“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” ― Carl Gustav Jung
As promised, after a couple of weeks of mental vacation, I’m back with some lengthy blather on a writing topic. I’m going to talk about character relationships, plot, and conflict, so you can bail out now if that’s not your thing.
If you’re still here…deep breath and –
I follow a good number of bloggers who offer advice on writing craft and I love sharing advice I find interesting or helpful, especially when it feels like a gamechanger. A lot of craft talk focuses on nuts-and-bolts level tools, the kind of shoulder to the wheel advice that will help you get from Point A to Point B without embarrassing yourself. But occasionally, I come across someone that takes it to the next level.
September Fawkes
One such blogger is September Fawkes. Fawkes is a freelance editor, writing instructor, and blogger. Her blog, SeptemberCFawkes.com, has been recognized as a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers. Fawkes takes an holistic, almost meta approach to story, identifying and discussing what she notices from the subconscious experience of reading and writing, so that writers can examine it consciously, learn how it works, and gain mastery of it (freely yoinked from her bio). As a vibe, imagine learning about story from Yung and Campbell, rather than the English teacher who taught you about the inverted triangle and Freitag’s pyramid.
Fawkes’ posts aren’t a breezy read with a few key takeaways, but deep dives into hidden, foundational layers of story that most craft writers either don’t discuss or don’t recognize as distinct tools we can use to strengthen our work.
Recently, she has written a few posts about the various layers of plot. But – again – while other writers discuss plot as the mechanics of getting a character from Point A to Point B, Fawkes goes deeper to find the elements that most of the audience – and most writers – will never see, even if they grasp the concepts subconsciously.
I don’t know if she originated the particular concept I want to share, but she’s the first writing blogger I’ve come across who has analyzed it, and she has returned to it a few times, so I give her credit for putting it out there. Her approach was eye-opening and I’ve already applied it to both the novel I’m writing and the next one I’m outlining. Doing so has helped me add emotional layers to various characters, rely on subtext and nuance in their interactions, and strengthen both my vision and grasp on the story that I’m trying to tell.
The Relationship Plot
The concept is the relationship plot, a third layer of story that resides in between the traditional strata of plot and character arc.
Let’s define terms:
- The external plot is what happens. Ideally, you have a strong cause-and-effect chain so that events feel organic and character-driven, but essentially the external plot is physical, the actions that could be observed by other characters in your story world.
- The character arc is internal. This arc provides the reasons your character takes the actions that drive the external, physical plot. It drives your hero’s goal and determines what he needs. As the term implies, arc involves movement. At the beginning of the novel, the protagonist has a baseline emotional state, and arrives at the end in a different state, changed for the better, but sometimes for worse.
Most writing advice involves layering those two plots – internal and external – to create a cohesive whole. Generally, the internal character arc is why the character engages in the external plot. In turn, the events of the external plot require the character to move along the emotional arc, to learn and grow so that the goal can be obtained.
Now let’s go back to the relationship plot.
Despite what it sounds like, the relationship plot is not limited to the romance story. It can involve romance, but this layer encompasses any relationship your character engages in: parent/child, sibling, friend, mentor/mentee, co-worker or peer, or even hero/villain. Depending on the nature of your story, the this level plot might involve your character’s relationship with their vocation or a hobby, their social environment, with themselves, or the story world itself.
Simply put, this level of story focuses on how your character moves in relation to the other people, the environment, and societal forces in your story. It exists between the internal character arc and the external plot, as it involves both the physical interaction of the protagonist with others, and emotional growth and conflict. It is not as cleanly visible as the external plot, but not as opaque to an outside observer as the character arc. We can view these relationships in action, but we must intuit feeling and thoughts.
I’m going to emphasize this again, because I think it’s important. Fawkes posits the relationship plot as a third layer, not simply an element that is tangential to or affected by the others. While the protagonist’s relationships will be affected by the external and character plots, the relationship plot pushes back and should affect how the protagonist moves through the story physically and emotionally. Like the external plot and the character arc, the relationship plot can have its own normal world, inciting incident, journey, obstacles, and resolution that align (or should align) with the other layers.
Depending on your story, any of these layers can be the primary focus. A spy thriller will be heavy on external plot, and may have character and relationship plots of varying depths. Fantasy novels tend to feature strong character arcs – the quintessential hero’s journey – though external plot is usually primary and relationships are important. In romance fiction, the relationship plot is at the forefront, supported by external action and characterization.
