CREATING A CHARACTER 2

Part Two: The Relationships

Chaley Morrison

In my last blog post, we talked about the basics of character creation for your story. In this post, I'd like to go into establishing the relationships of your character. This will include their family, friends, and love interest.

If you'd like to watch the YouTube video on this topic, click the button below and it'll take you straight to the video!

The Video

The Family

Does your character have any family? If so, clarify what each person is like and how they act towards your character. Then, based on that, determine if they all get along.

Are any of them cold and distant towards the character or loving and supportive? Is there any toxic family member that would've inflicted trauma on the character? How would that trauma have affected them?

Perhaps there is a sibling that's always up to no good, therefore the character is under pressure from their parents. Or, perhaps a sibling does well in some skill and the character is forced to live in their shadow.

By understanding how your character's family works and functions, you are able to determine what - if any - problems and insecurities the character will have as a result.

---

The Friends

Establish if your character currently has any friends. Are there any particularly close friends in their life? Maybe a friend that they grew distant to and let fade out of their life?

What kind of people does your character hang around? Remember, appearances can be misleading. For an example, a group of "bad kids" may actually be the kindest and most respectful people you've met while a group of the "good kids" could be absolutely terrible.

Upon understanding the friends - whether it be one or a group - you will need to establish how these friends influence the character.

---

The Romance/Sexual Relationships

Is your character the romantic type? How do they handle romance? They may be awkward about it or smooth and cool.

What is their type? What personalities are they attracted to and what would they notice first about any potential partner?

What are they like in a relationship? Do they struggle with relationships? They may be afraid of commitment or have abandonment issues.

Have a Grasp on Your Character's Preferences

You need to have a grasp on your character's sexual and romantic preferences. This very important!

---

The Dynamics

The dynamics of each of these relationship types are crucial. Understanding each aspect and grasping the flow of influence on your character will allow you to create smooth flowing sub plots in your story.

---

This post was all about establishing character relationships! I hope you found it helpful and if you would like to see more on character creation and other writing tips, check out my other social medias and my YouTube channel!

Thank you

XOXO