A conflict type where the protagonist's greatest opponent is their own mind - their fears, doubts, desires, or moral dilemmas.
Man vs. self is the classic label for internal conflict: the character's struggle happens inside their own head and heart. This could mean battling addiction, wrestling with guilt, fighting against deeply held beliefs, or choosing between two incompatible desires. Unlike external conflicts, there's no villain to punch or mountain to climb - the battlefield is psychological. The character must overcome (or succumb to) something within themselves to resolve the story.
Internal conflict is what gives your characters depth. You can stack up all the car chases and sword fights you want, but if your protagonist isn't also fighting something inside themselves, the story will feel hollow. Man vs. self is often the emotional core of a narrative, the conflict that makes readers cry at the climax even when the external plot has already been resolved.
Hamlet knows what he should do (avenge his father), but his internal paralysis - doubt, overthinking, moral questioning - is the real conflict driving the entire play.
A boy processing his mother's terminal illness battles grief, guilt, and a truth he can't bring himself to say aloud. The monster is external, but the conflict is entirely internal.
Irene Redfield's internal struggle with identity, jealousy, and racial passing drives the novel's tension far more than any external event.
The titular character's battle with grief, self-destruction, and the masks she wears for the world makes this one of the purest man vs. self stories in modern media.
"She struggled with her demons" tells us nothing. Name the specific fear, desire, or belief your character is wrestling with. The more precise the conflict, the more it resonates.
A single pep talk or flashback shouldn't cure years of self-doubt. Internal change is gradual and hard-won. Let your character backslide, try again, and earn their transformation.
Pure internal conflict without any external pressure can feel static. Give your character external situations that force their internal struggle to the surface.
Write a scene where your character stands in front of a mirror and argues with their reflection. Not literally (unless your genre supports it) - but put them in a moment where they must make a decision, and show the two sides of their internal argument pulling in opposite directions. Keep it to 300 words and make the reader unsure which side will win.