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A great story needs characters and a setting, but it needs a lot more. [A zombie, gladiator and woman]

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Otherwise… “random guy sitting on a park bench” could be a story. [Man sat on a bench with swans walking round]

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Riveting.

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Say you've got two space marines, hanging out on the moon of a distant planet.

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So far so good, especially if you're into outer space. [One of the marines yawns]

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But the setup alone doesn't make for a story.

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If these space marines just spend all their time on the moon playing gin rummy, they might [Space marines playing a card game]

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have some fun…

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…but the readers or watchers won't.

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Nah… we're going to need some conflict.

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And hopefully that conflict entails more than just a misdeal. [The table explodes and the word conflict appears]

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In literature, conflict is a struggle between two forces. ['Force' appears in two different colors and pushes against each other]

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And, since there are lots of different kinds of forces, there are lots of different kinds

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of conflict, too.

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One type of conflict is person versus person: when two characters have a conflict with each [Two people wanting to fight]

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other.

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So if each of our space marines was trying to declare the moon in the name of their respective [Space marines each put down a flag]

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planets, that'd be prime person versus person conflict.

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Another type of conflict is person versus society: when a character is in conflict with [Man has fists up against society]

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the values of their society, or a group with authority.

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If one of the space marines is a renegade who wants to plant flowers on the moon, against [Flowers appear]

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the strict orders of the galactic government…

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…then we've got some person versus society conflict on our hands. [Robot appears]

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And…we’re pretty sure he’ll be played by Matt Damon in the movie.

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We also have person vs. nature conflicts: when a character faces a force of nature.

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So if our space marine is facing a horrible storm… [Space marine clinging on to a tree because of the wind]

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…or dealing with a grizzly bear that somehow found a space helmet, our marine is in a person [Grizzly bear pops up with a helmet on]

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vs. nature conflict.

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Last but not least, there’s person versus self: when a character is in conflict with

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him-or-herself.

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It can be something as simple as a space marine who's having trouble convincing himself to [Space marine asleep]

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get out of bed in the morning.

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Which… might not sound as scary as facing down a space tornado or a grizzly bear… [The other space marine flies past the window in the storm]

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…but with a comfortable enough bed, the struggle can be very real. [The space marine sees the bear and closes the curtains]

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