Conflict (narrative)

Conflict is a major element of narrative or dramatic story structure, wherein opposing forces create challenges that introduce uncertainty and/or delay to if and when characters will achieve their goals. Conflict may also serve as a motivation for characters to take action.

The modern theory of literary conflict developed in European and European diaspora literature starting in the 20th century. It is often applied to other stories, framing them as centering around one or more conflicts, though that may or may not have been the intent of the author.