Do you have any tips for writing a rivalry between characters?

Writing a Rivalry

1) Keep a consistent reason. There will be a reason why they’re constantly pitting themselves against each other, and you want to make sure that’s addressed and that you keep the story straight. Whether they have the same goal, one wronged the other, or just enjoy competition, readers need to know what that reason is.

2) Have it be an actual competition. Some rivalries consist of one character constantly looking to surpass the other, but can never get anywhere close. That’s not very exciting, in my opinion. If you have the characters becoming better than one another and then having to grow again in order to beat the other, you’re not only going to have room for character growth but a less predictable story.

3) Don’t feel the need to make them hate each other. There’s always this stereotype of rivals hating each other and never stopping. You don’t have to do this. You can have them do their best to destroy each other in whatever they wish to compete over, but they can be good friends or indifferent when not doing the thing. They can hate each other if you’d like, but it isn’t necessary just because they’re rivals.