#character details

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7 Types of Internal Conflict for Your Protagonist

External conflict can always make readers more interested in a story. The fist fights, car chases, and fictional battles might make them hold their breath, but so can internal conflict. Check out the primary types of internal conflict your protagonist can experience to add more depth to your stories.

1. Morality Conflicts

Everyone eventually reaches a point where they question their morals. We have to believe in our morals as individuals to prioritize them. It’s not enough to have your parents or other leaders in your life tell you what’s right and wrong. You won’t hold the same morals until you choose them on your own.

Characters also reach these crucial points. It’s part of their character development like it’s part of our personal development. 

Your protagonist may only grapple with one question of morality in your story or they could encounter many. The morals will most likely align with your theme so they make sense within your plot.

Example: Your protagonist is a scientific researcher and leading a trial that could result in a cure for a new illness. They know they shouldn’t take bribes and wouldn’t compromise their career, but someone who nearly qualifies for their trial offers a life-changing amount of money to get included even though they’ve already been ruled out. The protagonist has to choose—do they stick with what they trust is morally correct or do they take the money and use it to help pay for a family member’s legal battle in criminal court? Do they view it as potentially saving two lives at once? Or do they reject the bribe and face whatever consequences could have possibly been avoided?

2. Self-Identity Conflicts

Your identity is something that morphs with time. People rarely settle on one version of themselves forever. Life makes us reconsider things from different perspectives as we go through periods of challenges and peace. Characters also grapple with their identities when faced with similar situations. It makes them take a stand, hold their ground, or chase new goals, which is much more interesting for readers.

Example: Your protagonist considers themselves an optimist because they’re a firefighter who has saved many lives. When they realize their chief has been starting all the fires their station ever fought, your protagonist begins to view people more pessimistically. It affects how quickly they’re willing to risk their life for others, which results in challenges and a character arc they wouldn’t have experienced without this fundamental change in their identity.

3. Religious Belief Conflicts

It’s much easier to stay firm in your religious beliefs if nothing challenges them. If a challenge or major question arises and your beliefs hold firm, that makes your identity stronger. It doesn’t always happen that way though.

When your protagonist faces this type of internal conflict and realizes their opinions or feelings contradict their religious beliefs, it can take them onto a path that shapes a new identity. These choices are hard but real. Readers who are going through the same experience or experienced the same questions before will get absorbed by your story because it’s relatable.

Example: Your protagonist attends a religious gathering every week. The group fundamentally believes their religion exists to help those in need. Prejudices begin to invade that group, so people start choosing their own well-being instead of helping others. Your protagonist watches their religious family pick sides and has to question if they really believe in helping others or if they choose the familiarity and safety that comes with the approval of their longtime religious family.

4. Societal Role Conflicts

Societies have predetermined roles or expectations for people based on factors like their gender, sex, and economic status (just to name a few). Sometimes these roles feel natural to people and other times they don’t. We all have to decide what feels best for us on an ongoing basis. Your protagonist may need to choose their societal role, reject it, or shape a new one to portray your theme in a relatable way.

Example: Your protagonist goes to a university for the first time. They’ve been encouraged by everyone they know to start forming a large friend group. That’s what people are supposed to do in college, their loved ones said. But your protagonist is an introvert and values only a few friendships at a time. They have to choose if they’ll push themselves to become a social butterfly or if they’re happier as the person they’ve always been.

5. Political Opinion Conflicts

Political opinions can create all types of internal conflict. You may believe in a certain candidate or party during one part of your life and support something completely different in another part. Those values change as we experience new things and meet new people. Characters can face the same internal struggles as they recognize changing values or reject opportunities for change.

Example: Your protagonist may have never formed strong political opinions. They meet a new person who becomes their best friend, but their government starts passing laws that make their best friend’s life much harder because they’re part of a marginalized community your protagonist hasn’t empathized with before. Your protagonist now cares for that community, so they have to decide if they’ll make different political choices that could ostracize them from the community they’ve been part of all their life. 

6. Love Conflicts

There are numerous types of love—self-love, your love for your family, and your love of a potential romantic interest or current partner. These come into conflicts in stories all the time because people experience them every day.

