Conflict is an essential part of the plot. Within a short story or novel, there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones. 

What is conflict?

Conflict can be defined as the disagreement/struggle/opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move.

Conflict can also be defined as a disagreement between two or more people. 

Types of Conflict

There are two major types of conflict. These are external and internal conflicts.

External Conflict: This type of conflict is a struggle with a force outside of one’s self. 

Examples of this are:

• Man vs. man 
• Man vs. self
• Man vs. society
• Man vs. circumstances

Internal Conflict: This is a struggle within one’s self who must make some decisions, overcome pain, deal with temper, or urge resistance. 

Kinds of Conflict

Man vs. Man: The Protagonist (leading character) struggles physically against other men. 

Man vs. Nature: The protagonist struggles against a force of nature or animal.

Man vs. Society: The protagonist struggles against the ideas, practices, or customs of other people.

Man vs. Circumstances: The protagonist struggles against fate or the circumstances of life facing him.

Man vs. himself: The leading character struggles with himself with his own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.