatening or bullying text messages going public
A teenager getting caught sneaking out after curfew, skipping class, or being caught with drugs
Being charged for illegally downloading copyrighted music, books, or movies from the internet
Being pulled over for a traffic violation, such as speeding or running a red light
Someone in a position of authority being exposed for taking bribes
Being overheard saying unflattering things about a friend
A volunteer at a charity taking funds or goods that were intended for the needy
Getting caught in a lie
Setting someone up and getting caught
Being convicted of committing a crime

MINOR COMPLICATIONS:
The character losing the respect of friends, family, or co-workers because of their transgression
The student being suspended due to their cheating
Having to pay for a lawyer
Time being spent attending court, hearings, or required disciplinary classes
Having to apologize to someone who was wronged 
The character losing their driver's license and having to walk or take the bus everywhere
A loss of freedom—being grounded, surveilled, or unable to leave home because of reporters or protesters, for example
Living with increased scrutiny due to a loss of trust

POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS RESULTS:
...

RESULTING EMOTIONS:
...

POSSIBLE INTERNAL STRUGGLES:
...

PEOPLE WHO COULD BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED:
...

NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT COULD MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE:
...

IMPACT ON BASIC NEEDS:
...

WOUNDS THIS COULD LEAD TO:
...

POSITIVE TRAITS TO HELP THE CHARACTER COPE:
...

POSITIVE OUTCOMES:
...