The short answer: conflict
The main problem in a story is usually called the conflict. It is the obstacle, struggle or challenge that stands between the main character and what they want. Without it there is little for the character to do and little for the reader to care about.
In classroom language you will also see the term “problem and solution”: the problem is introduced early, the character tries to deal with it, and the way it ends is the solution or resolution. Writers often call the same thing the central conflict, the main dramatic question or the story problem.
Problem, conflict and stakes: how they differ
These words overlap, but separating them helps when you are planning:
- Problem: the situation that goes wrong or the gap between what the character has and what they need.
- Conflict: the active struggle that results, whether against a person, a force or an inner obstacle.
- Stakes: what the character stands to lose or gain. Stakes explain why the problem matters.
For example, a girl’s family farm is about to be repossessed (problem). She must convince a hostile neighbor to sell her a strip of land (conflict). If she fails, her family loses their home (stakes).
Types of story problems
Conflict is often grouped into two big families, each with subtypes.
External conflict:
- Character vs. character: a rival, enemy or opposing family.
- Character vs. society: unjust laws, strict customs, a repressive government. In fantasy, social classes are a ready source of this conflict.
- Character vs. nature: storms, wilderness, illness, survival.
- Character vs. technology or the supernatural: a haunted house, a malfunctioning machine.
Internal conflict:
- Character vs. self: fear, guilt, addiction, a belief that keeps them stuck, or two desires that cannot both be satisfied.
Many successful stories layer an external problem over an internal one. A detective chasing a killer may also be wrestling with a past failure, and the way those two threads meet often shapes the climax.
How to identify the problem in a story
If you are analyzing a story you are reading, try these questions:
- What does the main character want?
- What is stopping them?
- What happens if they fail?
- When in the story does this problem first appear?
- What changes by the end?
The answer to question 2 is the story problem. If you find more than one, look for the one that drives most of the action.
How to build a strong story problem
- Make the want specific. “Be happy” is hard to dramatize. “Win the regional chess final to keep her scholarship” is concrete.
- Add real opposition. An obstacle with its own motives is more interesting than bad luck.
- Raise the stakes. Tie them to something the character cares about, not just something large.
- Connect the outer to the inner. The best problems pressure the character’s flaw, so solving them requires change. A character interview helps you find that flaw.
- Keep it escalating. Each attempt to fix the problem should cost something or make it harder.
If you are still shaping your idea, try compressing the problem into a story premise.
Escalation and resolution (problem and solution)
A story problem generally follows a path:
- Introduction. The problem appears, often through an inciting incident.
- Attempts. The character tries solutions, and some fail or backfire.
- Escalation. The problem grows more complex or more costly. Key turning points deepen it or change its shape.
- Climax. The character faces it directly, and the outcome is decided.
- Resolution. The result, whether success, failure or something in between, is shown.
The solution should come from the character’s own choices and growth. When a rescue arrives from nowhere, readers may feel the conflict was not taken seriously.
Examples
- In Little Red Riding Hood, the problem is a hungry wolf who tricks a child and her grandmother, which is a character-versus-character conflict.
- In The Old Man and the Sea, an aging fisherman struggles for days against a huge fish and the sea, combining character versus nature with an internal test of endurance and pride.
- In To Kill a Mockingbird, a lawyer defends a man falsely accused in a prejudiced town, a character-versus-society problem that also tests the family’s values.
Common mistakes
- No stakes. The problem is described but nothing depends on it.
- A problem solved too easily. If a single conversation fixes it, the story may feel thin.
- Conflict without a character. Explosions and chases mean little unless a specific person is invested.
- Confusing a topic with a problem. “War” or “grief” is a subject. A particular person trying to do something about it in a particular situation is a problem.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest problem in a story?
Usually the central conflict, the one that the plot is built around and that is resolved at the climax. Smaller problems along the way may be subplots or obstacles.
What is the main issue in a story called?
Conflict, central conflict or main problem.
What are the 7 main elements of a story?
A common list is characters, setting, plot, conflict, theme, point of view and style or tone, though counts vary. See the full breakdown in the elements of a story.
What is problem and solution in a story?
It is the pattern in which a problem appears, the characters work on it and some resolution follows. Our guide to writing a plot shows how to arrange those steps.