Internal vs external conflict is a foundational concept in storytelling, shaping characters, driving plot, and enriching emotional tension. Internal conflict stems from the character’s inner struggles—such as fear, guilt, or moral dilemmas—while external conflict arises from outside forces like antagonists, society, or nature. Understanding the difference between these two types of conflict is essential for writers and readers alike, as both are crucial to building compelling narratives, character arcs, and high-stakes drama.
Internal Conflict Explained
What Is Internal Conflict?
Internal conflict refers to the psychological struggle that takes place within a character's mind. It is the emotional, mental, or spiritual turmoil that a character experiences as they confront opposing desires, beliefs, needs, or values. This type of conflict is deeply personal and often invisible to others in the story, yet it drives much of the character's behavior and decision-making.
Internal conflict is also referred to as "man vs. self," emphasizing that the character is their own antagonist. This tension can manifest in various forms, including indecision, guilt, fear, or moral questioning. It is often a central force in character-driven narratives and plays a crucial role in shaping character arcs.
Common Types of Internal Conflict
Man vs. Self
This is the quintessential form of internal conflict, where a character must grapple with their own doubts, fears, or insecurities. These struggles might involve difficult choices, personal flaws, or conflicting desires. For example, a hero may wrestle with fear of failure before stepping into a dangerous situation.
Moral Dilemmas
Moral dilemmas occur when a character must choose between two conflicting ethical principles or values. These situations often have no clear right or wrong answer, forcing the character to prioritize one value over another. For instance, a character might struggle with whether to tell a painful truth or protect someone with a lie.
Emotional Struggles
Characters often face internal conflict through emotional turmoil such as grief, jealousy, love, or regret. These emotions can cloud judgment, alter behavior, and create tension as the character tries to resolve how they feel. Emotional struggles are particularly effective in personal or relational storylines, offering depth and relatability.
Role in Character Development
Internal conflict is essential for authentic and compelling character development. As characters wrestle with their inner demons, they are forced to make choices that shape their identity and growth. This evolution is often what makes a character arc satisfying. A protagonist who begins the story filled with self-doubt may, through internal conflict, emerge with newfound confidence and clarity.
By confronting internal conflict, characters reveal their vulnerabilities, motivations, and values. This not only humanizes them but also engages the reader on a deeper emotional level.
How Internal Conflict Drives Plot
Although it occurs within a character, internal conflict significantly influences the external plot. A character's hesitation, anxiety, or guilt can delay action, create tension, or even cause external consequences. For example, a soldier's moral conflict about following orders may lead to a pivotal moment of defiance, changing the course of the story.
Moreover, internal conflict often mirrors or contrasts with external conflict, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. In many stories, the resolution of internal conflict is the key to overcoming external obstacles.
Examples in Literature
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince Hamlet faces internal conflict as he struggles with avenging his father’s murder. His moral hesitation and philosophical introspection drive much of the play’s tension.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby experiences internal conflict between his idealized love for Daisy and the reality of who she is. His refusal to reconcile these conflicting truths leads to his downfall.
In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen wrestles with the trauma of survival and the morality of killing, even as she navigates the external conflict of a dystopian society.
These examples highlight how internal conflict adds depth, realism, and emotional resonance to storytelling.
External Conflict Overview
External conflict refers to the struggle between a character and an outside force. It is one of the primary drivers of plot and is crucial for creating tension, stakes, and forward momentum in a story. Unlike internal conflict, which takes place within the mind of the character, external conflict arises from interactions with the world around them. This type of conflict often challenges a character’s goals, values, or safety, forcing them to act and evolve.
Types of External Conflict
External conflict can be categorized into several distinct types, each presenting unique challenges and opportunities for character development and plot advancement.
Person vs. Person
This is one of the most common forms of external conflict and involves a protagonist facing opposition from another character. The antagonist may be a villain, a rival, or simply someone with conflicting goals. This conflict type is prevalent in genres ranging from drama to action and romance.
Example: In J.K. Rowling’s "Harry Potter" series, Harry’s ongoing battles with Voldemort represent a clear person vs. person conflict that fuels the overarching plot.
