4 Types of External Conflict in Screenwriting

Want to make your screenplay more gripping? External conflict is key. It’s the force that pushes against your main character and drives the story forward. Without it, your script might feel flat and boring.

There are four main types of external conflict you can use in your screenplay. Each one pits your protagonist against a different kind of obstacle. By mixing these up, you can create a rich, layered story that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Let’s take a closer look at these conflict types and how you can use them to spice up your writing.

1) Character vs. Character

Character vs. character conflict is the most common type of external conflict in screenwriting. It happens when two or more characters have opposing goals or desires.

This kind of conflict creates tension and drives the story forward. You’ll often see it in the form of a hero facing off against a villain.

Think about classic movie rivalries like Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader in Star Wars. Their clash is at the heart of the story.

Character vs. character conflict doesn’t always mean physical fights. It can be verbal battles, competing for the same goal, or trying to outsmart each other.

You can use this conflict to reveal important traits about your characters. How they handle opposition shows what they’re made of.

To create strong character vs. character conflict, make sure your characters have clear, opposing objectives. The stakes should be high for both sides.

Remember, this conflict should change and grow throughout your screenplay. It keeps viewers invested in the outcome.

2) Character vs. Nature

In this type of external conflict, your main character faces off against the forces of nature. It’s a classic showdown between humans and the wild world around them.

Think of movies like “The Revenant” or “Cast Away.” These stories pit people against harsh environments, dangerous animals, or extreme weather.

Your protagonist might battle a raging storm at sea or try to survive in a scorching desert. They could face off with a hungry predator or struggle to find food in a barren landscape.

This conflict tests your character’s survival skills and willpower. It often pushes them to their limits, forcing them to dig deep and find strength they didn’t know they had.

When writing this type of conflict, focus on the raw power of nature. Show how small and vulnerable your character feels in the face of these overwhelming forces.

You can use this conflict to reveal your character’s true nature. Do they rise to the challenge or crumble under pressure? Their actions in these extreme situations can tell us a lot about who they really are.

3) Character vs. Society

In this type of external conflict, your main character faces off against societal norms, expectations, or institutions. It’s you against the world, so to speak.

Think of a rebel fighting an oppressive government or someone challenging deeply ingrained cultural beliefs. Your protagonist might struggle with unfair laws, discrimination, or outdated traditions.

This conflict often shows up in dystopian stories. Picture The Hunger Games, where Katniss battles the Capitol’s cruel system. Or consider The Handmaid’s Tale, where women fight against a society that treats them as property.

But it’s not just for sci-fi. You can use this conflict in any setting where your character doesn’t fit in with society’s rules. Maybe it’s a teen rebelling against strict parents or a whistleblower exposing corporate corruption.

Character vs. society conflicts are great for exploring big themes. You can tackle issues like injustice, conformity, and individual freedom. These stories often make viewers think about their own place in society.

When writing this conflict, focus on how society’s pressures affect your character’s choices and actions. Show the personal cost of standing up against the status quo.

4) Character vs. Technology

Character vs. technology conflict puts your protagonist up against advanced machinery, AI, or other tech. This clash often happens in sci-fi stories but can pop up in other genres too.

You might write about a person fighting against robots or struggling with a smart home system gone rogue. Or maybe your character faces off against surveillance tech that’s invading their privacy.

To make this conflict work, try giving the technology some personality like in 2010: The Year We Make Contact. This can make it feel more like a real opponent for your character to battle against.

Think about how the tech might threaten your character’s goals or values. Maybe it’s making their job obsolete or changing the way people connect with each other.

When writing this type of conflict, explore the good and bad sides of technology. Show how it can help people but also cause problems when it gets out of hand.

Remember to keep your character’s reactions believable. How would they really feel about facing off against a piece of tech? What fears or hopes might they have?

How to Add External Conflict into Your Story

Adding compelling external conflict to your screenplay isn’t just about throwing obstacles at your characters—it’s about crafting meaningful challenges that drive your story forward and engage your audience. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to effectively incorporate external conflict into your script.

Start with Strong Foundations

Before diving into external conflicts, establish these key elements:

1. Clear character goals: Your protagonist must have specific, concrete objectives that the audience can understand and invest in emotionally.
2. High stakes: Make sure there are significant consequences if your character fails to overcome the conflict. The higher the stakes, the more invested your audience becomes.
3. Escalating tension: Start with smaller conflicts and gradually build to larger ones. This creates a satisfying progression that keeps viewers engaged.

Creating An Effective External Conflict

When developing external conflicts for your screenplay, consider these techniques:

1. Make conflicts personal: Even large-scale conflicts should connect to your character’s personal journey. In “The Dark Knight,” Gotham’s chaos directly challenges Batman’s beliefs about justice and order.
2. Create multi layered conflicts: Combine different types of external conflict. For example, your character might fight against both a physical antagonist (Character vs. Character) and an unjust system (Character vs. Society).
3. Use conflicts to reveal character: Design conflicts that force your characters to make difficult choices, revealing their true nature. What would your character sacrifice to achieve their goal?
4. Maintain believability: Even in fantastical settings, conflicts should feel logical within your story’s world. Establish clear rules and stick to them.

