How To Write A Conflict In A Story . When they come up against someone who has different thoughts about the same things, boom. External conflict refers to the obstacles a character faces in the external world. How to Write a Story 101 Conflict The Write Practice from thewritepractice.com The central story conflict stays the same: External conflict refers to the obstacles a character faces in the external world. Conflict can be physical, emotional, or theoretical (the clash of ideas.