The conflicts result in choices—does your protagonist choose to continue loving a specific person or do they fall out of love? Do they fight for that love or realize it never actually existed? These are just a few ways this inner conflict can play out.

Example: Your protagonist has three siblings. They’d give their life for their siblings because they’ve lived in an emotional and physical home environment that’s been unsafe all of their lives. However, your protagonist is also the oldest child who has to leave home when they’re 18. They have to decide how to best love their siblings—do they leave them at home with a parent who is a threat to their safety so your protagonist can achieve an education or job that pays enough to create a new home for them? Do they get the legal system involved? Do they get their siblings and run away together since your protagonist is now old enough to lease an apartment, pay bills, etc?

7. Personal Journey Conflict

Existential crises make characters come to life by breaking their identity apart. These moments are unfortunately a real part of life, so readers want them in their books to help them cope, understand the changes, and generally feel not alone in their hardships.

This internal conflict happens when we question why we’re in this world or what we’re supposed to do with our lives. Sometimes there’s a clear answer after we start searching for it, but other times there isn’t. How your protagonist’s internal journey to a new purpose unfolds depends on your theme and plot.

Example: Your protagonist spent their life dreaming of becoming a politician. They wanted to help people and change the world, but they lost their first three attempts at running for local office. The third loss devastated them. If voters don’t want them as a leader, what’s their purpose? Who are they if they aren’t a leader who changes the world through effective policies? The answer may come through the plot events that follow. If they don’t get an answer, sometimes it means their purpose already exists in their life and they’re overlooking it.

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Reading through the basic types of internal conflict will help you shape your future protagonists. If you align your desired theme with an inner conflict, the external events in your plot will be much easier to choose. Your readers will also connect with your story better because they’ll see real problems reflected in your protagonist’s character arc.

[genshinresource]

Genshin Impact Character Details: Wriothesley

[cakesnifferuwu]

“Steve Raglan”

[writingadvice365]

Character Description Writing Resources

Secrets to Writing Effective Character Descriptions

Character Descriptions: How to Write Them

How to Describe Skin Color

Describing Black Hair in Fantasy Settings

Importance of Small Details

@writingwithcolor Description Guide Posts

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~Grand List of Writing Resources~  

[wretchedrest]

Artist - 구공 on twitter

[legends-of-apex]

'Bullet Train' info from the book: Lemon and Tangerine

**Spoilers for the ‘Bullet Train’ book and film below**

This is not an exhaustive list of character attributes, just what I can currently remember after the reading the book awhile back!

[Click here to see posts on some of the other characters]

General

They're not brothers in the book but are said to bear a striking resemblance to one another and are therefore referred to by other characters as either 'The Twins' or 'The Fruits', implying they've had their operational names for awhile

They've been working together for 5 years when the book begins and are renowned in the industry for being very good at what they do but are slightly unhinged

They frequent an erotic bookshop in Tokyo run by an older woman named Momo to buy and sell information from/to her about the criminal underworld. Momo is very fond of them and even calls them whilst they're on the bullet train to check in and see how they're doing and give them advice on the other assassins on the train

They say that when die, they’ll keep coming back like the fruit that grows on fruit trees every year

They met Ladybug in a bar frequented by a lot of other assassins a few years before the events of the book and were said to look so similar that Ladybug couldn't tell them apart despite them having no blood relation

They’re both described as being tall with slightly longer hair and very conventionally attractive features

They’re real names are never revealed to the readers

Lemon

Like the film, he's very good at reading people and he relates people's behaviours to various characters from Thomas and Friends

He says he learns more of his life lessons from Thomas and Friends

Lemon is known for being very unpredictable and is considered to be the more deadly of the two because of this

His parents were neglectful alcoholics so he doesn't drink for this reason

He had his first kill when he was still in school

He thinks he's not physically able to die because if he was he'd have been dead a long time ago, in his opinion. However, he does die after being shot in the head by Prince in the climax of the book

Like the film, Lemon shoots Kimura, but the wound is unfatal

Lemon is fiercely loyal to Tangerine and pretty much no one else

He is described as a formidable fighter to the point where Tangerine doesn't even worry about him losing a fight to Ladybug

