Plot MechanicsFoundational
Conflict
Opposing forces produce the pressure that creates story.
Principle
Without resistance, decisions are not visible.
Takeaways
- Internal conflict reveals character; external conflict reveals action.
- The strongest stories pair them: internal stake mirrored in external obstacle.
- A conflict without cost is decoration.
Overview
Conflict is the friction between desire and obstacle. It can be internal (within a character), interpersonal (between characters), or environmental (against world or system). Most narrative pressure comes from layering these.
Examples
- A doctor must save a patient and choose which patient first.
- A spy loves the agent they are sent to deceive.
- A community must survive a winter that exceeds its resources.