Internal vs. External Conflict

While external conflicts provide visible obstacles, they work best when paired with internal conflicts:

1. External conflicts often trigger internal struggles: When your protagonist faces an external threat, it should challenge their beliefs, values, or fears.
2. Internal conflicts can complicate external ones: A character’s self-doubt or moral dilemma might make it harder to overcome physical challenges.
3. Resolution alignment: Consider how resolving the external conflict helps address the internal one, creating a satisfying character arc.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As a beginner screenwriter, watch out for these pitfalls:

1. Conflict without purpose: Every external conflict should serve your story’s larger narrative and thematic goals.
2. Repetitive conflicts: Vary your conflicts to maintain audience interest. Don’t rely on the same type of obstacle throughout your script.
3. Easy resolutions: Don’t let your characters overcome major conflicts too easily. Victory should require genuine effort and sacrifice.
4. Disconnected conflicts: Ensure each conflict builds upon previous ones and contributes to your character’s journey.

Practical Tips for Implementation

Here are some hands-on techniques for adding external conflict to your screenplay:

1. Conflict mapping: Create a visual timeline of your conflicts, showing how they escalate and intersect throughout your story.
2. Scene-level conflict: Ensure each scene has some form of conflict, even if it’s subtle. Conflict drives scenes forward.
3. The “Yes, but…” / “No, and…” technique: When resolving one conflict, introduce a new complication that makes the situation worse.
4. Character resistance: Make sure your protagonist actively resists the conflict rather than passively experiencing it.

Using External Conflict to Drive Plot

External conflict should serve as the engine of your plot:

1. Inciting incident: Use a significant external conflict to kick-start your story and disrupt your protagonist’s normal life.
2. Plot points: Major external conflicts often mark important turning points in your screenplay.
3. Climax building: Structure your external conflicts to build toward a compelling climactic confrontation.

Impact on Pacing

External conflict directly affects your story’s rhythm:

1. Action-reaction cycles: Alternate between intense conflict scenes and quieter moments where characters process and regroup.
2. Tension management: Use varying levels of conflict to control pacing and maintain audience engagement.
3. Progressive complications: Each new conflict should feel more challenging than the last, creating a sense of escalating stakes.

Final Considerations

Remember these key points when crafting external conflicts:

1. Genre awareness: Different genres have different expectations for conflict. Study successful films in your genre to understand these patterns.
2. Theme reinforcement: Use external conflicts to explore and reinforce your story’s central themes.
3. Resolution satisfaction: The way your character overcomes the final conflict should feel both challenging and earned.
4. Audience engagement: Consider how each conflict will emotionally impact your viewers and keep them invested in the outcome.

By thoughtfully implementing these principles, you’ll create external conflicts that not only challenge your characters but also captivate your audience and strengthen your overall narrative.

Film Examples of External Conflict

External conflict adds excitement and tension to movies. It pushes characters to their limits and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Let’s look at some great examples of different types of external conflict in popular films.

Character vs. Character

In “The Dark Knight,” Batman faces off against the Joker. Their battle of wits and morals drives the story forward. The Joker creates chaos while Batman tries to maintain order.

“The Avengers” shows multiple character conflicts. Iron Man and Captain America clash over leadership styles. Thor and Hulk have an epic fight scene. These conflicts add depth to the team dynamics.

“Harry Potter” series features the ongoing struggle between Harry and Voldemort. Their conflict spans multiple books and movies, building to an ultimate showdown.

Character vs. Nature

“The Revenant” pits Hugh Glass against the harsh wilderness. He faces brutal weather, wild animals, and treacherous terrain in his quest for survival and revenge.

“Gravity” shows Sandra Bullock’s character battling the unforgiving environment of space. She must overcome the lack of oxygen, extreme temperatures, and debris fields to return to Earth.

“Cast Away” follows Tom Hanks as he tries to survive on a deserted island. He fights against isolation, hunger, and the elements in his struggle to stay alive and find rescue.

Character vs. Society

“The Hunger Games” shows Katniss Everdeen rebelling against a cruel government. She fights an oppressive system that forces kids to battle to the death for entertainment.

“Dead Poets Society” features students challenging strict school rules. They embrace creativity and free thinking, going against the rigid expectations of their teachers and parents.

“V for Vendetta” depicts a masked hero taking on a totalitarian government. V uses dramatic gestures and acts of rebellion to inspire a revolution against an unjust system.

Character vs. Technology

“The Matrix” shows humans battling against machines that have taken over the world. Neo and his allies fight to free humanity from a simulated reality controlled by artificial intelligence.

“I, Robot” features a detective investigating robots that may be breaking their programming. He uncovers a larger conspiracy involving an AI system trying to take control.

“The Terminator” pits humans against killer robots from the future. Sarah Connor must survive attacks from a relentless machine while trying to prevent a war between humans and AI.

The Final Cut

To sum up the article, external conflict comes in four main types and helps to create an interesting plot. The conflict can be anything from questioning societies views to surviving a natural disaster. 

The main point to take away from this article is to have a strong external conflict that you can use to push and pull the main character as they try to achieve their goals. This paired with internal conflict can help shape an exciting, engaging plot that will keep your viewers on the edge of their seats.