Plot With Or Without Conflict

Those are good examples, thanks.

>>Travelogues are often written without conflict. The whole premise is that someone goes somewhere, and describes the interesting and unusual things they find there.<<

Some of my fiction and poetry leans in this direction too. The historic fantasy poems lends themselves especially well to explorations of local color. I like having some installments that are restful and happy.

>>Poetry on the occurrence of an event doesn't have to describe that event in terms of conflict; the event's process and the poet's observations thereon are enough. Poetry on the seasons is a pretty good example, as many such poems avoid conflictual language and metaphors.<<

True. This also brings up what is sometimes called "creative nonfiction." It can be about description and experience rather than events and conflicts.

I remember one charming example that described the author walking with her dog, and what she noticed -- contrasted against the much richer scent-based information that her dog could be picking up. The 'surprise' aspect there is that most people think like human beings and not like dogs, so that canine perspective was new and interesting to them. Me, I walk through the world like a half-noseblind wolf. I may not be able to detect the range that a healthy canine could, but I pay attention to scents in ways that most primates just don't.

>> The common factor, to me, seems to be that there's something unknown to the reader, that they want to know. <<

That's a good description.

>>If there's an interesting Character, we may well read more just to learn more about her, even if she doesn't actually do anything, as such.<<

Same with setting. Milieu fiction can be lower in conflict than average, and someone else mentioned travelogues.

>>If a writer is good at dialogue and description, something like a bunch of friends hanging around and chatting can be spellbinding.<<

Particularly when the character types are very different. I've noticed that fanfic from "The Avengers" has quite a lot of stories where the characters are just hanging out and nothing blows up, and it says that right in the description.

>>Note that the shift in the third act of Kishōtenketsu still serves to heighten tension, even if there's no conflict. We've left something unresolved at the end of the second act, and want to know how it turns out, and have the additional curiosity of wanting to know how it will relate to this new scene.<<

Yes, I think that's what makes it work.

That wouldn't have been my pick either. I had a hard time finding gentle fiction references, though.

That's an excellent point. I like conflict-free porn/erotica better, much of the time.