When asked by Prince 'why is it wrong to kill people?' Lemon essentially responds with 'It isn't'

He tends to wake up a lot later than Tangerine 

He is exceptionally good at remembering people’s faces 

He is remarkably intuitive and makes character-based judgments on people very quickly that are usually accurate. He then assigns people a character from Thomas and Friends based on their personality and gives them a sticker from his sticker book

Unlike the film, when Lemon gets shot by Prince he isn't wearing a vest. He gets shot in the head and dies. His body is soon found by Tangerine

Tangerine

Unlike his film counterpart, Tangerine in the book is described as being frighteningly calm and in control of his emotions at all times to the point where only Lemon can really tell when he's upset as he starts quoting a film or a book he likes

He reads a lot. He seems to prefer a lot of classic novels such as the works of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy (yes, including 'Anna Karenina’ lol) and he uses these as a basis for his worldview and morality

He tells Lemon that one of his biggest fears is dying alone

He is implied to have had a bad relationship to his Father, who is now dead

He is perpetually irritated by Lemon’s ramblings on Thomas the Tank Engine however he does prove that he’s been listening towards the end of the book when he sees the Diesel sticker on Prince’s jacket as was put there by Lemon

He’s described as being incredibly neat and clean, taking great care to wash his hands as thoroughly as a surgeon might before a procedure after going to the bathroom

When asked by Prince ‘why is it wrong to kill people?’ he responds with a philosophical ramble that lasts several pages of the book, quoting various philosophers as he does. His response amounts to him thinking that the concept of ‘crime’ in general is fluid depending on the country you’re in and is therefore meaningless in terms of moral value

When he realises that Prince was the one who killed Lemon, he hands Prince a gun as he says he wont shoot a child unarmed. He starts quoting Dostoyevsky and it is clear that he’s had some kind of mental break upon finding Lemon’s body

Ladybug walks in on this interaction and Tangerine turns around to fight him but falls in a gangway and breaks his neck upon hitting the ground

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

* Obviously, don’t look into the character’s tags! Just go with your gut.

* Feel free to reblog for a larger sample size!

[fights4users]

Two things here,

Firstly the street confirms that the city is in fact LA, it wasn’t very hard to guess considering the Propensity 80s movies had to taking place in the city. It also makes the whole “center city” thing in legacy even weirder that they’re trying to distance from the real world— when the whole point was the contrast, I digress.

Second is the little sign on the side, that is handmade and likely the original sign for the arcade. I imagine Flynn took out a huge loan for the neon one, but I love the little one. It’s cheap and sparsely decorated sure but it’s got heart! More importantly its listing his games. Just like the gigantic billboard overhead (likely another major loan) proudly displaying paranoids. It’s his little ‘up yours’ to Dillinger and Encom; his little way to credit himself. I can also imagine he tells anyone who’ll listen they’re his games- but most people think he’s just saying that to impress them- except the younger kids. His hard core fans.

[ittuatuq]

A small introduction to our main cast. With people, spirits and dogs alike!

[heyomi]

Morgan and Raine's character sheet

Yeah lemme just drop these on tumblr too

I love these 2 lesbians

[honourablejester]

I’m just browsing some of the common magic items in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, and quite a few of them delight me, for much the same reasons as the trinket tables. Not necessarily because they’re useful, but because they’re quite evocative of setting and character. These feel like … things that would be knocking around your world, and things that certain characters (or NPCs) would be drawn to.

Like. If you’re in a campaign/setting with a lot of intrigue, a combination of the Clothes of Mending (magically mends itself to counteract wear and tear), the Perfume of Bewitching (lasts an hour, gives advantage on all charisma checks, and does not alert people they’re being influenced by magic), and the Veteran’s Cane (transforms into a longsword on command and then becomes nonmagical) all feel like an excellent courtier/spy kit? Your clothes are always pristine, a dab of your perfume or cologne makes people ever so much more amenable to you, and if all else fails you have a weapon to hand even if technically they weren’t allowed on the premises. Create a persona as a somewhat unsteady dowager or a dignified ex-military person, and set about your missions.

