Character relationships, and why everyone loves them.

    Character relationships (all relationships, not just romantic ones), when written well, can be some of the most interesting and entertaining part of a story, wholly independent from things like the composition of the dialogue or thematic execution. But, what, exactly is a good character dynamic? And what makes them SO compelling for so many people compared to, for example, a single beautifully written page?

     Unlike in real life, if two fictional characters interact for even a single, fleeting moment, they immediately have an established relationship. This relationship can be as simple and trivial as "Met once in a tavern, one served drinks to another" or as complex and impactful as to be the focus of an entire series.

    

    An often overlooked part of character writing seeing how different characters react react in wholly different ways, both emotionally and through action, to the same scenario. What makes these instances utterly fascinating, however, is when two characters from the same story are put in the same scenario, and they both influence the other's reaction.

    

    This is the first half of making an interesting dynamic between two characters: Incitement and retaliation. If you want two characters to be interesting to your audience, you must show them behaving together in ways only they would. I'm going to use an example scenario for the remainder of this explanation: Let's say some twisted deity takes two characters away from their world into a heavenly coliseum, and tells them they must fight to the death. Refuse, and both of them will be obliterated.

    What ensues in this arena depends entirely on the characters who were chosen. Do they reluctantly refuse to fight, teary goodbyes declared on either side? Do they question the deity, or begin to fight it, side by side? Or do they jump at the chance to finally destroy one another, unhindered by societal expectation or legal retribution? 

    The latter half, and perhaps more important than the behavior of the individuals, is how their actions contrast one another. Perhaps one character selflessly asks to be sacrificed, and the other coldly agrees with the first. Maybe one quietly weighs their options as the other screams at the person who brought them here to be let go. If both are experienced fighters, contrast could be found in one's focus on strikes and kicks while the other attempts to grapple and choke their foe into submission.

    

    Contrast is the best way to learn about who characters are on a deep level. If you simply show your audience what one character does compared to another, and they can easily extrapolate why, even on a subconscious level. Not only does it help make your writing more nuanced, it also very easily endears your characters to the people reading about them. People just love seeing your characters clash in subtle ways.

    

    So, when you have two characters, try brainstorming weird scenarios like this! Even things that would never occur due to tone or setting of your story are quite helpful to get used to your own characters, and can simply be really fun to write!

                                    

                              Will update soon,

                                                           -Skribo