Plot Structure & Conflict
📋 What it is
Plot is the sequence of events; conflict is the tension that keeps readers turning pages.
🗣️ Coach says
Plot is what happens, in order; conflict is the trouble that makes it gripping. Conflict can be against another character, nature, society, or even oneself. Rising tension pulls readers toward the climax.
🧠 Memory hook
Plot = the order of events. Conflict = the trouble. Rising tension → climax → resolution.
😂 Giggle
What did the protagonist say to the antagonist?
"We need to stop meeting like this — every single chapter!"
😲 Whoa!
The four classic conflicts are character vs character, vs nature, vs society, and vs self.
✅ Quick check: A character battling their own fear is which type of conflict?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Character vs self — an internal conflict.
A struggle within a character's own mind is an internal (vs self) conflict.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Give your character a problem and sketch three events that build tension toward a climax.