How Intent and Obstacle Can Sell Your Novel
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Every writer eventually runs into the same problem.
A scene looks fine on the page.
Characters walk into a room. They talk. They leave.
Nothing seems wrong.
And yet… the scene feels flat.
The reason is almost always the same.
It’s missing intent and obstacle.
Understanding this simple idea can instantly make your scenes stronger, faster, and far more engaging for readers.
The Two Things Every Scene Needs
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin once said that a scene becomes interesting when two elements are present:
Intent – what a character wants.
Obstacle – what prevents them from getting it.
When those two forces collide, story happens.
Without them, scenes tend to feel lifeless.
Readers may not consciously know why they’re bored, but they will feel it.
A Scene Without Intent
Imagine a character walking into a room and stopping.
Nothing more.
Technically, that’s a scene. But it doesn’t mean anything to the reader.
Now imagine the character walks into the room because they need to retrieve a book from a table.
That’s better. At least now the character wants something.
But it still isn’t very interesting.
Why?
Because nothing stands in their way.
The Moment an Obstacle Appears
Now imagine the same situation again.
The character needs the book because it contains codes that can stop a nuclear weapon.
But there’s a problem.
A guard dog is sleeping beside the table.
One wrong move and the dog will wake up.
Suddenly the scene has tension.
The reader begins asking questions:
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Will the dog wake up?
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Can the character get the book?
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What happens if they fail?
Nothing about the room changed.
Only intent and obstacle were added.
Intent Can Be Small or Enormous
Intent doesn’t have to involve saving the world.
It can be something very simple.
A character might want:
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Information
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Approval
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A secret
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A relationship
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An apology
What matters is that the reader senses the desire.
Once readers understand what the character wants, they become curious about whether that goal will be achieved.
Obstacles Are What Keep Readers Turning Pages
If characters easily get what they want, tension disappears.
Imagine a thief breaking into a building to steal a file.
If the building is empty, the scene ends quickly and the reader feels little suspense.
Now add:
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Security guards
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Cameras
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Locked doors
Suddenly the situation becomes interesting.
Every obstacle creates uncertainty, and uncertainty is what keeps readers engaged.
Give Every Character a Goal
One of the best ways to strengthen a scene is to give both characters intent.
Instead of one character asking questions and another simply answering them, try giving both characters something they want.
For example:
One character wants the truth.
The other wants to hide it.
Now the conversation becomes a negotiation, a struggle, even a game.
And that tension pulls the reader deeper into the scene.
The Simplest Writing Question You Can Ask
Before writing any scene, pause and ask yourself two questions:
What does each character want?
What is stopping them from getting it?
Those two questions alone can transform an ordinary scene into something compelling.
They introduce conflict, momentum, and emotional stakes.
Why This Matters So Much
Readers rarely think about story structure while reading.
But they do feel when something isn’t working.
A scene without intent and obstacle feels static.
Nothing pushes forward.
When you add both elements, the story gains energy.
The characters begin to struggle.
The stakes become clearer.
And the reader keeps turning the page to see what happens next.
One Practical Step You Can Try Today
Take a scene you’ve already written.
Then write down:
Character A’s intent
Character B’s intent
Next, list the obstacles preventing each character from getting what they want.
You may be surprised how quickly the scene improves once those forces collide.
Final Thought
At its heart, storytelling is about people trying to get something they want — while the world pushes back.
Intent creates movement.
Obstacles create tension.
Put the two together, and suddenly your scenes come alive.
you might be interested in these blogs…
THE PROBLEM WITH TWIST ENDINGS IN YOUR NOVEL
THE TOUGHEST PART YOU’LL FACE WHEN WRITING A NOVEL
IF YOU CAN TELL A JOKE YOU CAN WRITE A NOVEL
