Is this conflict too weak?

I'm outlining a steampunk novel (as you can see by my sig), but I don't know if the conflict I have for it is strong enough.

Namely, while it is steampunk, it's set on a fictional island with an alternative scientific timeline, and by this I mean that while there's a ton of technology regarding physics, mathematics and engineering, medicine is still stuck on its Dark Age. They don't know a thing about infectious diseases, and this comes from the history of the island.

In the first centuries of its occupation, there was an epidemy that wiped out nearly everybody. It just didn't because the priests of the island came up with a set of dogmas about the epidemy and "sin". According to them, the epidemy would attack sinful people. From then on, sick people were isolated (because they had to pay for their "sins" in the means of fasting and exile) and everyone's corpses were burned because it's a "sin" to simply bury them or to open dead (or live, depending on the case) bodies.

In an epidemic scenario, these dogmas were fairly useful as you can guess, and actually they kept most people healthy for a very long while. But medicine was stuck because there was no need or desire to study infecctious diseases (since the dogmas were enough to keep most people healthy), and they couldn't open dead bodies to study anatomy either. Abdominal surgery was out of option and surgery itself only served to amputate members or to fix small things on the limbs, because since they had no idea of germs, most people who went through surgery there would die.

So my story is about an epidemy that happens in that island again. For the readers, it would be a fairly dumb conflict since we all know how diseases are spread, and I thought of making the story more ambiguous by adding fantastic elements and keeping the source of the epidemy a secret for a long while. But still...

Would it be enough to make the epidemy look as if though it comes from a magical curse set upon the island until the MC -- and therefore the readers -- finds out it comes from germs?

He'll try to discover how to fight back and this is the conflict itself. I thought this was implicit on the post, actually, but now I'm making it clear. And I think this is a very dumb conflict because the readers already know the answer, partially...

So eh... The setting is so interesting and so are the characters, I don't want to waste them in a story with a weak conflict.

Osulagh said:

So why don't you make the epidemic fantastical?

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I really can't... The setting itself is devoid of magic although there are, for example, beasts we would consider fantastic.

But yes, thank you guys, I completely forgot about the priests. It would actually make the story tons more interesting considering that homosexuality is also a sin in my setting and the protagonist happens to be a gay man. He's married with a woman and has a daughter, but he also has a male lover on the side so a lot could go wrong.

Now that's what I would call a good conflict, thank you for the suggestions

Once! said:

Sounds like there is lots of potential for conflict here without having to make the epidemic magical. Human history is full of examples of religion refusing to accept scientific advances - think Galileo and the Inquisition.

You don't need to make it so clear-cut as a plague that the hero understands but no-one else does. People start getting sick. The priests think it is due to sin - they refuse to operate or give medicines but they do try to crack down on sinfulness. Cue Salem type witch trials.

Our hero doesn't know what is causing the deaths, but he is certain it isn't just sin. Maybe someone who he knows to be free of sin is an early victim? Someone close to him?

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Bingo. One of the first victims of the plague happens to be his daughter. Of course he doesn't enjoy the fact that he has to be married, but that didn't stop him from loving her and being a great father.

And then she dies and then a lot of people start to die and then dogmas don't work anymore and then chaos and...

BethS said:

OP -- Better if you make the epidemic from a fantasy source rather than germs. The reader will expect germs.

The conflict could come from all the different ways that people and factions choose to deal with the problem.

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If the epidemic itself is a weak conflict, I'd rather remove it all together or put something else to make the plague only a subplot. Having a magical force such as a curse would dismantle my whole setting, so I'd rather make the story about anything else if it can't be about an actual plague.

Like I've stated, I'll try to make it seem ambiguous at first and see if it works. If it doesn't, I'm afraid I'll have to scratch it. Or use it in another setting where there can be magic, but then it wouldn't be this novel I'm trying to put together.

One of the greatest stories I've read was about a germ-caused plague though, and it was pretty clear from the start what it was; it was so horrific and the lack of an answer on where it came from and how to stop it made a pretty good conflict IMO.

Blinkk said:

Ohh, I think this is a great idea. Very much on the right track! Me personally, I'm always drawn to human conflict. So even though there's an epidemic going on, I'd be much more interested in one man (or woman's) struggle going through this epidemic, than the actual epidemic itself. Did I explain that well?

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Yes. Most people would be more interested in the characters reacting to the plague than the plague itself, I think. I would be the exception but I really really enjoy scientific reading.

Angry Guy said:

Totally winging it here, because I don't know any details of what you've already done. But the guy may have completely innocently noticed something or performed some action that a logical mind would interpret as germ theory. He blabs about it, the priests find out, next thing you know there's a midnight visit to his domicile, which he barely gets away from. Now he's dodging through the city trying to stay one step ahead of the priesthood while accumulating enough evidence to prove his case. Etcetera.

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I'm planning to do something of the sorts, indeed. I've been reading a book about the world's greatest secret agencies so I have a lot of inspiration on that department now

LOTLOF said:

If the island has steam engines, printing presses, iron working, and other technologies then they should have some concept of the scientific method. Maybe the MC belongs to a small "cult" that feels these principles should be applied to medicine? This will naturally bring them into conflict with the local religious leaders. The priests won't see themselves as being in the wrong. Both sides will honestly believe that they know best and that the other is dangerously ignorant.

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Yep, I am trying to pull something like this off. I don't know how I will go on about it -- since apparently I can't plan anything until well after 5 failed drafts -- but that's my objective now.

Skabr said:

Hey Persei,

Yours is a smart idea (given that you've made a concept out of something no one would have noticed!).

Just so you know, the conflict (or tension) keeps changing as the novel progresses. There is tension whenever the character cannot do what they want to do (doing research as in your novel), or what they want to say, or what they want to think.

You MC will face different kind of conflicts as he moves on. That's how all the novels move on with their plot. For instance, later, you MC might feel torn between the desire to give the cure to the ill people and to earn money (just a guess). You see, there is conflict every time someone can't get/do/act on something.

Goodluck,
Skabr

P.S. Don't worry too much and keep writing.

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Thank you for the advice! I should just really try and do it one step at a time instead of focusing too much on the major conflict, that is roughly drafted out by now anyways, thanks to people who helped me out