conflict ideas for short stories

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.

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.

Look at real - life situations. For instance, conflicts at work, like colleagues competing for a limited number of promotions. You can take this and fictionalize it for your short story.

One idea could be a character's internal conflict between following their dreams or fulfilling family expectations. For example, a young artist who wants to study art in Paris but their parents expect them to take over the family business. This creates a strong conflict as the character has to decide between their passion and their sense of family duty.

Person vs. society conflict. For instance, a character in a dystopian society who rebels against the strict laws and rules that suppress individuality. The character might start a small act of resistance like writing subversive graffiti, which then escalates as the authorities try to hunt them down.

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 conflict between two friends over a borrowed item that gets damaged. For example, one friend lends the other a precious book and it comes back with coffee stains. This can lead to a series of emotional exchanges like anger, disappointment, and attempts at reconciliation.

There are mainly three types of conflict in short stories. The first is man - against - man conflict, which involves a struggle between two or more characters. For example, in a detective story, the detective and the criminal are in this kind of conflict. The second is man - against - nature conflict. Here, the character has to battle against natural elements like a storm or a wild animal. In 'To Build a Fire' by Jack London, the man struggles against the extreme cold. And the third is man - against - self conflict. This is when a character is dealing with his or her own inner demons, like in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', where the narrator battles his own guilt and madness.

Conflict in short stories can be presented in various ways. It could be a person vs. person conflict, like two characters fighting over a limited resource or having a disagreement in beliefs. For example, in many detective short stories, the detective is in conflict with the criminal. Another type is person vs. society, where a character goes against the norms or rules of the society they live in. In some dystopian short stories, the protagonist rebels against the oppressive society. Person vs. self is also common, where the character struggles with their own inner demons, like in stories about a person trying to overcome their fear or self - doubt.