While we often talk about characters as the drivers of a story, those conversations tend to be focused on individual characters and their goals, objectives, and obstacles. But there’s another aspect of character development that’s so important it gets its own guide, and that’s the relationships between characters.
Think about your favorite dynamic duos (or trios or more) from books and film. Here are some that come to mind for me:
George and Fred Weasley, Harry Potter
Marmee and her daughters, Little Women
Tully and Kate, Firefly Lane
Tibby and Bailey, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Feyre and Rhysand (no shame), the A Court of Thorns and Roses series
Each of these relationships is wildly different, but they’re all grounded in one thing: LOVE. After all, love is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. Portraying it effectively in fiction can add color and depth that will have a profound impact on readers.
And, of course, not all love is the same. There are a lot of different ways to look at the various types of love you might find in a novel (or in your life), but my favorite framework is the six distinct types identified by the ancient Greeks.
Eros: Romantic Love
Philia: Friendly Love
Storge: Familiar Love
Agape: Universal Love
Ludus: Playful Love
Pragma: Enduring Love
My new craft guide, Six Love Stories, takes a deep dive into each type of love and what to consider when you’re weaving it into your fiction in order to develop more authentic and compelling characters and plots.
Take a look, and let me know which types of love your characters are experiencing.