How a Character’s Obstacles Drive the Story in Fiction Writing
Every great story has a protagonist — a hero or heroine at the heart of the plot. But what makes that protagonist truly compelling? It’s not just their deepest desire; it’s also the obstacles they face along their journey to achieving it. As a fiction writer, one of your key goals is to create believable characters who have obstacles they must overcome. These obstacles should be both internal and external, because that adds depth and complexity to the story. Internal conflicts are the psychological issues — self-doubt, inner turmoil — that prevent your protagonist from obtaining their deepest desire. External obstacles are tangible blocks — job loss, financial status, relationships — that keep them from what they want. Let’s explore how these conflicts can drive your story forward.
Internal obstacles
Internal obstacles come from within and are some of the most powerful tools you have to create a compelling story. They are based on lies your protagonist has come to believe about themselves due to some wounding event in their past. It could be something as simple as growing up poor or being treated unfairly by an authority figure, or something more complex like being told by a parent that they were unlovable.
These obstacles can be harder for the protagonist to overcome because they come from their own mind, which makes it difficult to see things objectively. But they are powerful because they let us connect with the character on an emotional level and understand why they make certain choices, even if we don’t agree with them. Whatever the internal obstacle is, it colors the way your character views the world. The internal struggle impacts how the main character acts, reacts, and thinks, and it prevents them from achieving their deepest desire until they can confront it and find truth in its place. The main character’s internal struggle and its resolution combine to make the point you want to make with your story.
External obstacles
External obstacles come from outside sources: job loss, relationships, financial status, and the like. These can be easier for the character to overcome because they often have more tangible solutions than internal ones. A job loss could lead to searching for new employment or starting a business. External obstacles can also provide interesting plot twists, since there is always the possibility of unexpected events or other characters entering the scene.
Like internal obstacles, external conflicts stand between your protagonist and success, just in a more tangible way. The goal isn’t only to put an obstacle between your character and their desired outcome; it should also show us something deeper about them, so we see how they handle adversity. This external conflict should result in growth as the character learns through overcoming these challenges.
A well-crafted story needs obstacles for its characters to overcome; otherwise it won’t be engaging for the reader. By creating internal conflicts based on the lies your protagonist believes, and external conflicts that challenge them physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, you craft a story with depth and meaning, and you bring your characters alive on the page.
This is the kind of work I do with my clients as they write their books, fiction, nonfiction, and memoir. If you’d like a taste of this type of coaching, learn more here.