I would also be quite fascinated at the thought of an NPC seller who specialises in such items. The perfume in particular. That dingy little shop that all the right gentlemen and women are … knowledgeable of. Perhaps they have other wares. Poisons, perhaps? In a setting with intrigue, definitely an opportunity to create something of a fixer/broker sort of character, someone who sells useful little items to gentlefolk in need.

The Tankard of Sobriety is also an interesting little character detail. You simply can’t get drunk off whatever you drink out of it. (You can still be poisoned or drink acid out of it, it’s not protective in those senses, you just can’t get drunk). That’s a fascinating little thing for someone to have. And, again, it might just be because the Perfume made me think intrigue, but that would be such a useful information gathering tool. You gently encourage your targets to get drunk around you, and you’re tossing back exactly the same stuff as well, so they don’t suspect, but you’re staying fully compos mentis while they descend. I feel like this would be a really good little item for a crime lord sort of NPC to have? Their little way of keeping control while attending fraught meetings and the like.

On a much less delicate and more rough and tumble sort of level, I also quite enjoy both the Rope of Mending and the Pole of Collapsing. The rope you can cut up however you want and then say a command to knit it all back together, though any missing pieces will be lost. The pole you can collapse down from 10ft to 1ft with a command for easy stowing, and expand back out with another command. Interestingly, it’ll only expand as far as the space allows, which gives me distinct Sun Wukong vibes. I wonder if you could use it to arrest your fall down a narrow shaft? Anyway. I like this pair of items because they just feel like the sorts of things a pragmatic explorer would have.

And then there’s interesting little items like the Charlatan’s Die and the Candle of the Deep.

The die requires attunement, and it’s that quintessential cheaters tool of a loaded dice, in that it lands on whatever number you want it to land. So it’s a sophisticated cheater’s die in that you can tailor it to whatever number fits the situation, so it isn’t just perpetually rolling sixes. You can rig every roll as you please, to win, to lose, to be one short of what you need. It’s a great tool for a gambler who likes to play the players as much as play the game, as they can tailor any series of rolls to build drama or lessen tension as they require. It allows a lot more psychological manipulation of what is meant to be a game of chance, so it’s a telling sort of item for a good cheater to have.

And the candle is quite practical, being just a candle that burns underwater, but also just so good for when you want spooky Innsmouth underwater rituals to sea hags or dark gods to be happening in your world. An altar set with these in the middle of a flooded temple dungeon, their eerie light flickering under the murky water, is just a wonderful bit of set-dressing to throw in, and a nice bit of a thing for players to salvage. Possibly at some risk, if they’re taking them off an active altar.

Also, they run down just like normal candles, so I’m delighted again that there’s likely someone out there selling them. A dockside chandler that supplies all your salty ritual needs.

Like, these are all just great little character or setting building details. Interesting things for players to pick up and play with, and potentially informative little things to watch an NPC use or find in their possession.

Low level magic items are potentially a lot of fun. Heh.

[stuckasmain]

I may need to double check but I find it kinda funny that a movie that’s notorious for limited dialogue has more than the book. I genuinely think Dave and Frank talk more in the movie, largely thanks to the interview. Which is also just, generally a great way to inform the audience and get across all the information that was narration and internal thoughts in the book. Similarly to how the briefing on the TMA-1 was skipped in favor of a conversation about it.

[genshinresource]

Genshin Impact Character Details: Navia

[when-i-wake-if]

Some quick important information before we get to the ros descriptions!

Firstly I have lovely nicknamed the MCs to differentiate them easily

MC 1 is Dawn and when I mention them I will use Orange colour!

MC 2 is Dusk and their colour is Purple

Secondly, this game is technically a side project to @wanted-game-if and will update in shorter parts but will still probably be as long as my other IF

If you have any questions about the game, MCs or anything really feel free to send asks!!

