Types of Conflict Used in Stories

Nobody in their right mind enjoys conflict unless, of course, it’s happening in a story, in which case, we can’t resist it. Conflict is an essential element of storytelling, it makes a story interesting and engaging.

Without conflict, your story will have no tension, no stakes, and no reason for the audience to care about your characters or their journey.

In this article, we’ll look at the various types of internal and external conflict used in stories.

• What Is Conflict in Storytelling?
• Why Is Conflict Important in Storytelling?
• The Difference Between Internal and External Conflict
• Types of Conflict Used in Stories
• Stories Need Conflict to Keep the Audience Interested
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What Is Conflict in Storytelling?

Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces which can be internal, external, or both.

Without it, you don’t really have a story, just a list of happenings. Conflict is how your characters move and grow, pushing them continually towards their goals. 

It refers to the struggles that your characters face when they want to achieve or obtain something but have to overcome obstacles to do so, or an antagonist is standing between your protagonist and what they want.

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Why Is Conflict Important in Storytelling?

Conflict creates tension and drives the plot forward. Without conflict, a story would lack tension and stakes, making it feel flat, uninteresting and unengaging for your audience. 

Using conflict effectively will make your story compelling and add depth and complexity to your characters, making them more relatable and human to keep your audience invested in them and their journey.

Nobody’s interested in a story without conflict where everything goes perfectly to plan without any obstacles or deviations. For an audience to fully engage with a story they need to be unsure of how it will turn out, or at least have some doubts.

Some of the most powerful storytelling centres around characters who have to overcome their internal struggles so they can succeed in resolving their external conflict.

The Difference Between Internal and External Conflict.

The types of conflict used in storytelling take various forms but they all fall into one of two categories: internal or external.

Internal Conflict: The conflict your character experiences within themselves that they must overcome to achieve the goal that’s motivated them from the beginning.

External Conflict: Any conflict that exists outside of your character and acts as an obstacle between them obtaining or achieving what they want.

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Types of Conflict Used in Stories.

There are seven main types of conflict used in stories, and more than one can be used in a story. Let’s explore each of them in more detail with some examples…

Internal Conflict.

The conflict your character experiences within themselves that they must overcome to achieve the goal that’s motivated them from the beginning.

Character vs. Self.

Character vs. Self is the truest form of internal conflict, this type of opposition comes from within the character, as they struggle with inner demons, fears, or desires. 

Examples include a character struggling with addiction, a character questioning their morality, or a character trying to overcome their insecurities or failings.

Character vs. Destiny.

Character vs. Destiny conflict is an ambiguous type of conflict that could be considered external, but we’re framing it around the character’s inner conflict of choosing whether to accept or reject their destiny. This occurs when a character is struggling against forces beyond their control that have already been set in place.

Examples include a character who’s destined to become king but wants to live a normal life or a character who’s been diagnosed with a terminal illness and needs to decide what to do with the time they have left.

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External Conflict.

Any conflict that exists outside of your character and acts as an obstacle between them obtaining or achieving what they want.

Character vs. Character.

Character vs. Character can involve a wide range of scenarios and often creates tension and suspense, leading to dynamic character development as your characters navigate complex relationships and emotions. It can occur when two or more characters are in direct opposition to each other. 

Examples include a rivalry between two characters, a love triangle, or a power struggle.

Character vs. Nature.

Character vs. Nature can add elements of survival or natural disasters to a story to intensify it and make it more exciting; the important part is to ensure the natural elements in your story have clear rules and the physics make sense to the world they’re part of. It occurs when a character is in opposition to the natural world. 

Examples include a character trying to survive a harsh wilderness, fighting against a natural disaster, or trying to save an endangered species. 

Character vs. Society.

Character vs. Society can reflect real-world issues and add relevance to a story. The key is to ensure that the society in question is well-defined and has clear values. It occurs when a character is in opposition to the society they live in.

Examples include a character fighting against injustice, challenging the status quo, or trying to fit in with the culture and customs of a society.

Character vs. Technology.

Character vs. Technology often involves a struggle between a character and technology that’s beyond their understanding or control. It occurs when a character is in conflict with technology, technological advancement, science, or artificial intelligence.

Examples include a character fighting against a rogue artificial intelligence, trying to prevent a technological disaster, or navigating a world taken over by advanced technology. 

Character vs. Supernatural.

Character vs. Supernatural can be used to add elements of fantasy or the unknown to a story to make it otherworld, it often involves mythical creatures, paranormal phenomena, or supernatural forces. It occurs when a character is in opposition to supernatural forces or entities beyond the natural world or human understanding.

Examples include a character fighting against a dragon, trying to control supernatural powers, or trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. 

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Stories Need Conflict to Keep the Audience Interested.

Conflict is used to create tension and drive the plot forward, keeping your audience interested. In contrast, a story without conflict is a story without stakes and will feel flat and unengaging for the audience. 

The effective use of conflict will enable you to create compelling characters with the sort of depth and richness that makes them believable. Whether it’s internal, external, or both, the conflicts your character struggles with will help your audience connect to your story on a deeper level.

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Great stories have many components, building blocks that you can’t tell a good story without and even if one of them is missing, your story will fail to capture your audience. Conflict is just one of those ingredients. See my guide – The Essential Elements of Storytelling – to explore the others.