Every scene needs conflict. Not explosions. Not arguments. Just two forces that can't both win. That tension is what pulls readers through your script and keeps audiences in their seats.
Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty. Conflict creates both.
What Conflict Actually Means
Conflict isn't fighting. It's wanting.
A character wants something. Something stands in the way. That's it. The obstacle can be a person, a locked door, a memory, a fear. It doesn't matter. What matters is the gap between desire and reality.
No gap, no scene. Your character walks in, gets what they want, walks out. Nothing happened. Nothing changed. The audience checks their phone.
Tip
Before writing any scene, ask: what does my character want here? What's stopping them? If you can't answer both questions, the scene isn't ready.
The Four Types of Conflict
Conflict comes in different forms. Most great scenes layer more than one.
Character vs. Character
The most visible type. Two people want incompatible things. A detective wants a confession. A suspect wants freedom. A couple fights over where to live.
This conflict is external and clear. The audience understands both sides. The tension is who will bend — or break.
Character vs. Self
Internal conflict. A character at war with their own desires, fears, or beliefs. The recovering addict passing a bar. The soldier questioning their orders. The parent choosing between career and family.
Note
Internal conflict is harder to show on screen but often more powerful. It requires behavior that reveals the struggle — not just dialogue explaining it.
Character vs. Society
One person against a system. The whistleblower. The rebel. The innocent accused. The rules say one thing; the character believes another.
This conflict works because the system feels immovable. David vs. Goliath. We root for the underdog because we've all felt crushed by forces bigger than ourselves.
Character vs. Nature
Survival stories. The storm. The desert. The disease. Nature doesn't negotiate. It doesn't care about your character's backstory or motivation. It just is.
When nature is the antagonist, every choice becomes life or death. The stakes are built in.
Building Conflict Into Every Scene
Conflict isn't just for climaxes. It belongs in every scene — even the quiet ones. Here's how to find it.
Give Characters Opposing Goals
Even allies can be in conflict. Two detectives want to solve the case, but one wants to follow protocol while the other wants to bend rules. Same goal, different methods. Instant friction.
Tip
The best partnerships have built-in tension. Buddy comedies understand this. So should your drama.
Raise the Stakes
What happens if the character fails? Make it matter. Not every scene needs life-or-death stakes, but something should be at risk. Dignity. A relationship. A promotion. Hope.
Low stakes feel like nothing's happening. High stakes feel like everything matters.
Add a Clock
Time pressure intensifies any conflict. The bomb is ticking. The plane leaves at midnight. The wedding is in an hour. Deadlines force decisions. Decisions reveal character.
Use Subtext
Not all conflict is spoken. Sometimes the most tension comes from what characters don't say. The words are polite; the meaning is war.
Note
Subtext is conflict wearing a mask. The audience feels the real conversation underneath the surface one. It's more engaging because it asks them to read between the lines.
Common Mistakes
Conflict Without Purpose
Arguing for the sake of drama feels hollow. Every conflict should reveal character, advance plot, or both. If a scene is just people yelling, ask what it's actually accomplishing.
Resolving Too Quickly
Let conflict breathe. If every problem is solved within the scene it's introduced, there's no tension to carry forward. Some conflicts should simmer across acts.
Warning
The audience needs to sit with uncertainty. If you relieve the pressure too fast, they never feel it build.
One-Sided Conflict
If the antagonist is obviously wrong, there's no real conflict — just a villain to defeat. The best conflicts have validity on both sides. We should understand, even sympathize with, the opposing force.
A villain who thinks they're the hero is more frightening than one who knows they're evil.
Conflict Drives Story
Plot is just conflict arranged in order. Inciting incident: conflict arrives. Rising action: conflict intensifies. Climax: conflict peaks. Resolution: conflict ends.
Every beat connects to what the character wants and what's in the way. Remove the conflict, and the story collapses. There's nothing to push against, nothing to overcome, nothing to watch.
Tip
When a scene feels dead, check the conflict. It's almost always the answer.
The Takeaway
Conflict is the engine. Not the only element — you need character, structure, theme, dialogue. But without conflict, none of it moves.
Every scene. Every sequence. Every act. Ask what your character wants. Ask what's in the way. Then watch the story drive itself forward.