OPINIONATED SO AND SO!

So what makes your character opinionated? Conflict due to differing opinions can be the driving force of drama, excitement and argumentative dialogue in your story.

We all know an opiniated so and so, maybe it’s one of our own traits. We all have opinions, it’s when our likes and dislikes, ideas, views and beliefs come into conflict with others that our opinions are either reinforced or changed. Being opinionated is part of our persona, it’s how we express our opinions from gently to aggressively that defines whether we would be labelled opinionated as a less than desirable characteristic.

An opinion is a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. So many of our opinions are subjective, they can be slanted or biased. When our opinions agree with others and reach an irrational consensus without critical debate, it’s called groupthink. If your character is the outsider who doesn’t subscribe to the group’s opinions there’s great scope for conflict.

Dictionary.com says that an opinion is a belief or judgment that falls short of absolute conviction, certainty, or positive knowledge; it is a conclusion that certain facts, ideas, are probably true or likely to prove so such as political opinions, or an opinion about art.

Let’s avoid politics and art unless your story is about those topics. Characters have their own opinions either expressed overtly through dialogue or covertly through their thoughts. When they come up against someone with a different or diametrically opposed opinion there’s scope for conflict, this is where your characters’ goals are exposed. The protagonist and antagonist can literally fight to the death over their opinions.

Being opinionated can mean characters don’t suffer fools and make their views known far and wide. They’re probably stubborn, and unforgiving and intransigent. An opinionated character can be your story’s major source of conflict.