Conflict is vital. If there’s anything lacking from most stories in the genre by new author’s it’s that the characters have no real stakes in what’s happening, and there’s no conflict between any of the characters–they’re usually just getting everything they ever wanted, i.e. wish fulfillment, that thing I hate.
Stories need conflict more than pretty much anything else, and that means you need to have characters fighting for conflicting goals, *and* you have to have a level enough playing field so that the stakes aren’t boring. That is, if one character literally possesses all of the power in the story, and is changing everyone else against their will, it still won’t be interesting despite the presence of conflict, because you basically have a god vs. men. *snore*
Bracken's Corner 