The relationship between characters in your book holds the story together. Think of it as threads holding seams together. Readers fall in love with character relationships because they give something to appreciate as the story progresses. Bonds between your characters can serve as mediums to explore more about these characters.
You cannot build a character that stands aloft. No man is an island, so let your story mirror life as it is. Every character is influenced by the actions of others around him, just like in real life. Relationships give depth to your Main character’s development. No matter how character-driven the arc may be, supporting characters play an important role in the decisions the MC makes; supporting characters may not be the focus of the story, but they are as important as your main character.
Supporting characters play a role in the path of the main character. Although the story does not revolve around them, they also have development as the story progresses. However, in series and trilogies, supporting characters may become MCs in spin-offs, prequels, and sequels.
How do you create a meaningful bond between the main Character and supporting Characters?
1. HAVE A RELATIONSHIP ARC:
Relationships are intrinsic to the progression of your story, whether in a plot-driven or character-driven narrative. A relationship arc allows your characters to explore more aspects of themselves that may be unknown to them or the readers. A supporting character can be critical to the development of the main character and vice versa through the process of bonding over time in a relationship.
Try to map out the important points of this arc:
Example:
A is on course to obtain Z but instead meets B. (This could be romantic or something of chance).
B is a factor that can get A to Z, or so they think.
Or B seems to be an obstacle stopping A from obtaining Z.
But then A and B realize they are not enemies, and they can only get Z if they work together.
Or, B becomes a love interest who is somehow related to Z (it could be by interest, background, etc).
This relationship also allows A & B to manifest more of their traits as they face twists and trials together; the reader gets to know them and begins to root for them.
B doesn’t always have to have the same goal as A, but you can make them an important factor in A’s goal.
Your relationship arc should help your story progress. Get creative with how you map this arc; try avoiding clichés and instead find more interesting ways to introduce B to the story. Give B a more interesting role than what the reader would expect. Think. What would the reader expect? Make your reader think they have predicted the story, but instead, get surprised.
Carefully picture how this relationship will progress, and what would be the major problem in the relationship? And how will the characters overcome that problem?
After establishing the status quo of the relationship, the relationship arc can have twists and turns; however, whatever you choose to include in this arc must further the story, and both characters must grow throughout these ordeals.
Mini Example:
A and B understand they need each other in the beginning.
B finds out something about A that goes against their values.
Or they could have a change of heart because of an external factor or a reason to betray A.
A discovers B’s treachery, and both separate. The MC feels cheated or neglected. The MC struggles on their own.
However both characters reconvene later in the story for a common good.
Through all the events involved in the above, A and B have grown, and all must be towards the furtherance of the MC’s goal, or the furtherance of the main storyline.
When these characters have gone through the conflicting phase, you should bring a reunion to the relationship. What have the characters been able to learn from their mistakes? How have their misunderstandings helped to change their perspective? How have their personalities and behaviors changed? Not all relationship arcs have happy endings (the above was just an example). But whatever the end may be, the way the characters have evolved through their experiences is important.
2. CHARACTER DESCRIPTION:
When you describe your characters, avoid lazy descriptions such as handsome, short and tall. You can describe them in relation to other characters. For example, you can say a female secondary character could only touch the main character’s chin if she were wearing a six-inch shoe, or that she loved him, although her neck hurt from having to meet his gaze. This way, you are already suggesting that she is shorter than the main character while establishing their relationship. Descriptive techniques like these help to build a bond between characters in the reader’s mind. Does a secondary character’s behavior remind the protagonist of someone who has been in his life before? Describing that behaviour in connection to a memory also places a vivid image in the reader’s mind.
3. BACK STORY:
Backstories can be useful for creating realistic bonds between characters in a book. It raises stakes, reveals motivation, prospective fears, intention, and obstacles in a story. It helps to answer the reader’s questions, like “why is this character behaving or thinking this way?”
4. GIVE THE MAIN CHARACTER AND SUPPORTING CHARACTER DISTINCTIVE TRAITS:
If the main character is strong-willed and impatient, then let the supporting character be the exact opposite. This way, your protagonist will not be overwhelmed by the roles of other characters. This helps bring out character flaws and conflict. You don’t want characters that agree with everything the other says. That would be boring. So bring pivotal scenes to life by contrasting character traits.
5. THINK ABOUT THE ROLE YOUR SUPPORTING CHARACTERS PLAY IN THE BOOK:
Understanding the exact role of your characters will help you build meaningful bonds among them. Is your character supporting and encouraging your main character through conflict? Are they acting as the voice of reason to the protagonist? Do they rebuke and correct? Is he an informer? Or someone with experience that the protagonist needs?
6. INTERNAL MONOLOGUES:
You can help your readers’ understanding of character relationships through internal monologue. It will explain the MC’s behavior and intentions towards those around them. Monologues reveal mindsets, which in turn affect relationships.
My name is Racheal Asikpo. As a Memoir and Autobiography ghostwriter with a decade of experience, I am passionate about how stories impact lives and change futures. When I work with aspiring authors, I seek to immerse myself in the writing process to realize the best delivery of their voice in their story.
As a science fiction and fantasy ghostwriter, I enjoy plunging into challenges of unboxed imagination, creating thought-provoking journeys for readers.
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