Story telling is a funny thing, isn’t it? We create a problem and then find a solution to it. Some stories keep us on our toes and make us go ‘wow,’ whereas others elicit nothing more than a ‘meh.’
Where does the difference lie, you ask? One answer: it is how creatively we plot the conflict of a story and then find an exciting solution for it; that is what puts good stories apart from the rest. So, what are the different ways in which one can create a conflict of a story?
1. Human vs Human:
Every one of us has written a story in our lifetime where the antagonist is another person who pits himself against our hero and tries to stand in the way of his/her quest. Draco Malfoy declares himself Harry’s enemy right at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. And Miss Trunchbull is obsessed with punishing Matilda.
These villains present themselves as equals of the main characters, so the odds of their winning is a one to one. But let’s not forget that some villains are literally bigger than our heroes. How else would The Dark Knight Rise(s) and prove himself to be the saviour of Gotham if not by defeating the bigger, faster and ruthless Bane? And Captain Hook did think he was better than Peter Pan and Wendy, didn’t he?
2. Human vs Society:
Have you ever written a story where the opposition is not one individual but a group of people? Villains don’t always come in the form of an individual. They may present themselves in the form of an institution. Take the story of Katniss Everdeen in the very popular The Hunger Games series. She fights against the bourgeoise of a ruthless, merciless society in a dystopian future that seeks to subjugate the downtrodden, or Seam, as they are known, and keep them in control through hunger. Romeo and Juliet too tried to fight against their respective societies. But sometimes, tragedy is inevitable.
3. Human vs the Natural World:
Do you recall a story you wrote where your main character went on a trek in the forest and got lost? Guess what? That is precisely a conflict against the natural world. Not all villains are humans. Nature can present many challenges that one is forced to overcome. Natural disasters, wild animal attacks and many such are what comprises this kind of conflict. Trying to outrun a storm that is approaching with immense speed would be an example of a conflict of this kind. It would certainly make for The Perfect Storm.
4. Human vs Technology: