1. Types of Conflict

2. What is a conflict?
Conflict is a problem that characters face in a story. Often the climax of the story is connected to the solution to a conflict. There are five basic types of conflicts. Conflict can be classified as either internal or external.

3. Internal Conflict
An internal or psychological conflict arises as soon as a character experiences two opposite emotions or desires; usually good and evil inside him or her.
This disagreement causes a character to suffer mental agony.
Internal conflict develops a unique tension in a storyline marked by a lack of action.

4. External Conflict
External conflict, on the other hand, is marked by a characteristic involvement of an action wherein a character finds himself in struggle with those outside forces that hamper his or her progress.
The most common type of an external conflict is where a protagonist fights back against the antagonist’s tactics that impede his or her advancement.

5. Person Vs. Self
When a character faces a problem inside of themselves; an internal conflict.

6. Person Vs. Person
When a character has a problem with another character.

7. Person Vs. Nature
When a character has a problem with weather, animals, or hunger.

8. Person Vs. Society
A character struggles against an issue affecting an entire community.

9. Person Vs. Supernatural
A character has a problem with ghosts, monsters, or other beings not of this world. Super = Beyond Natural = this world

10. Examples of Each Type of Conflict
Divide your paper into five boxes.
Draw a picture of yourself experiencing each type of conflict in an original example.
Label and define each type of conflict.
Share with the person next to you.
Store these notes for later in this unit.