ideas for conflict in a short story

A conflict within a character can be very interesting too. A person who has always been taught to be honest but is suddenly faced with a situation where lying could save a loved one from a great harm. The internal struggle between their moral values and the love for their family member is a powerful source of conflict.

A simple yet effective conflict could be jealousy. For instance, if one friend gets a great job opportunity while the other is still struggling. The less fortunate friend might start to feel jealous, which could strain their relationship.

One idea could be a character vs. society conflict. For example, in a small town where everyone follows old - fashioned traditions, a young artist wants to introduce modern art forms. The society, including the town council and conservative residents, opposes this change. They try to stop the artist from holding exhibitions or teaching new techniques, creating a strong conflict as the artist battles against the norms of the whole town.

One idea could be a power struggle between different magical races. For example, elves who have long been in control of a certain magical forest might face a challenge from a newly emerged race of dwarves who also want to harness the forest's magic. This could lead to battles, political intrigue, and a fight for the loyalty of other races in the fantasy world.

One conflict idea could be a character vs. society. For example, a young artist in a conservative town where art is not seen as a legitimate career. The town's values and expectations conflict with the artist's dreams.

A character vs. technology conflict could be interesting. For instance, a writer who has always written with pen and paper suddenly has to switch to a new high - tech writing device for a project. The device keeps malfunctioning and has a complex interface. The writer, who is used to the simplicity of pen and paper, is frustrated and has to struggle with the technology to meet the project deadline.

Magic misuse can cause conflict. For instance, if a powerful mage starts using dark magic to gain more power, it begins to corrupt the land around him. The local villages and the ruling lord's forces will be in conflict with the mage. The villagers are suffering from the effects of the dark magic, and the lord wants to maintain his territory. At the same time, there may be other mages who are split between trying to stop their former colleague and being intrigued by the power he's amassing.

Here's another. A character has a family - owned restaurant that has been in the family for generations. They have a great opportunity to sell the restaurant and use the money to fund their own tech startup, which is their long - held dream. But selling the restaurant would be seen as a betrayal of the family. This situation pits their loyalty to the family heritage against their own personal career goals.

In a short story, conflict is the struggle or problem that the characters face. It can be internal, like a character's self - doubt or moral dilemma. For example, in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the narrator's internal conflict between his sanity and his guilt over the murder he committed drives the story. It can also be external, such as a character fighting against another character, society, or nature. For instance, in 'To Build a Fire', the man's struggle against the harsh cold of the Yukon (nature) is the main conflict.

A conflict in a short story is basically a struggle or a problem that the characters face. It could be between characters, within a character, or against some external force like nature or society.