DISCUSSION: Different Types of Conflicts

[Greninjaman]

I did some digging around looking into this and here is what I have come up with (and decided to share):
There are 6 different types of conflicts:
Man VS Self: This obviously sees the protagonist struggle with something internal, whether it's fear, self-doubt, or depression. This is an internal struggle.

Man VS Man: This type of conflict sees the protagonist struggle against another person. The other person may have a similar goal or wants to prevent the protagonist from achieving their goal. This is a very common type that is seen in a lot of stories.

Man VS Society: This type of conflict has the potential to grow from Man VS Man, if the opposing person is part of a group that is trying to stop the protagonist. The group can be an oppressive empire or simply a rival faction.

Man VS Nature: This type has the protagonist struggle against nature, whether it's a natural disaster or animals. This is seen in disaster films where the goal is to survive. Sure there are some that feature other types of conflict in addition to the Man VS Nature.

Man VS Machine: This can come in many forms. From robot overlords in "The Matrix" to simply a robot that can do the job better. This of course is seen in a lot of Science Fiction stories.

Man VS Fate/Supernatural: This has the protagonist struggle against a god or gods. It can also be a supernatural struggle. This can overlap with Man VS Man, and/or Man VS Self.
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What are good/bad examples of each one?
What do you consider to be the easiest one to work with?

 

[Beth Pavell]

I don't think you can really create a comprehensive list of conflicts, but, I don't think it really matters, because thinking in this way is a good way of getting down the bones of a story. What is the story, well it's man vs nature; fill in who is the man and what is the nature to come up with a plot summary

 

[Greninjaman]

Yeah. It can help you get the core of the story set. To use your example of Man VS Nature, it could be someone trying to survive a mega Earthquake. Or someone who is lost in the wilderness/forest and has to fight against wild animals and such to survive.