1. What is Conflict???
A struggle between two opposing forces in a novel, short story, or play.
The main problem that gets the story underway.
Can you have a story without conflict?

2. What are the two types of conflict?
Internal Conflict and External Conflict

3. What is Internal Conflict?
A problem that happens internally or within a single character; mentally or emotionally.
It can be an inner struggle to overcome fear, control anger, or to make a choice. All of which add tension within a character and within the story.

4. What is External Conflict?
A physical struggle between a character and an outside force.
Characters may face several types of outside forces.
The outside force may be another character.
It may be the character and the community.
It may be the character and an illness.
The outside force may also be forces of nature.

5. Why is Conflict important?
Conflict is necessary to every story.
In short stories, there is usually one major conflict.
In longer stories, there could be several conflicts.
Conflict adds excitement and suspense to a story.
The conflict usually becomes clear at the beginning of a story.
As the plot unfolds, the reader starts to wonder what will happen next and how the characters will handle the situation.

6. Examples from Literature
1) “The Three Little Pigs”
Pits characters against character – the pigs against the wolf
External Conflict

7. Examples from Literature
2) Charlotte’s Web
by E.B. White
Pits character against fate – as Charlotte, the spider, saves Wilbur, the pig, from slaughter.
External Conflict

8. Examples from Literature
3) Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
Pits a young boy against nature when he finds himself to be the sole survivor of a plane crash that lands him in the wilderness.
External Conflict

9. Examples from Literature
4) Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
The character Tom Sawyer is pitted against society in his adventures as he tries to live outside of the rules of his aunt and his community.
External Conflict

10. Examples from Literature
5) Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L’Engle
One conflict the character Meg experiences is within herself when she has to decide what to believe about her father, her adventures, and herself.
Internal Conflict

11. Classifying Conflict Activity
You will be numbered Then you will rotate around the classroom to each of the conflicts. Groups will have 1-2 minutes to read and discuss their findings.
Classify them as one of the following:
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Fate
Character vs. Self (internal)
Character v. Society

12. Classifying Conflict Activity
Let’s grade your answer.
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Fate
Character vs. Self (internal)
Character v. Society

13. Classifying Conflict Activity
1) In Toy Story, Buzz and Woody experience a personality clash. A. Character vs. Character

14. Classifying Conflict Activity
2) Mike and Sully go against the practices of the entire Monster race when they befriend a child in Monsters,Inc. E. Character vs. Society

15. Classifying Conflict Activity
3) Chickens in Chicken Run attempt to escape from their farm so they will not be turned into chicken pot pies. C. Character vs. Fate

16. Classifying Conflict Activity
4) A teenage boy in A Cry in the Wild crash-lands a plane in the Canadian wilderness. B. Character vs. Nature

17. Classifying Conflict Activity
5) In Big Daddy, a young man must decide whether he can raise a child who appears on his doorstep. D. Character vs. Self (internal conflict)

18. Classifying Conflict Activity
6) A team of Jamaican athletes must fight against an Olympic committee and a common belief held by their own people to become their country’s first bobsled team in Cool Runnings. E. Character vs. Society

19. Classifying Conflict Activity
7) In Home Alone, a young boy takes on would-be robbers who enter his house. A. Character vs. Character

20. Classifying Conflict Activity
8) A lawyer is conflicted about telling the truth in his business practices and personal life in the movie Liar Liar. D. Character vs. Self (internal)

21. Creating Conflicts Activity
Choose one or two characters and a setting from the list below. Then write a possible conflict to fit each conflict type.
Characters Settings
Horse Teacher Grocery Store Farm
Cow Student Campground Stadium
Parent Old Man Classroom Hawai’i
Child Poor Woman Another Planet City
Character Vs. Character

22. Creating Conflicts Activity
Choose one or two characters and a setting from the list below. Then write a possible conflict to fit each conflict type.
Characters Settings
Horse Teacher Grocery Store Farm
Cow Student Campground Stadium
Parent Old Man Classroom Hawai’i
Child Poor Woman Another Planet City
Character Vs. Nature

23. Creating Conflicts Activity
Choose one or two characters and a setting from the list below. Then write a possible conflict to fit each conflict type.
Characters Settings
Horse Teacher Grocery Store Farm
Cow Student Campground Stadium
Parent Old Man Classroom Hawai’i
Child Poor Woman Another Planet City
Character Vs. Fate

24. Creating Conflicts Activity
Choose one or two characters and a setting from the list below. Then write a possible conflict to fit each conflict type.
Characters Settings
Horse Teacher Grocery Store Farm
Cow Student Campground Stadium
Parent Old Man Classroom Hawai’i
Child Poor Woman Another Planet City
Character Vs. Self

25. Creating Conflicts Activity
Choose one or two characters and a setting from the list below. Then write a possible conflict to fit each conflict type.
Characters Settings
Horse Teacher Grocery Store Farm
Cow Student Campground Stadium
Parent Old Man Classroom Hawai’i
Child Poor Woman Another Planet City
Character Vs. Society