Musings on the writing process

 When I first set out to try to learn to write short stories, one of the first bits of advice I read said a story must have both internal and external conflict.  I even wrote this down somewhere, or copied a worksheet or something, because I've found my notes.  I understood the concept.  But I'm only now realizing that I didn't *get* the concept fully.  I guess this all came about over an idea for a story.  It's just a bit, more of the ending of the story actually, or perhaps the climax.  I'm trying to develop a story to go around it.  This has happened to be before, having just one scene in mind.  And every time before, I've dropped the idea or shelved it because I can't figure out a way to build a story around it.  Now it's occurring to me that in order to start developing the story around this scene, it's not a plot I need first, but the character and his/her internal motivation.  How will this dramatic scene I have in mind for this character affect him/her?  Who is this person, and how will their involvement in said scene change them?  

Although I know it doesn't seem like much, this realization is a turning point for me.  Sometimes it seems like my brainstorming on a story just goes around and around in circles and nothing ever comes of it.  Probably because I just wasn't seeing my way through the fog.  I think that possibly a breeze is blowing through that will let me fumble my way through.  Maybe.