CONFLICT THESAURUS

BEING MICROMANAGED



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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:
Loss of control, ego-related conflict, power struggles, relationship friction, duty and responsibilities, 

EXAMPLES:
A boss needing to review everything the character does 
Every decision being questioned by someone in authority
A spouse controlling the character's schedule 
Volunteering to do a home-improvement job for someone who has to oversee everything 
Being married to a professional who micromanages the character at home (a chef being hyper-critical in the kitchen, a therapist psychoanalyzing the character, etc.)
Having to justify decisions the character should be able to make on their own
Being given a job that is taken over by someone who thinks they can do it better
A parent not allowing their child to make age-appropriate decisions
The character not being allowed to use the methods that work best for them

MINOR COMPLICATIONS:
Having to redo a perfectly good project multiple times before it's approved
Frequent arguments over how to do something
The character wanting to get away from the person doing the micromanaging
The character's boundaries with a co-worker being breached
Work progressing at a slow pace
Lack of job satisfaction
The interfering party claiming or sharing credit for the character's success
The character going out of their way to avoid the individual
Criticism causing the character to procrastinate
The character making more mistakes due to stress and fear
Having to hide things from a friend so they don't interfere
Always needing to be ready with answers for everything
Having to work long hours to finish a job to the boss's satisfaction
The character going over the boss's head to complain and being reprimanded for it
Marital stress due to a lack of trust or privacy

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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