A RECAP OF THE 7 STORY CONFLICTS:

Every story revolves around conflict. Why? Because a story mirrors life, and life is conflict.

But not all conflicts are equal, and choosing the right type can enhance your character arc, clarify your theme, and elevate your entire structure.

Over the past weeks, we’ve explored the 7 major story conflicts.

Here’s a quick summary and how to use them strategically:

1. Man vs. Man

External and direct.

A conflict between individuals, rivals, enemies, friends, even lovers. This is the most classic form of tension, often used to highlight opposing values.

Use it when: You want to explore moral gray areas, power dynamics, or show a protagonist growing through opposition.

Example: Katniss vs. President Snow (The Hunger Games), Harry vs. Voldemort (Harry Potter).

2. Man vs. Society

Rebellion, resistance, or revolution

This pits your character against institutions, laws, cultural norms, oppressive systems, or mass belief that’s sometimes a great big lie.

Use it when: Your story critiques injustice or the cost of non-conformity.

Example: Offred vs. Gilead (The Handmaid’s Tale), V vs. totalitarianism (V for Vendetta).

3. Man vs. Nature

Survival against the wild.

Nature becomes the antagonist—storms, animals, disease, even space. This often explores human insignificance and resilience.

Use it when: You want a visceral, primal struggle with a physical environment that tests limits.

Example: Pi vs. the sea (Life of Pi), Mark Watney vs. Mars (The Martian).

4. Man vs. Fate or God

The battle for control over destiny.

The character fights prophecy, divine will, or existential meaninglessness, often questioning whether we shape our fate or are bound by it.

Use it when: Your story is philosophical, spiritual, or explores existential dread.

Example: Neo vs. the Matrix (The Matrix), Oedipus vs. prophecy (Oedipus Rex).

5. Man vs. Self

Internal and emotional.

The protagonist’s deepest fears, desires, flaws, or traumas become the source of conflict.

Use it when: You’re writing character-driven fiction where the external world mirrors inner struggle.

Example: Nina’s psychological breakdown (Black Swan), Hamlet’s indecision (Hamlet).

6. Man vs. the Supernatural:

Forces beyond the rational world.

Ghosts, monsters, curses, or mythic beings. Often symbolic of psychological or societal fears.

Use it when: You want to blend fantasy, horror, or magical realism with deeper meaning.

Example: Coraline vs. the Other Mother (Coraline). Carly vs. a haunted pool (The La Piscina Inn).  Cole vs. ghosts (The Sixth Sense.

7. Man vs. Technology

The machine turns on its maker.

Here, innovation becomes the threat—AI, robotics, surveillance, or biotech. This conflict often questions progress, ethics, or humanity’s place in its own creation.

Use it when: You’re writing sci-fi or cautionary tales about power, knowledge, and control.

Example: HAL vs. Dave (2001: A Space Odyssey), the Hosts vs. humans (Westworld).

So which one should you choose?

Ask yourself:

What is your character’s ultimate flaw?

What truth about life or society does your story want to explore?

What external force will best reveal that inner flaw?

Often, the most compelling stories combine two or more conflicts. For instance, The Hunger Games is Man vs. Man, Society, and Self.

But for clarity and cohesion, one should drive the arc while others act as support.

Want to go deeper?

In the weeks ahead, we’ll explore how to build your plot structure around your chosen conflict here in Story Design, tying it to character change, story theme, and your novel’s midpoint crisis.

Stick around and bring your story notebook.

Let’s build something worth writing.

Happy Writing!

~ M.C. Convery