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Dawns ROs

Xeno || Xe/Xem || 21 || Human

Description ~ Short coily dark brown hair, lean build with a Bronze complexion, dark green eyes, Nubian nose, Xyr height is 5’11, Xe has a full tattoo sleeve on Xes right arm and a tattoo on the side of Xyr neck when outside of work Xeno tends to wear ripped black jeans, no sleeve neck length shirt, runners and a bunch of rings, necklaces and one stud earring.

Selena || She/Her || ?? || Ghost

Description ~ Shoulder-length ginger hair that is curled at the tips, She has a chubby build and pale skin, greyish blue eyes, a button nose, height if she could stand on the floor would be 5’3, freckles kiss her face and shoulders, she forever dressed in a light blue tea length swing dress and stockings with a pair of black flats, adorned in pearl earrings and necklace, to most she appears slightly translucent

Brier || He/Him or She/Her || Gender selectable|| 228 || Vampire

Description ~ Chin length afro-textured dark brown hair, Slim build and ebony complexion, Dark red eyes, button nose, height 5’7, outside of work they typically wear wide cuff pants, cropped blouse with a sweetheart collar, 4-inch heels or black dress shoes, round glasses, realistic heart shaped earrings, ruby necklace, silver rings

Míng || They/He || 30 || Dragon

Description ~ bleached white shoulder-length hair, lean build light brown complexion, black sclera and piercing yellow iris, flat nose height being 5'7, scales litter their body colours mainly being yellow and orange with some red ones sprinkled in, typically wears graphic tees , with a worn-out black bomber jacket, cargo pants and platform boots

Both MCs

Is || she/her, he/him or they/them || Gender selectable || ??? || Minor God of death {and dreams}

Description~ Long straight black hair that reaches past their ass typically in some kind of intricate hairstyle with silver jewellery woven in, curvy build with a tanned complexion, pale white eyes, roman nose, height 8,5 when not forced to dress modestly they are always wearing a short dress with a marabou robe or a satin robe and six-inch heels, adorned in many silver bracelets, necklaces, rings and flower earrings and they have belly button piercing

Dusks ROs

Sire || He/Him || 26 || Kelpie

Description ~ Shoulder length wavy dark green hair so dark it almost appears black Sire's hair always seems to look wet/damp, he has a dad bod and Ivory complexion, black eyes, Greek nose, His height is on the slightly shorter side standing at 5’4, usually wearing black leather pants, dress shoes and a button up shirt that never fully buttoned up

Loralie || They/Them || 24 || Siren

Description ~ Mid back length black goddess braids, Athletic Swimmer build and Dark brown complexion with dark blueish grey scales scattered about, piercing grey eyes, Flat nose, height 6’2, a large scar down the middle of their chest, gills most noticeable upon their neck, outside of work they typically wear cargo pants, muscle shirt, converse shoes, a gold locket, dangle earrings, spectrum piercing

Joshua || He/They || 20 || Werewolf

Description ~ Short messy dirty blonde hair, muscular build and tan complexion, amber eyes, Greek nose though it has obviously been broken in the past, scar along the right of their jaw, freckles speckled over his face, height 6’0, typically wears work boots, jeans and a muscle shirt with a flannel jacket

Z || She/He/They || ?? || Undead

Description ~ Messy straight chin length black hair with strands of grey hairs throughout, skinny build and pale olive and appears slightly greeny yellowish, black eyes, hawk nose, the height of 5'6 the left corner of her mouth is carved away revealing most of their teeth and flesh and their left hands pinky and ring finger are just bone the surrounding area seems to have a hideous burn scar though he typically covers it up by wearing white gloves, black turtle neck, beige torn pants and two different pairs of dirty runners

So this isn't absolutely everything but it is the most prominent thing of their appearances

The synopsis for the story will be coming hopefully by the end of May along with some more technical side I hope for the demo to come out in late August or early September we will see how things go

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New Post: Learn How to Create a Protagonist

My latest blog post is all about structuring a protagonist from scratch. It includes 6 easy steps to making a main character who feels real, plus free resources for all of your character-building needs.

Check it out here!

[i-am-lost-sos]

I love it whenever characters get super emotional (excited, scared, angry, etc.), their native accent comes out. Or when characters have specific fidgets they do. I adore little details like that idk