Conflict is often said to be the essence of drama. Conflict is generated by obstacles that frustrate a character's efforts to obtain his primary objective or subgoals, and creates jeopardy for the character. Obstacles come in many forms. They can be self-conflicts , which are the result of a character being forced to choose between the efficient plan for achieving his objective and the internalized codes of socially appropriate behavior. Enemies generate obstacles because they directly compete for the character's desired concrete objective or primary objectives.
Relatives can also generate obstacles, as can friends and lovers .
The more emotionally fundamental the relationship, the more dramatic the obstacle and conflict becomes. Physical objects , the natural world and the supernatural world also are sources of obstacles that generate conflict and jeopardy for the characters as they pursue their objectives. The difference between story and plot lies in the conceptual distinction between actions and events . In constructing a story, actions are what characters do , events are what happen to characters. Therefore, the story consists of the series of actions performed by the characters, while the plot consists of the series of events that happen to the characters.