Romantic interests are also a big source. Just like in my previous story, two students liking the same person can lead to arguments and a rift in their friendship. It's a time when hormones are raging and emotions are high.
One common source is competition for grades. Students may feel jealous or angry if they think someone else is getting better grades unfairly. For example, if a student cheats to get a high mark and others find out, it can cause a conflict.
One common source of conflict in ghost stories is the encounter between the living and the dead. The living characters often have their normal lives disrupted by the presence of a ghost, which creates fear and a struggle to return to normalcy.
Well, in love stories, conflicting personalities can be a big source of conflict. For example, if one person is very outgoing and the other is introverted, they might have different ideas about how to spend time together. Also, past traumas can play a role. If one partner has been cheated on in the past, they may bring that baggage into the new relationship and be overly suspicious. Financial differences can also be a factor. If one is wealthy and the other is struggling financially, it can lead to power imbalances and disagreements over money matters.
In grade 10, there was a conflict between two friends, Tom and Jerry. They both liked the same girl, Lily. One day, Tom saw Jerry giving a love letter to Lily and he got really angry. He confronted Jerry and they had a big argument. Jerry tried to explain that he just wanted to be friends with Lily first, but Tom didn't believe him. This led to a cold war between them for weeks. They avoided each other in class and at lunch. However, later they realized that their friendship was more important and they made up.
It could be a simple misunderstanding between characters. Maybe one character assumes something wrong about the other, creating the conflict.
One common type is person vs. person. This involves a direct conflict between two or more characters, like a hero and a villain in a battle for power or over a love interest. Another is person vs. society. Here, the character struggles against the norms, laws, or expectations of the society they live in. For example, a character might fight against a discriminatory law. Person vs. self is also prevalent. This is an internal struggle within a character, such as dealing with self - doubt, fear, or moral dilemmas.
Character vs. nature is quite common. For example, a hiker gets lost in a storm and has to fight against the elements to survive. The power of nature, like strong winds and cold temperatures, is in conflict with the hiker's will to live.
Well, there are emotional conflicts too. A character might be torn between love and duty, which is a type of internal conflict. In some short stories, there is a cultural conflict. When characters from different cultures clash due to their different values and beliefs. And also technological conflict can exist. For example, in a story where a character is struggling to adapt to a new and overwhelming technological advancement in their world.
Personal memories are a common source. Those childhood memories, like the first day at school or a family gathering, can be turned into short stories. Folklore and myths are also great. They are full of interesting characters and plots that can be reimagined in a modern short fiction context.
The main conflict in 'Seventh Grade' might be the protagonist's struggle to fit in and be accepted among his peers at school.
Perhaps the conflict is related to internal struggles within the protagonist, like dealing with self-doubt or fear of failure while trying to achieve a certain goal in the seventh grade.