Why do you need relationships?
Are you sure I need them?
Considering, I need them…
How do I present them?
How do I articulate them?
How do I make them deep?
How do I involve the public?
Here’s why & how.
Relationships define characters
- Clear relationships create clear sentences & images.
- You will write Deeper Dialogues by using words specific to the characters, and to the relationship.
- Words characters only use between each other.
- The link between characters also Clarify descriptions.
- Where are the characters? Meeting room.
- Why are they here? Meeting.
- The relationships gives Context.
- It makes the writing more fluid & predictable for you.
- It makes the reading smoother & more immersive for the public.
Interpersonal relationships & Relations to the Environment
- This article deals mostly with Humans & Humanoid relationships.
- The same rules may apply to Pets, Aliens & Settings treated as characters.
- It all depends of the level of anthropomorphism you are using to create the character.
- Treating a particular Setting a group member renforces the group’s attachement to the Setting.
- In the same vein progressively humanizing an Alien entity integrates it into the humanoid conundrum.
- Treating a building or a landscape as human may feel uncomfortable at 1st.
- Therefore, it will enrich your writing skills & works.
Ending the Relationship
Relationships Start, Evolve & End.
- Death
- The most definitive, probably…
- Murder, suicide, accident, and so on will end any relation.
- In your world though, death may not be the end.
- Separation
- It can be as simple as the End of a contract.
- The Revelation of the secret binding 2 characters will end the relationship.
- It can also transform it into another type of attachment the characters have developed during the secrecy period.
- Memory loss is another way to separate characters.
- It could also be considered as a death of the character’s former self.
- Transformation
- If an ally becomes a friend the relationship doesn’t end per se.
- However the link & level of involvement between 2+ characters has evolved.
- The Ally link has been terminated by the Friend link.
- The transformation can also be literal.
- A human turning into a beast will ravage her former relationships and therefore decide or be forced to end them.
- This particular case falls under the spectrum of Identity Death/Loss.
Types of relationships
2 Main Parameters will color the relationship:
- The Level of Involvement
- The Nature of the Establishment : Voluntary & Forced
Associates
- Employee, Coworkers, Associates, Neighbors & other What-nots.
- Any type of Commercial, Corporative or Employment related bonds fall into this category.
- This is most of the time a forced relationship.
- Often built for resources & financial reasons.
- The level of involvement of the character is at its lowest.
- This type of relationship is the most likely to create Resent, Disgust or Indifference.
- This is also a playground to test your absurdities, as the relationship has the lowest level of involvement.
- Deeper Dialogues
- Topics : money, work, general news
- Clearer descriptions
- Settings : office, highway, working grounds/site
Allies
- Sponsors, Mentors, Partners or Rivals.
- Any type of Entrepreneurial, Educational or Developmental alliance fall into this category.
- This kind of relationship develops the story the most, particularly in 2nd act chapters (ch. 4 to 6).
- It sits between a voluntary & a forced relationship.
- At least in the early stages.
- It is up to your character to understand the advantages she will obtain from this bond and decide either to maintain, end or develop it further.
- Often built for Developmental reasons & Growth.
- The level of involvement of the character is moderate to high.
- All depends of the evolution of the relationship you’ve decided.
- Deeper Dialogues
- Topics : Goals, Hobbies, Plan & Strategy, Input
- Clearer descriptions
- Settings : Company, Restaurant/Cafe, Park, Streets, Allies Home
Friends
- Team members ought to be Friends for the team to perdure.
- People who’s significant service have been granted to can also be counted as Friends.
- Friends can be punctual encounters your characters come back to later in the story.
- Marital contracts allows to publicize the nature of the Relation.
- Marital does not mean in Love, it only means Legitimate & Public.
- All mutually Desired & Nurtures relationships fall into this category.
- This kind of relationship is used to refine & conclude character development.
- It serves to define the character’s final Identity.
- Only voluntary relationships.
- This relation will evolve less than the ally relationship.
- However it need more upkeep.
- This relation can still break of the characters face a crisis.
- Often built for Individuation & Belonging reasons.
- The level of involvement of the character is (normally) at its highest.
- Can it be developed further?
- Deeper Dialogues
- Topics : Mission, Passions, Projects, Group/Team, Family, Feelings
- Clearer descriptions
- Settings : Home/Lair, Restaurant/Cafe, Parks/Landmarks, Private Transportation, Bed
Family?
- Friends or foes?
- Family relationships may be unclear.
- Therefore, exacerbating their nature to clarify them is fundamental.
- More exaggeration, more contrast, more involvement.
- Paradoxical families can also work for you.
- A pair of siblings evolving from Animosity to Respect to Companionship is effective.
- Antagonistic relationship where characters are forced to work together can be enjoyable.
- Brother/Sister & other young collaterals, leads to 3 sub-types:
- Nemesis
- Intimacy
- Indifference
- Parents leads to 3 sub-types as well:
- Servitude of the child
- Sacrifice for the child
- Separation, early in the story
- Aunts, Uncles & Great-Parents?
- In most cases they will be used as foster parents or parental figures.
- In these cases, the same rules apply.
- Deeper Dialogues
- Topics : Family, Job, Projects, Feelings
- Clearer descriptions
- Settings : Home, Restaurant, Parks/Street/Market, Public/Private Transportation
Cults, Guilds, Army & Prison
- Forced or Voluntary?
- You character can be forced at 1st and then choose to create personal involvement.
- Other people forced in this organization can become her associates.
- Cellmates are obviously in a forced location.
- However, free to them to develop alliances.
- They can develop empathy.
- They can share the Resent they feel.
- They will share a Common goal as there are 2 main ways out of the organization : escape it or change it.
- If the relation is established Voluntarily, the characters will share a Goal/Mission.
- It may be Patriotism, it may be Nationalism.
- Anything transcribing their Devotion to an Ideal, to a Valor will enhance this bond.
- Your characters will need a Purpose :
- Change a Country, change a Nation, change a World.
- Deeper Dialogues
- Topics : Symbol, Idol, Flag, Hatred, Devotion, Sacrifice, Betrayal?
- Clearer descriptions
- Settings : Court, Mansion, Temple, School, Palace, Landmark.
