![]() No one is perfect, least of all your main character, and their less-than-stellar traits will have them making decisions that have consequences - some of which might create a domino effect of new problems. The most memorable figures in literature all have character flaws. Internal conflict functions as another way to add stakes to your story: what will happen to our hero if they don’t change their ways? What are the consequences if they don’t achieve their goal? Tip: Give your character a flaw that they struggle with A firefighter’s feelings for their family back home could make their rescue mission that much more precarious, and the risks they’re taking more keenly felt. A hero who believes the best of people might have their trust betrayed by the wrong person, making a plot beat that much more significant. It gives your plot stakes and long-lasting consequencesĪ character’s internal conflicts influence their actions and decisions. ![]() Internal conflict isn’t just an important part of character building, it also impacts the direction of the plot. This complements the physical struggle he undergoes while training for the prize fight and gives his actions a greater weight. In the run-up to the big fight, Rocky has moments of doubt and wonders if he’s simply setting himself up for embarrassment. It underpins his journey to the prize fight and gives it greater stakes - he’s not just fighting for prize money but for his own sense of self. Rocky’s external struggle is the physical strain of his training, while his internal one is something deeper. On the surface, it’s a movie about an underdog boxer going up against the world champion, but part of its long-lasting appeal is that it’s also a story about self-worth. Tip: Use your internal conflict to highlight the external conflictĬombining your external conflict with your internal conflict is an effective way to add greater depth to a story.įor a great example of external conflict mirroring a character’s inner struggle, look no further than Rocky. Will an obstacle in their journey make them question their own ideals and morals? Will they reassess who they are and what drives them? Essentially, what effect does their problem have on their internal lives, and will it possibly change them forever? This adds another layer to the story and can give it deeper meaning. Seeing how characters overcome these challenges is part of the appeal, but it’s more important to see how these challenges affect them personally - and that’s where an external conflict can become an interior one. Antagonists, the forces of nature, societal rules, and many more form the basis of many tales, providing our heroes with obstacles and driving the plot forward. When we think of conflict, often the first thing that comes to mind are external ones. In this post, we dive deeper into what internal conflict is and how it can elevate your writing. Much like external conflict, internal conflict adds stakes and allows the reader to emotionally invest in a story. Though this conflict may arise from external conditions where the character must choose between a sense of duty towards others and their own true wants and needs, they are, in the end, fundamentally about the battle that goes on inside a character's heart and mind. Internal conflict in literature is the struggle between a character’s values or desires and their goals.
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