Conflict is crucial for any story because it drives the narrative forward. Without it, there will be no tension or problems to overcome, and your main characters will remain unchanged. Struggle helps build a character arc and keep things engaging for your audience. It is the foundation of any story. Why? Because life is filled with conflict, and that struggle makes your characters and story more relatable to your readers.

Typically, conflict falls into two categories:

• Internal conflict—The struggle takes place inside the character’s mind. They may grapple with their identity, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, or desires.
• External conflict refers to forces outside the main character’s control that oppose their goals and desires. These outside stand in the way of a character’s motivations and create tension as the character tries to reach their goals.

So, here’s a quick primer on the six types of conflict:

1. Person vs. Person Conflict

This is the most common type of conflict in storytelling. The most straightforward explanation is that your protagonist’s objective is in opposition to another character’s. In literature, a character vs. character conflict, or man vs. man conflict, involves two characters battling against each other. Conflict can manifest in different ways, from physical or verbal fights to major differences in values and beliefs.

Examples: Harry Potter vs. Uncle Vernon in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” or Mulder and Scully vs. the Syndicate in “The X-Files”).

2. Person vs. Self Conflict

This is all about inner conflict. When a character’s objective opposes their values or long-held, deep-seated beliefs or when their own decisions prevent them from achieving their goals, the character may struggle with personal identity, religious beliefs, or mental health.

Examples: In the show Bojack Horseman, Bojack constantly battles his self-destructive tendencies, addictions, and mental health issues. Even when he doesn’t intend to hurt the people he cares about, Bojack has difficulty changing his toxic behaviors. This leads to problems in his relationships, his health, and his career.

Another example is Barbie (2023), in which Barbie struggles to reconcile with her new identity as the world around her changes. She spends much of the movie trying to understand what being a woman means and how to regain her agency.

3. Person vs. Society Conflict

This is an external conflict between the character and societal norms. It occurs when a protagonist is placed in opposition with society, the government, or a cultural tradition or societal norm of some kind. The character’s values, beliefs, or preferences go against what’s deemed “acceptable” or “normal” within the community. Think of the “fish out of water” trope, in which a character is thrown into an unfamiliar situation and needs to learn new social rules.

Examples: A great example is the TV show Schitt’s Creek, in which a formerly wealthy family (The Roses) lives in a motel in a rural town. They must learn to let go of their old lives to embrace the small-town values of the community.

Another example is “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker. In the story, the main character, Celie, battles against structural racism during the early 1900s (this period is also known as Jim Crow). Celie also struggles with her identity as a lesbian during a time when any expression of queerness could lead to her being ostracized from her community.

4. Person vs. Nature Conflict

In this type of conflict, the protagonist is hindered by or fighting against natural forces like weather, animals, or climate change. Sometimes, this illuminates the resilience of the human spirit.

Examples: In the movie “Titanic” the engineer realizes (much too late) that his artificial creation is no match for an iceberg or the North Atlantic Ocean.

Alternatively, in the movie “Twisters” (2024), the main characters must try to survive several destructive tornados while ensuring the safety of the townspeople.

5. Person vs. Supernatural Conflict

In character vs supernatural conflict stories, your protagonist and point of view characters directly oppose an otherworldly foe. This foe can use mystical forces or powers against the protagonist. Sometimes, both the protagonist and antagonist have supernatural abilities; other times, the antagonist has all the power. The important thing is these supernatural powers must play a crucial part in your story’s central conflict. Why? Because pitting characters against phenomena like ghosts, aliens, or monsters raises the story’s stakes by creating an unequal playing field.

Example: One of my favorite examples of character vs. supernatural is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the show, our powerful protagonist, Buffy, must battle all sorts of otherworldly vampires, demons, gods, and monsters to save the world.

6. Person vs. Technology Conflict

This type of conflict occurs when a main character must battle with technology. It is a hallmark of science fiction, which explores the problems that arise when technology grows beyond its intended use. At its best, the character vs. technology conflict raises poignant questions for the characters and readers about what it means to be human and what sets us apart from machines.

Example: In the Terminator movies, our main characters must face cyborgs that have come to kill them. The Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a cyborg assassin sent from the future to kill John Connor. The Terminator was sent by Skynet, an artificial intelligence defense network that achieved self-awareness. The human soldier must kill the Terminator to prevent a future war between humans and machines.

Now, here are some prompts to get you started.

Writing Prompts:

Inner conflict: What does your character desire most, and what would they have to sacrifice to achieve it? Are they willing to make that sacrifice?

Interpersonal conflict: Two characters are forced to work together but can’t stand each other’s methods. What does their collaboration reveal about their values and weaknesses?

Social conflict: What happens when your character realizes the world they were raised in has strict social or class barriers? How do they decide whether to push against these boundaries?

Supernatural conflict: What happens when a character is haunted by supernatural occurrences tied to a past they’d rather forget? Do they flee, or try to confront the cause?

Environmental conflict: Your characters are trapped together due to a natural disaster. What unresolved tension or past resentment bubbles to the surface?

Your character stumbles upon groundbreaking knowledge that could change humanity—but it comes with ethical risks. Will they share it or keep it hidden?

Whether you are a new or experienced writer, a basic understanding of how conflict works is crucial to writing a book that entertains your audience. Let me say entertaining your audience should be a primary goal. No one wants a boring book, and now, you are one step closer to writing a manuscript that you can be proud of.