Every story has at its heart a problem that the main character must face and overcome. This problem is the story's conflict, and it should be interesting enough to grab readers' attention and make them want to continue reading so they can learn how it all works out. There are two main categories of conflict: external and internal. In an external conflict, the protagonist must face an obstacle outside of himself or herself: A person or situation is preventing the main character from reaching a goal. An internal conflict happens inside the protagonist's own mind or heart--he or she must face some personal feeling, such as fear or prejudice, in order to solve the story's problem.
Another way to categorize conflicts is to identify what type of obstacle the protagonist faces. Each category of conflict is written as "person vs. _________," with the word in the blank naming the obstacle. Use this slideshow to learn about this way of classifying conflicts.
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Person vs. Person
There is one spot open on the school swim team, and to get it Armando must go up against a boy who has beaten him in everything he's tried. Person vs. Nature
Kali's little sister has wandered off from their camp in the woods and is lost, and Kali must find her before nightfall, knowing a dangerous mountain lion has been terrorizing the area. Person vs. Society
Luis must find a way to stay in the country after discovering that his parents brought him there illegally when he was a baby, and he is undocumented. Person vs. Technology
Hans has developed a robot that can anticipate his every need, but discovers with horror that the machine has also developed simulated human feelings and is trying to kill Hans to obtain its "freedom." Internal conflict occurs when a character must overcome something inside himself or herself--a fear or a prejudice--to achieve a goal.
Naveen must overcome his stage fright when the lead in the school play gets sick and Naveen has to go on in his place. |
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