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Oct 18, 2024 · What is the difference between internal and external conflict? An internal conflict takes place inside the protagonist’s head or heart, such as Hamlet’s conflict over whether to avenge his father by killing his uncle. An external conflict occurs between the protagonist and another person or thing.
External conflict refers to the problems happening outside of your central character: a monster, a villain, a social injustice. Internal conflict refers to the problems or conflict happening inside your character: addiction, uncertainty, fear.
- Internal Conflict vs External Conflict: Definitions
- Make Both Types of Conflict Obstacles
- Plan How External and Internal Conflicts Affect Each Other
- Give Characters Opposing Internal Conflicts
- Use Multiple, Related Internal and External Conflicts
- Plan Character Arcs Alongside Internal and External Conflicts
In fiction, ‘internal conflict’ refers to a character’s internal struggle. A character might struggle with an emotional problem such as fear of intimacy or abandonment, for example. Internal conflict is important for characterization, since flaws and internal struggles make characters more lifelike and sympathetic. External conflict, on the other h...
Accomplished authors use bothexternal and internal conflict to give their characters serious obstacles to reaching their goals. In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Ringscycle Frodo and his co-travelers must face external conflicts as well as internal ones. They encounter hostile creatures such as orcs and wargs, impassable terrain, alongside their own fea...
Dividing conflict into ‘internal’ vs ‘external’ can be misleading, since the two are linked. For example, in a romance, a character who fears abandonment might be clingy towards their lover. This in turn might create external conflict when the other character feels smothered. Plan how these internal and external conflicts feed into each other. For ...
Opposing internal conflicts between characters may build confrontation and drama, but also attraction. For example, a messy character who struggles to not be chaotic might annoy a ‘neat freak’ who is obsessive about order. Yet the same neat character could find this trait intriguing. Differences that spark conflict are also the differences that att...
A character doesn’t have to only have one internal conflict over the course of your entire novel. Take, for example, a character who struggles to be in a relationship because they struggle with anxiety and self-doubt. What new internal conflicts might arise if they discover new-found confidence? Perhaps they are not used to having the confidence to...
Credible characters are human like us. One of the reasons Greek mythology is potent (and narrative epics like Homer’s Odysseyare still read and taught) is because the Greek Gods are just like people. Like ordinary mortals, they’re prone to love, jealousy, conflict and error. When creating a character for your novel, create a cheat sheet for interna...
Jul 10, 2023 · Distinguishing Internal from External Conflict. While both types of conflict are vital to storytelling, they have distinctive characteristics that set them apart. Understanding these key differences can help you identify and appreciate the nuances in a narrative. Let's delve into these differences.
Jun 20, 2023 · Internal conflict refers to a character's struggle with their own emotions, beliefs, or desires, while external conflict arises from the character's interaction with their environment, other characters, or external forces.
Aug 16, 2023 · Key differences between internal and external conflict. The primary distinction between internal and external conflict lies in their nature and source. Internal conflict stems from a character’s internal struggles, such as their fears, desires, doubts, or moral dilemmas.
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What is the difference between internal and external conflict?
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What is internal conflict & why is it important?
Unlike external conflict, internal conflict does not take place between a character and an entity that is separate from that character. Instead, an internal conflict is a struggle that takes place within a character, usually surrounding the question of how to behave or what action to take next.
