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Screenwriter’s Secret to Unstoppable Conflict

Screenright with James A. Hurst

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Grab your FREE PDF: http://www.jamesahurst.com/dialogue

Want to write scenes that crackle with tension? In this video, screenwriter James A. Hurst breaks down a powerful storytelling technique used in Breaking Bad, Fleabag, Parasite, Insecure, Succession, and The Sopranos - the Unity of Opposites.

This is the same screenwriting concept that’s helped me in my work on shows like Wynonna Earp, The Hardy Boys, and Flashpoint - and it’ll take your story structure, conflict, and dialogue to the next level.

Once you understand how to trap your characters in conflict they can’t escape, your scenes will carry more weight, and your story will practically write itself.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:
How to use the Unity of Opposites to create unstoppable conflict
Why most writers sabotage their own scenes without realizing it
How to apply this technique using a simple 3-part exercise
What makes shows like Breaking Bad and Fleabag so damn watchable

📺 Case Studies Covered:
Breaking Bad
Fleabag
Parasite
Insecure
Succession
The Sopranos

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - The Secret Engine Behind Great Scripts
00:41 - FREE Guide: Write Dialogue Like a Boss
00:56 - Unveiling the Technique: The Unity of Opposites
02:07 - Defining the Unity of Opposites
03:47 - Case Study: Breaking Bad (Walt & Jesse)
04:39 - Case Study: Insecure (Issa & Molly)
05:23 - Case Study: Succession
05:54 - Case Study: Tony Soprano
06:34 - Case Study: Fleabag
06:57 - Masterclass: Parasite
09:18 - How to Use It: Practical Exercise
11:04 - Final Thoughts

20 Comments

@aristotletwain 1 year ago Pinned

THANKS for sharing your skills & experience with us! Before I entered screenwriting, my playwriting professor in NYC taught me dramatic conflict (action/obstacle) and I thought I had it down. But then many years later in LA, a client who became my buddy and writing mentor, a major Hollywood writer, showed me the importance of character and how the inner conflict must be mirrored and challenged by outer conflict, etc. Now YOU enter the picture with this solid-gold process which deserves a better name than a "hack." I'm going back over all my scripts and story outlines like a character who just discovered he has x-ray vision. So glad I discovered you before our coming war with Canada, (rim shot) but seriously, THANK YOU and keep up the good work!! The key Hurst/Egri concept you relay to us here, which I had never thought about consciously enough, was that between two characters, compromise is impossible, and neither can get what they need anywhere else. What a challenge. 😎

@BillPeschel 1 year ago

It occurred to me that I had seen this advice before but in a different context. It was an article in Writer's Digest in which an editor was reading a passage from a writer's mystery novel. The private detective was about to enter a dangerous situation like entering a dark warehouse at night.

The editor turned to the writer and said, "What if he didn't go in there?"

The writer was puzzled by the question.

"What if the detective looked at the dark interior of the warehouse and said, 'Nah. I think I'll go home."

The story goes on, but the point is similar. The detective isn't going to go in there because he's the good guy. He needs to go there for a reason. Right there, right at that moment. No calling the police and let them risk their lives. If you want the scene to work, you have to provide the motivation.

@CliffG 1 year ago

"internationally tolerated" is brilliant!

@JoelAdamson 1 year ago

Walter and The Dude in The Big Lebowski is a great example.

@darrenwendroff3441 1 year ago

I love that you pointed out Parasite, a movie that I knew was genius but didn't know exactly why. I've heard others explain it, but describing it as a the tension of opposites or unity of opposites is perfect. Jung said that this tension of opposites exists in all of us, it's the idea that there is more than one truth, within us and in opposition to those we're in relationship with. Happiness is accepting this, but of course writers and hollywood are not about happiness at all. Great job with the video, loved it!

@RolandWoodrow 1 year ago

This one’s a masterclass. Honestly, the intro built the tension beautifully—I was hooked from the first line.

@Michael-kq3qo 1 year ago (edited)

1:43 Constructive criticism isn't being an ass hole. As an artist, that's something you need to accept.

@stanleyfosha4745 1 year ago

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly works this technique needle and thread. Blondie and Tuco begin as unlikely partners, cheating towns out of bounty money. When it becomes inconvenient, Blondie double crosses Tuco. Now it's a tale of Tuco's revenge, hunting Blondie. As that act culminates, the two stumble on Confederate soldiers who hid stolen loot. Tuco and Blondie each obtain a key piece of information vital to locating the hidden gold. Unlikely partners again! What makes this movie stand out is Angel Eyes, the third protagonist, chasing the gold from an opposite direction altogether, who learns he needs both men's information to complete HIS goal. The characters are bound like magnets by predicament, yet are polar opposites as characters. That's how you stage a classic.

@tivole. 10 months ago

this channel is a true gem!!

@BootsRR 1 year ago

Really happy to see someone talking about Lajos Egri's work. Foundational craft, imo.

@keithmorris5104 1 year ago

when you get on technical writing i could listen to you for hours

@RealOGfikey 6 months ago

I gave this a thumbs up not just for the content but also for recommending a book I'd never heard of before and have just bought. 👍

@lucindanewcomb8769 1 year ago

Love child of Eddie Vedder and Pure Desperation 🤣🤣🤣

@JaysonNichols1 1 year ago

The seg-way was incredible, just pointing this out!

@ballybunion9 1 year ago

9:55: And there's the part of the video that made me a subscriber. Thank you muchly, James.

@vintagechris84 1 year ago

You summed this up far better than I did in class. I'm going to take notes and do this excerise.

@stealthuniversalproduction2729 1 year ago

WOW!!! Genius concept✨

@ZelindraArkathius 1 year ago (edited)

Your advice is one of the most important pillars of story imo because characters are everything, more specifically, the relationships between the characters/characters+environment. Very good advice. Better than most on youtube.

@dianalynnshaw 2 months ago

Holy! This is awesome and in words I can understand. I just finished my first feature film and now I want to go back to it and apply this! I am totally up for your upcoming Pilot Script Lab course! Many thanks James