5 Ways to Build Solid Relationships in Your Story
Author Kasie West shares five tests writers can apply to see if they’re building solid character relationships in their novels.
Relationships are an important part of all stories. Letting them happen naturally can make or break believability. (In other words, we must avoid "Insta-Love.") Here are tests you can apply to your relationships to see if they make the grade.
1. “The Bachelor Test”
Perhaps I shouldn’t admit that I’m a fan of The Bachelor on television. But there you have it. I just admitted it. And since I know none of you would ever watch this show, let me explain a phenomenon that happens often. The Bachelor will sit down with his date and instead of talking about herself or asking questions that matter, she immediately starts saying: “I want you to know, I’m here for the right reasons. I’m here to find love and to get married. I’m here for you.”
This conversation is repeated over and over every time they have alone time together. I often find the equivalent of this conversation in books, when instead of spending time together, the characters just talk about how much they want to spend time together or how frustrated they are that they can’t be together. Wasting “on screen” time having characters lament about why they can or can’t be together, doesn’t show why they actually want to be together. To see how people face real things shows more about how they interact than talking ever will. I’m not saying they can’t ever talk about their relationship. But the majority of the time should be spent developing that relationship.
So test question number one: Does my character think she (or he) is talking to The Bachelor?
2. “The Stalking Test”
Staring at a boy or girl from a distance is fine, every once in a while. Especially if the staring shows something he/she is doing that helps the reader get to know him vs. telling how attractive he/she is. A few mentions of observation/appearance are plenty. If your main character or main love interest spends an unhealthy amount of time observing another person without that person knowing, it’s probably gone a bit overboard.
Test question number two: Is my main character auditioning for a role in the next horror film featuring creepy stalkers?
Check out Kasie West's Pivot Point:
(WD uses affiliate links.)
3. “The Staring Contest”
Speaking of staring, staring into each others’ eyes is super cute and romantic, but unless something else is going on can get sappy and boring really fast. So unless someone is checking out their appearance in that other person’s eyes (which could be a great way to show characterization) then best to leave extensive mentions of getting lost in someone’s eyes out of your manuscript. (Unless they really are getting lost in someone’s eyes….hmm….excuse me while I jot down a plot about hypnotism.)
Test question number three: Are my characters competing in a staring contest? First one to blink loses!
4. “The L-O-V-E Test”
Professing love is great, but much like adding too much water dilutes potency, too much of the L word dilutes its ability to have an effect on your readers’ emotions. This goes for other words too. Too much of any word can dilute its effectiveness. Use words that you would like to make an impact sparingly.
Test question number four: Have I spelled “love” without having to use the word?
5. “The Starry Eyed Test”
Resist having characters immediately like each other. Avoid phrases like: drawn to him, instant attraction, it felt like I had known her forever. These phrases, if necessary, can be used once a real connection has been established. Replace these phrases with actions that peak the MC’s curiosity about the person, that lead the MC to want to know more about the person that they just met. Of course, physical attraction can be an immediate thing, but following that, there needs to be something of substance to keep the main character interested in pursuing the relationship beyond physical appearance. Who is the love interest and why does your MC care about getting to know more about him? Show us.
Test question number five: Can my character see past the stars in her eyes?
Kasie West lives with her family in Central California, where the heat tries to kill her with its hundred-plus degree stretches. When not writing she loves to wakeboard and eat lots of mint-filled chocolate. She graduated from Fresno State University with a bachelor's degree that has nothing to do with writing. Visit her online at kasiewest.com. Her debut young adult novel from HarperTeen due out Feb. 2013 is called Pivot Point. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the book "a fascinating exploration of how life can change with one simple choice."
