Situation but conflict? Not so much.

Have you ever read one of those high-brow literary pieces that meander around, building character and dolloping on the setting detail until the richness chokes any interest you may have had? They are called vignette or situations, or sometimes if the author has the chutzpa, they are called stories. These "things," situations for lack of a better word, shamelessly lead the reader on into a deep relationship only to refuse to commit to any conflict, thus resolution. It's like blue balls of the brain when you read one of these bits of psychic masturbation. Where's my "happy" ending. Doesn't have to be happy ending in the sense of fairy tale, off into the sunset. I mean red light district happy ending. I want a climax, damn it!

That being said, why is it that my mind will only provide the character and the situation-- my own writing is a tease. Promising that grand slam that has me rounding third, but really leaves me in the dirt on second base. The rising tension, the climactic waltz that is story arc, the road to a sweaty, satisfying resolution eludes me.

Metaphorically, I need a kick in the intellectual baby maker.

Or maybe I need to stop reading porn.