In the Midst of Conflict: What We Choose to Hold Onto

When I was writing Nikki vs Jess, I spent a lot of time thinking about conflict and competition.

Not the big, global kind – but the quieter, personal kind. The sort that fuels the small battles in our everyday lives.

Nikki and Jess compete for dominance at the pool table. They challenge each other constantly. Neither wants to be the loser … but in truth, they both feel like they are.

We live in a world where competition thrives. On the sports field. In business. Even in families. We are continually measured against one another. You’re either a winner, or a loser. And of course, we all want to be winners.

This is the mindset I wanted to explore – and challenge – in Nikki vs Jess.

Nikki feels that she was born a loser, which is why she fights Jess so hard to win. But she comes to realise that for her to win, her friend must lose. And that’s not what she wants.

Because some things matter more than winning.

For Nikki and Jess, in the end, it isn’t about who wins – for either of them. It’s about the deep connection between them. The understanding that, despite everything, they need each other and that they are stronger together.

Ultimately the conflict doesn’t resolve in my novel in the way we might expect. There’s no clear victory – of one over the other. No neat outcome.

Instead, there’s a choice.

Because when everything feels difficult and uncertain, it isn’t winning that sustains us. It’s what we choose to hold onto.

Nikki vs Jess is a story about that choice – and about what happens when holding onto each other matters more than coming out on top.

You can read Nikki vs Jess as a print book or ebook here: https://bushtelegraphxpress.com/novels/nikki-vs-jess/