Things got a little slow tonight working on NaNo, so I decided to try a little “conflict” exercise.  Too often, I avoid conflict at all costs, and it weakens my fiction.  Tonight, I made up two characters on the fly who were told to remain on the couch by their author while she went to work.  They decided to show their author just how much conflict they could cause without ever leaving the couch.  Here’s what’s come out so far (disclaimer — first draft material not even re-read for typos or anything).  I think you can see the direction it’s taking:

“Shari, why do we just sit around her gabbing all the time and never doing anything?”
Shari picked up her coffee cup and threw it across the room, “That’s easy, Wanda.  We have a wimpy writer who is afraid if she lets us get up and move around that we’ll engage in conflict, and she hates conflict at all costs.”
Wanda raised her eyebrows in devilish delight, “Is that so?”  She picked up the fork beside her plate, and gauging it carefully, sent it soaring toward the ceiling. “Yup.  I can still stick ’em in the ceiling with the best of ’em.  Remember that time our senior year when I spelled out “Seniors Rule” in the cafeteria ceiling that day at lunch?”
“I do.  And nobody ratted out on you either.”
Wanda grinned, “That was the amazing part.”
Shari slid open the end table drawer and pulled out a small tube of something. “Watch this!”  She removed the cap from the tube, lifted table legs, and spread a small amount of the substance before pressing down on the table.”
“Oh!  Super Glue!  Gimme!”  Wanda was all over this prank.  The book on her end table was quickly stuck to the table top, and she was looking around for something else within reach.”
Shari cautioned, “Don’t forget, we can’t leave the sofa.  It might cause conflict.”
“Ohhh.  We can’t have conflict!  Not in this innocent little missive.”
Wanda placed her index finger on her chin, thinking, “Mild-mannered Shari and Wanda, sharing a coffee and some snacks.  What could possibly go wrong?”
Shari began whistling an off-key tune that didn’t resemble anything anyone had ever heard before, repeating, “What could possibly go wrong?  Oh, dear.”  She picked up the table lamp and heaved it toward the glass picture window.  “Take that, Dear Author! Figure out how that happened at your unassuming little afternoon tea party.”
Wanda brightened, “Did you say, ‘party?'”
Shari giggled, “I did!”
“Now, why didn’t I think of that.”  Wanda whipped out her smart phone and composed a quick text, sending it to nearly everyone in her address book. Glancing at Shari, she said, “We won’t have to set foot off these couches.  Our party is on it’s way. ”
“But Dear Author locked the door when she left this morning.”
“Shari, Shari, Shari.” Wanda pointed at the hole in the plate glass window.  “They can come in there.”
“Through the window?  That’s ingenious.  They’ll need something to protect them from the glass as they climb in.” Shari began to search the room for something suitable.  She pointed, “There.  That afghan should help, once they clear the debris away.”
“Oh, yes,” Wanda agreed, “Dear Author’s favorite aunt made that for her.”
“Before she passed away last year,” Shari amended.
“Even better.  How do we get it to where they can reach it when they arrive?”
“You know, technically, only one person needs to climb though the window.” Shari said, “Dear Author didn’t use the deadbolt today before she left.”
“Her loss,” Wanda was distracted as she gauged whether a couch cushion could be thrown with enough force to go through the broken plate glass window.  As she was preparing to hurl it, the doorbell rang.  She doublechecked to make sure nobody was in front of the window, and let the cushion fly.  It crashed through the glass, landing on the hedge outside the window.
Alex poked his head in the window,  “Some people just answer the door.”
“We can’t, it’s locked, and we have to stay on the couch.” Shari called out.
Wanda said, “Yeah, climb through the window and unlock to door.  Bob should be here any minute now.”
Alex eyed the window, gauging the safety factors involved.  Picking up the couch cushion, he put the side with glass embedded in it onto the window sill, jumped up, and rolled over the sill into the living room, nicking his elbow in the process.  Clasping his hand to his elbow, he stood up and walked to the door to unlock it and pull it open allowing Bob, who’d just walked up with the barbeque to enter.  Alex wandered off to the kitchen to treat his bleeding elbow.  Bob tossed the barbecue onto the coffee table, saying, “You said there was a party?”
Cindy poked her head inside the door, “Hey, is this where the party is?”
Shari shouted, “Yeah, come on in. Bring your stuff and set it up.”
“Well, that’s easy!  I brought the candy.” Cindy headed to the kitchen to get some bowls out of the cupboard and proceeded to place several bowls of candy around the house for party goers to grab at their leisure.”
Shari checked her phone, “Doug should be here any second,”
“What’s he bringing?” Wanda asked.
“Donuts, of course.”
“Naturally.  What about Erica? Edam cheese?”
“Oh, Wanda, you’re so silly.  Erica brings the Everclear.”
“Of course.” Wanda slapped her forehead, “That’s sure to ratchet up the conflict.”
Alex poked his head back in the room, “Hey, Feliz called.  He can’t bring the French Fries this time.  He’s bringing the firearms instead.”
Shari looked and Wanda.  Wanda looked back at Shari before saying, “Uh, do we want that much conflict?”
Shari shook her head, “No.” She began furiously texting, then punched the button to call Feliz.  Impatiently, she waited for him to answer before shouting, “No, Feliz.  No firearms.  If you can’t bring French fries for the barbecue, just bring Fritos.”  She paused.  “Yes.  Fritos.”  She waited again before emphatically stating, “No.  Absolutely no firearms.”