War - What is it Good For?
Conflict is one of the most critical elements of a compelling story, and there are few better contexts for bringing conflicts of all kinds into a story than war. Wars provide an environment in which characters of all kinds develop, are tested rigorously, and ultimately go through their individual arcs to destinations that are for the better or worse.
In the genres that I write in, such as fantasy, wars are prime components of a great many of the most successful stories and franchises of all time. From the epic clash with Mordor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, to the struggle against the White Witch in Narnia, to the trials of the mercenary company in Glen Cook’s Black Company novels, wars have long provided fertile ground for storytellers. In fact, one of the first major works of western literature, the Iliad, is centered around a large war that becomes the catalyzing force for the events that form the amazing story told in the Odyssey.
