Enhancing Conflict with a Die Hard View of GMC

📚 Overview

What keeps readers turning pages long past bedtime? Conflict — and at the heart of powerful conflict lies Goal, Motivation, and Conflict (GMC).

This craft-focused class explores GMC as the engine that drives compelling fiction. Learn how to apply it and create momentum that carries the narrative from a gripping opening to a deeply satisfying conclusion. Using examples from Die Hard, we'll examine how strong goals, clear motivation, and meaningful conflict make stories feel inevitable rather than forced.

Whether you struggle with flat scenes, a sagging middle, or endings that aren't quite satisfying, this workshop will give you practical tools to diagnose and strengthen your manuscript. You’ll leave with a clear framework you can apply immediately to your novel.

Schedule

EVENT

3pm - 4pm EDT

In this hour-long masterclass, you’ll learn:

What “Goal, Motivation, Conflict” is and why it matters
How to apply GMC effectively to create momentum in your writing
Ways to identify and fix weak or ineffective scenes
How GMC differs across genres, including romance, fantasy, and science fiction

Following the presentation, there will be a live Q&A with Claire where you can ask her about writing scenes that drive your plot forward and anything else you'd like to know.

Speakers

Claire Ashgrove

Editor and Author

Claire Ashgrove has been a fiction editor for over 17 years and helped create over 250 successful novels, primarily in science fiction, fantasy, and romance. She's also a multi-award winning and national bestselling author with titles published by TOR, Blackstone, Berkley, St. Martin's, and Entangled. She lives on a small farm in Missouri where she enjoys spending time with her horses and competes in show jumping.