Conflict

The normal connotation of the word conflict is a disagreement, a fight, or generally any negative interaction. Within fiction, however, conflict is much more broadly defined to mean any interaction that forwards the plot and moves the storyline forward.

There are two major types of conflict: internal conflict, and external conflict. Within these two broad types there are four subtypes:
1. man versus self
2. man versus man
3. man versus society
4. man versus nature/supernature (the use of the term supernature is intentional, as the term supernatural tends to make one immediately think of UFOs or vampires or any number of otherworldly definitions; while supernature can refer to these, in this context it means anything above or outside of what we consider to be normal natural phenomenon (and remember, the supernatural of today is likely to be considered the natural of tomorrow; a prime example of that would be the phenomenon of lightning).

The first subtype of conflict, and our one example of internal conflict, is man versus self. This is demonstrated whenever a character has, for example, a doubt, a feeling of anger, a decision to make, or perhaps a particularly salient memory to ponder. In essence, if it’s in the character’s head, it’s man versus self.

The second subtype of conflict, and our first example of external conflict, is man versus man. Here we are tempted to infer a negative connotation. While it can be negative, it is in essence any interaction between one character and another. For example, a man talks to his wife over breakfast, a coach instructs his players before a big game, an executive has a meeting with a subordinate, or two kids fight in a schoolyard. All instances of man versus man.

Our third subtype of conflict, and our second example of external conflict, is man versus society. This conflict is between a character and the society defined within the context of the story. So, a woman runs a stop sign, a gang of thieves robs a bank, a group of revolutionaries plots the overthrow of a government, or perhaps a boy wears a shirt that is in violation of his school’s dress code. In other words, whenever a character or group of characters does something having to do with or against a given society, it’s an instance of man versus society.

The fourth and final subtype of conflict, and our third example of external conflict, is man versus nature/supernature (I won’t belabor the point of the usage of the term supernature, refer to the explanation above). This conflict might be shown by a man who forgets his umbrella and gets caught in a rainstorm, a UFO landing on the lawn of the municipal building, a small town in upstate Pennsylvania being overrun with a plague of killer groundhogs, a woman skidding off the road in a snowstorm and becoming stranded, or a ghost appearing before three terrified children in the neighborhood haunted house. Anything involving the natural world or something above or beyond the natural world is an instance of man versus nature/supernature.

Of course, conflict is generally considered significant only if it furthers the plot, advances the storyline, or otherwise plays a significant factor in the outcome of the story. That's not to say that a writer can't have insignificant conflicts, but generally speaking instances of insignificant conflict are usually left to the back story or, as referred to in the world of film, to the cutting room floor.

© Ray Cattie