Person vs. Nature
In this form, the character must survive or overcome natural forces such as storms, wild animals, or harsh environments. This conflict often explores themes of survival, resilience, and human vulnerability in the face of the natural world.
Example: In Jack London’s "To Build a Fire," the protagonist’s struggle against the brutal cold of the Yukon wilderness exemplifies person vs. nature conflict.
Person vs. Society
This type of external conflict arises when a character stands in opposition to societal norms, cultural expectations, or institutional systems. It often highlights issues like injustice, oppression, or the desire for reform.
Example: In George Orwell’s "1984," Winston Smith’s rebellion against the totalitarian regime illustrates a classic person vs. society conflict.
Function of External Conflict in Narrative
External conflict serves several key functions in a story:
- Drives the plot forward: Conflict introduces obstacles that characters must navigate, creating suspense and pacing.
- Reveals character traits: How a character responds to external pressure reveals their strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations.
- Facilitates growth: Struggles with external forces often prompt internal reflection, leading to character development and transformation.
Distinguishing External Conflict from Internal Conflict
While internal conflict deals with the psychological or emotional challenges within a character, external conflict is observable and tangible. It involves visible actions and consequences, such as a physical fight, a heated argument, or a legal battle. However, the two are often interconnected; external pressures can trigger internal dilemmas, and internal struggles can influence how a character approaches external challenges.
Understanding external conflict is essential for writers aiming to craft compelling narratives. By placing characters in challenging situations driven by external forces, authors can generate tension, develop richer characters, and create stories that resonate with readers.
Comparing Internal and External Conflicts
Understanding how internal and external conflicts differ is essential for analyzing literature and crafting compelling narratives. While both types of conflict serve to challenge characters and drive a story forward, they originate from different sources and affect the narrative in distinct ways.
Source of Conflict
One of the primary distinctions between internal and external conflict lies in their source.
Internal conflict arises from within the character. It reflects a psychological or emotional struggle that the character must confront. This can include doubts, fears, guilt, or competing desires. For example, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist wrestles with indecision and moral uncertainty — a classic case of internal conflict.
External conflict, by contrast, originates from forces outside the character. These can include antagonists, societal norms, or environmental challenges. In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss faces external conflict in the form of an oppressive government (person vs. society) and the physical threats in the arena (person vs. nature and person vs. person).
Methods of Resolution
The way conflicts are resolved also differs between internal and external types.
Internal conflicts are typically resolved through character introspection, growth, or a change in beliefs or attitudes. The resolution often marks a turning point in the character’s arc, influencing how they respond to the external world.
External conflicts tend to be resolved through action, confrontation, negotiation, or external events. A protagonist might defeat a villain, escape a natural disaster, or challenge societal norms to overcome this type of conflict.
Impact on Story and Character
Both conflict types significantly influence a story’s direction and the reader’s understanding of the character.
Internal conflict adds psychological depth and complexity. It reveals a character’s vulnerabilities and inner workings, often making them more relatable and human. These conflicts can make even ordinary situations feel high-stakes because the tension is deeply personal.
External conflict provides visible stakes and immediate tension. It propels the plot forward and can create high drama and excitement. It also offers a way to externalize a character’s internal struggles, showing how their inner world shapes their actions in the real world.
Unique Characteristics
While both conflict types are essential, they offer unique narrative opportunities:
Internal conflict often deals with abstract and subjective themes such as identity, morality, and emotion. It’s introspective and can be subtle, requiring careful development through dialogue, internal monologue, and symbolism.
External conflict is generally more tangible and observable. It involves physical actions, visible opposition, and clear obstacles that characters must overcome, making it easier to dramatize in plot-driven stories.
Effects on Narrative Structure
The type of conflict shapes how a story unfolds.
Stories dominated by internal conflict often focus on character development, transformation, and emotional journeys. These narratives might be more reflective and character-driven.
Stories centered on external conflict tend to be more action-oriented, with a clear sequence of events driven by the protagonist’s response to external pressures. These are usually more plot-driven.
