Question

What are some conflicts for a short story?

Answer 1

Any of the kinds of find in any other kind of story; short stories as a form of writing do not have a preferred "conflict" type. They can address the same conflict that novels do but also have the capacity to address the narrower, more mundane kinds of conflict often addressed in micro-fiction. You can consider short stories to be the universal donor of writing.

Answer 2

There are two types of conflict:

1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.
2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.

There are four kinds of conflict:

1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.