Types of Conflict 101 Definition and Must-Know Tips (With Examples!)

Types of Conflict 101 Definition and Musts!) What are the Six Types of Conflict in Literature? (with Examples) Ah, conflict. Can’t live with it. Can’t live without it. Kurt Vonnegut once said that every story is about a character who gets into trouble and then tries to get out of it. That’s because who and what we entangle with isn’t just the stuffing for embarrassing Thanksgiving-dinner stories: it’s the types of conflict that drives every narrative forward.It goes without saying that your conflict will affect not only your plot, but also almost every other important element of your story: your characters, theme, tone, and setting. In that sense, figuring out your central conflict is one of the most important things you’ll do as a writer.In this post, we'll study the different types of external conflict and internal conflict - and figure out what they're going to mean for your own story.What is conflict in literature?Simply put, the conflict of a book is a struggle between two opposing forces. It starts when something stands in the way of a characte r and their goals. In other words:CHARACTER + WANT + OBSTACLE = CONFLICTThis might sound overly simple, but almost all of the great stories in the world are born from this formula: a protagonist desperately wants something, but can't get it. Simply take a look at these famous external and internal conflict examples for proof:Pip yearns to be a gentleman but the British upper class frowns on social mobility in Great Expectations.  Michael Corleone wants to stay out of the family business in  The Godfather  but cannot resist the gravity of filial obligation.Fitzwilliam Darcy discovers that he's in love with Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, but for one tiny obstacle: Miss Bennett despises the sight of him. It's uncertain who would emerge victorious in a New York City versus Zeus matchup.Further external conflict examples: Humanity vs. ghosts in Ghostbusters, Humanity vs. aliens in War of the Worlds.With those external factors out of the way, let's look a final type of conflict.Type 6. Character versus selfIt was writer Maxwell Anderson who said: â€Å"The story must be a conflict, and specifically, a conflict between the forces of good and evil within a single person.† Though that might be an oversimplification, it is true that every interesting story will involve a character’s inner conflict at some point. That’s because, as James N. Frey points out in How To Write A Damn Good Novel, a reader experiences the most empathy for a character when that character is in the middle of some intense inner conflict.Internal conflict  will stem from a debate that occurs within a character. It might originate from any combination of the character’s expectations, desire , duties, and fears. In Hunger Games, for instance, Katniss Everdeen must reconcile her reluctance to kill another human being with the need to survive in the battle arena. Gripping inner tension is often morally complex or universal, and that’s what will ultimately resonate with your readers.Further internal conflict examples: Pretty much every book! For more specific examples, though, see: Mrs Dalloway vs. self in Mrs Dalloway, Hamlet vs. self in Hamlet, Humbert Humbert vs. self in Lolita, Holden vs. self in The Catcher In The Rye, Pip vs. self in Great Expectations.The difference between internal conflict versus external conflictWhen it’s done right, the interplay between internal conflict and external conflict raises the quality of the story altogether. A character’s internal conflict adds complexity to the external conflict while the external conflict drives inner change. Otherwise, your character will simply be one-dimensional.Perhaps the best way to think about this is to look in the nearest mirror. What kind of internal conflict do you go through yourself? Doesn't it influence the struggles that you face externally?To use an example from literature we all probably know, let's briefly visit Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. There's her internal conflict: she wants advancement in the FBI - but most desperately of all, she wants to silence the screaming of the lambs in her dreams. This internal conflict is then teased out and used to fuel the external conflicts between Clarice and Hannibal, and Clarice and Chilton. Both are intrinsically tied to the other in Clarice's character arc, and should be written as such.How can I practice writing these types of conflict?If you’re struggling to come up with a good central conflict, try going back to the basics and thinking about it through the below two methods.The Character-Based PracticeIt never hurts to remember one of fiction’s #1 guidelines: it always comes down to character in the end. So one thing you can do to brainstorm is to return to your cast of characters. Start by re-evaluating the things that make them tick. Ask yourself:What are their fears and core values? (This is vital if you want to create a strong internal conflict.)What are their (conscious or unconscious) desires?Which one of those desires would get the character upending everything to achieve? Could that form a central conflict that’d provide the basis for a satisfying story?To brainstorm internal conflict, John Vorhaus suggests putting â€Å"but† into an equation with opposing forces, such as: I love my younger sister, but I’m a danger to her because of my ice powers, or I want Daisy Buchanan, but I’m a poor boy from the Midwest. Try it for your characters!Here's a free character profile template to get you started. And if you need specific character development exercises for inspiration? Check out this post.The Theme-Based PracticeGenerally, the central conflict teases out - or makes clear - the theme of the book. In Romeo and Juliet, for instance, the conflict between the two noble families of the Montagues and the Capulets is the perfect backdrop for the Love versus Hate theme that pervades the play.If you’ve already got a sense of what you want your theme to be, think about ways that the central struggle could best complement it. Will it raise the questions that you want readers to consider? Will the resolution of the external and internal conflict convey the message that you want  to  deliver? If you remember that conflict is just one part of the whole, you’ll experience a much easier time creating the package deal.Which of the six types of conflict are you writing? How do you approach writing conflict? Share your thoughts in the comments below.