Interplay Between Internal and External Conflict
Though distinct, internal and external conflicts frequently interact. A well-crafted story often uses one to complement or intensify the other. For example, a character might face an external threat that forces them to confront their internal fears, or an internal struggle might prevent a character from effectively dealing with an external challenge. This dynamic interplay enriches the narrative and adds layers of meaning to the character’s journey.
Using Both Conflict Types Effectively
Successful storytelling often relies on the interplay between internal and external conflict. When used in tandem, these two conflict types deepen character development, enrich the plot, and heighten emotional engagement for the reader. Understanding how to effectively combine them is essential for crafting multidimensional narratives.
Interweaving Internal and External Struggles
Characters rarely face a single kind of conflict in isolation. In compelling narratives, internal and external conflicts are deeply intertwined. A character might struggle with fear or guilt (internal conflict) while simultaneously facing a societal injustice or a personal adversary (external conflict). The external situation can often serve as a catalyst for internal dilemmas, and vice versa.
For example, in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch faces the external conflict of defending a Black man in a racially prejudiced society (person vs. society), while also grappling with his own internal conflict about morality, justice, and the impact his decisions will have on his children. When both types of conflict are layered together, they enhance one another, resulting in a richer, more cohesive story.
Creating Dynamic Storytelling
When both conflict types are present, they lend depth to both the characters and the narrative. External conflicts provide tangible stakes and momentum, moving the plot forward. Meanwhile, internal conflict offers introspection, emotional resonance, and character growth.
Dynamic storytelling often emerges from the evolution of a character’s internal state in response to external pressures. For instance, in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry’s external battles against Voldemort parallel his internal struggles with identity, fear, and responsibility. The external conflict creates suspense and danger, while the internal conflict fosters empathy and relatability.
Balancing Conflict for Maximum Impact
Maintaining a balance between internal and external conflict prevents a story from becoming either too introspective or too plot-driven. Writers should consider the following strategies:
- Align internal conflicts with external challenges. Ensure that the character’s inner turmoil is influenced by, and influences, the external events.
- Use one type of conflict to escalate the other. For example, a character’s internal indecision might lead to external consequences, or an external threat might trigger a moral crisis.
- Resolve both conflicts in satisfying, interconnected ways. Avoid resolving the plot while leaving character arcs incomplete, or vice versa.
A balanced narrative offers resolution on both emotional and practical levels, increasing the story’s overall impact.
Examples from Literature
Many acclaimed works of literature skillfully blend internal and external conflict:
- In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth’s ambition (internal conflict) drives him to murder King Duncan (external conflict), with the two threads feeding into each other until his ultimate downfall.
- In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby’s desire for Daisy (internal) parallels his struggle with the social barriers of wealth and class (external), highlighting the illusion of the American Dream.
These examples demonstrate how dual conflict structures can result in complex, memorable stories.
Crafting Conflict-Driven Characters
Characters become more compelling when their internal conflicts add layers to their external challenges. Writers should explore:
- How characters’ beliefs and desires shape their responses to external events.
- How personal flaws or fears might hinder their ability to resolve external conflicts.
- Whether the resolution of external conflict leads to internal transformation, or vice versa.
By developing characters whose inner and outer worlds reflect and challenge each other, writers create authentic, relatable figures who resonate with readers.
Final Tips for Writers
- Always ask: “What’s at stake internally and externally for this character?”
- Use conflict as a tool for revealing character depth.
- Ensure that both conflict types evolve over the course of the story.
- Let conflict resolution reflect growth—externally through action, internally through insight.
When internal and external conflicts are used together effectively, they not only sustain narrative tension but also enrich the emotional and thematic layers of the story, resulting in more powerful and lasting reader engagement.
Both internal and external conflicts are powerful storytelling tools that, when used together, create richer and more dynamic narratives. Internal conflicts bring characters to life through introspection and emotional depth, while external conflicts propel them into action and challenge their growth. Writers who understand how to balance and merge these conflict types can craft stories that resonate deeply with readers. Whether you're writing your first novel or analyzing a literary classic, always ask: What internal and external forces are shaping this character’s journey?
Call to Action: Want to elevate your storytelling? Start by mapping your character’s internal and external conflicts—and watch your narrative come alive with emotional and dramatic tension.
