I do not develop fantasy conflicts from invented threats, but from what really moves people. News, global developments, personal desires, fears, and hopes provide me with the most reliable impulses. Wars, power shifts, hunger, religious tensions, economic inequality, and political propaganda already exist. I translate them into another world and adapt them to its order.
1. Human Motives as the Engine of Conflict
My starting point is always the human being. Conflicts do not arise from monsters, but from motives: envy of success, fear of loss, greed for power, desire for safety, hatred of the unknown. An envious officer sabotages a campaign. A disappointed farmer joins an uprising. A ruler makes wrong decisions out of fear of losing control. These causes are real and understandable. This makes fantasy conflicts believable as well.
2. The Material Core of the Dispute
The first rule is: Every conflict needs a **material core**. Land, food, gold, power, religion, or access to magic. If there is nothing to gain or lose, the conflict is empty. Ideals alone are not enough. Behind every religious war stands possession. Behind every revolution stands lack. Behind every betrayal stands an advantage.
3. Multiple Perspectives: No Clear Guilt
The second rule is **multiple perspectives**. No conflict has only one guilty side. Each party believes they are in the right. The attacker sees security. The defender sees oppression. The traitor sees survival. I write conflicts so that all positions remain logical, even if they are brutal.
4. Escalation and Lasting Consequences
The third rule is **escalation through decisions**. Conflicts do not arise suddenly. They grow: first bans, first violence, first victims. Every decision exacerbates the situation. An unjust law leads to turmoil. Turmoil leads to a military response. From this arises war. This sequence must be visible.
The fourth rule is **consequence**. No conflict ends without damage. Cities are destroyed. Trust is lost. Families break apart. Victors bear losses. Losers bear guilt. If a conflict leaves no lasting traces, it was meaningless.
5. Transferring Reality Patterns
The fifth rule is **closeness to reality**. I use real patterns: refugee movements, religious radicalization, economic dependency, power propaganda. I change names and worlds, not the mechanics. Readers subconsciously recognize these patterns and accept them as credible.
For me, realistic fantasy conflicts do not arise from magic, but from human behavior. Magic can amplify a conflict, but not cause it. The cause always remains the human with their weaknesses: envy, fear, pride, and hope. A fantasy world only feels real if its wars arise for the same reasons as in our world.