Writing Rivalries

Rivalries are some of the most important relationships in any fictional work.

They challenge each other’s viewpoints and force themselves to grow as people. To those who don’t know, a rival is a character who competes for the same goal as the protagonist. They act as a Jungian shadow and mirror the protagonist’s journey. Often, the rival proves to be more popular than the protagonist.

Rivalries keep up a long-term tension that doesn’t work with friendships. They keep both the characters and audience at a constant edge. Rivalries are a lot like the tides of an ocean, they’re always changing. They can hop from rivals to friends to rivals again all in the span of a season. Like all great things, they come in different forms. We’ll be discussing three types of rivalries that can help define your story.

Ideological

As individuals, we are all defined by our personal viewpoints and ideologies. Whether it be political, social, economic, or any other. But what happens when someone opposes everything you stand for? Conflict, of course. These rivalries are like essays given life. Each character is given their views and values. They don’t need a reason to hate each other than their mere existence. If the protagonist is a Republican, then the rival is a Democrat. Likewise, if the rival is a wizard, then let the protagonist be a scientist.

Unlike other rivalries, they may not be competing for a common goal. They are simply in it for the fight. These rivalries have hidden potential. Over time, they might see things from the rival’s point of view. Next thing you know, they’re agreeing with each other. Which is a lot more realistic than one would expect. As people, we are always adapting our worldviews based on the current situation. A proper rival question said beliefs and forces themselves to develop as characters. It allows them to grow beyond their binary understanding of the world.

The point isn’t to belittle the other’s existence. It’s seeing, learning, and understanding the other’s point of view.

Professional

Professional rivalries can work in any occupation and setting. From salespeople and celebrities to even superheroes. A little rivalry in the workplace can even be healthy. It allows both characters to stay loyal, committed, and engaged with their work. But in the fictional world, things can get out of hand. Their driving motivation can be anything you want. Pride, ambition, glory, or all three. These rivalries remind us of what a rat race the world is.

If they’re on the same team, why are they butting heads? Maybe they have different approaches to a task. One play by the rules while the other is a free spirit. We get a better understanding of their job and the challenges they present. Or they’re competing to see who deserves that promotion. A constant game of cat and mouse that never gets old.

Professional rivalries are like competitions your characters are stuck in. It’s your job as the writer to keep the competition.

Romantic

We’ve all known the classic love triangle trope. Two people in love with the same person. That’s just asking for drama. There’s a reason it’s such an overused trope because it works. Fans will spend months, even years supporting their favorite ships together. Some people may watch a show for the shipping alone. But sometimes, the rivalry is more interesting than the romance itself.

But how do they feel about it? Love rivalries can turn two best friends against each other. Or they could make two sworn enemies hate each other even more. Just ask Betty and Veronica. They could be best friends in one issue and sworn enemies in the next. Love makes people do crazy things, adding more fuel to your writing arsenal. No matter how peaceful things are, the question will remain. Who will be chosen?

In love triangles, two is company but three’s a crowd.

There are a lot of ways one can write a rivalry. Everything I’ve listed so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

This isn’t a strict template for how rivalries work. Many rivalry archetypes can easily combine to form more complex ones. Why shouldn’t professional rivalries be both ideological and romantic? Rivalries are complex yet rewarding relationships that can make or break a story. It’s like pouring several emotions in one bag and mixing them all up. Do they love or hate each other? It could even be a mixture of both. Sometimes, even the writers don’t know.

At the best, rivalries are the wild card of character relationships. Like a flower, they grow from the ground up and blossom into something beautiful. The craft of the pen is a lot like swordsmanship. It’s not about what you have, it’s how you use it. Hope this article helps you create your own rivals. What are you favorite fictional rivalries?