How do I Teach Internal Conflict?

A character-driven story doesn't work without some type of internal conflict. Whether a character struggles with a choice between right and wrong, engages in a love triangle with no clear resolution or faces some other life-altering dilemma, her inner turmoil must play out if the story is to be interesting and comprehensible to its readers. When teaching students about the concept of internal conflict, approach it from an angle that is relevant to their own lives.

Instructions

• 1

  Define internal conflict and explain how it differs from external conflict. Provide examples of each type of conflict. Draw your examples from movies, pop culture or common experiences your students can relate to.

• 2

  Choose a main character from a well-known story and ask students to identify the source of the character's primary internal conflict. If the class is currently studying a novel or short story, you might use a character from it to enhance your students' understanding as they continue studying the piece.

• 3

  Choose a less prominent character in the story whose inner conflict is less evident or not addressed at all. Ask your students to suggest ways in which that character might have been struggling internally.

• 4

  Reinforce the concept of internal conflict by encouraging a class discussion about internal conflicts your students have experienced personally. Invite them to expand on the concept by sharing how, if at all, the resolution of the conflict changed them or affected some aspect of their lives.