Quick Six: Conflict & Competition

Explore alternative sources of conflict in your world with this week's worldbuilding and writing prompts by Haly. Discover innovative ways to fight and compete beyond just war in your storytelling!

Quick Six 1/25/2025: Conflict

Conflict, struggle, and competition give our stories life and movement. They are what drive our characters to react. The conflict against self, the conflict against environment, the conflict against authority. Trying to improve a skill is a conflict. Trying to stay dry in the rain without an umbrella is a struggle. Beating your sibling at a game is a competition.

All of these can provide the essential drama required for a story: conflict. Something in the world has to be chafing at your characters in order to encourage them to act. The conflict in your story is one of the key factors in the motivations of your hero, as well as many of the other characters around them.

In a drawing class, we can explore not only the inner conflict of improvement, but the conflict of wanting to outdo a rival for a spot in an upcoming art show, perhaps seeing things from the perspectives of both the rival and the teacher, as well as the hero.

Play around with these prompts and see where they take you! And remember, as our friendly Moonbeam Imagica always says…”Make lore, not war!”

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Somewhere in your world, describe…

Who:

…someone who is renowned for their athletic ability.

Think Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Simone Biles, Tiger Woods, Alex Morgan, or Tony Hawk. People famed across the world for their contributions to their chosen sport or activity.

What activity are they famous for? What made them so great? Do they hold any records? Who were their biggest influences? Who were their rivals?

What:

…a food associated with victory.

In the United States, families will often go for pizza or ice cream after a child’s sporting event. A pick-me-up if they lost, or a celebratory treat if they won. Historically, victory in battle would have been celebrated with a feast, and many sporting tournaments conclude with a banquet where the participants honor the winners.

What is the food? How is it prepared? Why is it associated with victory, what is the history behind the dish?

When:

…a time when a competition had to be postponed or canceled because of weather.

A motor race can be rained out or, where I live, snowed out! A thunderstorm can interrupt a football game, a power outage can cancel an entire video game tournament.

What was the competition, and how did the weather affect it? Who was there? How did people react? Was it rescheduled? If so, who won?

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Where:

…a place associated with the end of a conflict.

A real example would be the Palace of Versailles, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed to bring an end to World War I. Others include Geneva, Switzerland (The Geneva Conventions for human rights in war); Camp David, Maryland (The Camp David Accords led to peace between Egypt and Israel); and Paris, France (The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War).

Where is the place? What was its original purpose? Why was it chosen as a place of peace? Who was there?

Why:

…the reason someone is motivated to improve a creative skill.

In our own lives, we might wish to improve to get a better job, to create higher quality works of art, or simply for the joy of improving ourselves. It might be because we want to be better than someone else, a rival, sibling, or even a mentor. It could even be for the sweet love of money.

Who is this person and what is the skill? How will improving benefit them? What challenges will they face in the process?

How:

…the objective and rules of a childhood game.

Hopscotch, red rover, jump rope are all popular games among children where I grew up. Hopping on one foot in a pattern, breaking the hand-in-hand line of your friends, jumping them most consecutive jumps without getting tangled are games that can be played across cultures with very little in the way of preparation, skill, or equipment.

What is the game called? What age children usually play it? Where is it played? Does it need anything (ball, stick, bucket, rope)? How is it played? Are there ‘official’ rules? Is there a way to keep score?

Share, Share, Share!

Y’all, I always love reading what this creative, sparkling community creates with these ideas I throw out. You can drop a link in the comments…OR, if you like, drop a link as a thread in the Rhapsody by Moonlight group chat!

And as always, if you had fun with these prompts then share them with a friend! Restack this post or, if you’re reading it as an email, forward it to a friend! Everyone needs a creative pick-me-up now and then!

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Coming This Weekend:

Sunday’s Weekly Digest