The Relationship Plot in action
In this recent post, Fawkes examines some examples of relationship-focused stories, including most Hallmark movies (duh), Wicked, and, interestingly, The Prestige. I found that intriguing and she’s absolutely correct. Her analysis opened up an entirely different angle on viewing and appreciating the novel and film version, both of which I loved.
In a follow-on post, Fawkes continued her examination of the relationship plot in a way that got me thinking more seriously about the nature of relationships in my work in progress. In this later post, Fawkes examines how the relationship plot can create conflict, particularly in quieter scenes that are focused on aspects of the relationship.
If you’re writing a scene that involves quieter moments – family dinner, a work meeting – you might find it difficult to add tension or conflict, even if the scene is necessary for the external or internal plots. While these scenes can be useful for giving the protagonist a point to rest and reorient – and the reader time to digest pivotal plot moments – they can feel lifeless or inconsequential. Even if the scene ends with an important turning point, the lead-in might feel dull.
This is where viewing the protagonist’s relationships as a distinct level of plot can help.
Closeness and distance
Fawkes notes that the various layers of plot come with their own objectives. The external, physical plot can be described in terms of success v. failure. In each scene, does the hero succeed or fail? We can consider the character arc in terms of growth v. stagnation. Does the hero learn from mistakes or repeat them? Is the hero open to new ideas or stubbornly resisting them?
For scenes in the relationship plot, the equation is emotional closeness v. emotional distance. How does this create conflict? In each scene, your protagonist may desire more emotional closeness with the other element of the relationship – another person, an ideal, or society. Or he may desire distance. Or the hero may be satisfied with the status quo and seek to maintain things as they are. But how does the other side feel? In this case, the force of antagonism – and source of conflict – is the other person in the equation, who wants the opposite of the protagonist’s goal.
What does this look like? A teenage child wants to establish boundaries and independence from a parent, i.e.: distance. The parent, sensing this and perhaps feeling threatened, looks for opportunities to connect, to create emotional closeness. One spouse in a troubled marriage may want to reignite a spark, while the other may be satisfied with the status quo or even looking for a way out. An employee hoping for a promotion may seek an intellectual connection with the boss, but the boss may prefer some distance, because she’s trying to remain objective or has already selected someone else for the job. Character influences the interactions, but the relationship is driving.
Need higher stakes? Consider how Game of Thrones handled a pivotal scene that greatly impacted the plot, but was essentially relationship driven, and packed with tension and high stakes.
You think your family is difficult
Prior to what would become the Red Wedding, the romantic relationship between Robb Stark and Talisa had caused tension between Robb and his mother, who fears the repercussions of Robb’s decision to back out of his promise to marry a daughter of Walder Frey. Robb is frustrated by Catelyn’s warnings – as well as her other actions – and desires emotional distance. Catelyn seeks closeness, so that she can convince Robb of the danger he’s created.
The Starks’ nominal allies, the Freys, welcome them to their castle for a wedding feast, but the tension between the families is palpable, with subtle and not-so-subtle references to the diplomatic offense Robb has caused. Will the Freys accept that the far more powerful Starks broke their promise? Or will the alliance dissolve to the advantage of the Lannisters? The Starks are seeking closeness, to repair the damage done to their relationship with the Freys. The Freys pretend they want the same, but they actually want distance. The permanent kind.
Even before the violent plot twist, the scene is steaming with high stakes. The audience cares about the relationship between Robb and Cat, and about the outcome of the war. We want the Starks to be united and to win the war. If they quarrel, everything is at risk. The war – the external plot – is driving the characters’ arcs and the characters’ choices are affecting the war. And both influence and are affected by the relationship plots.
As we know, the external plot intrudes violently on the scene, as the war comes for the Starks, but Walder Frey’s relationships drove the action. He resented the powerful Starks and felt used. He desired a connection with the Lannisters. He craved the respect of the Seven Kingdoms – a form of emotional closeness – and the place his family name would have. The families were brought to this scene by Robb’s character arc – heir to warrior to arrogant young king. But the relationship plot – characters seeking closeness and distance – provides an electrifying layer of tension and conflict.
How did this help me?
Most scenes in your story will fall somewhere in the middle – higher stakes than everyday relationship conflict, but lower than the possibility of wholesale slaughter – and this is where I found Fawkes’ analysis and advice most helpful.
As I began experimenting with the idea of a relationship plot, I saw how my two current novels in progress relied on the protagonists’ relationships for both plot movement and emotional change. Though I was fairly deep into Novel 1, I went back to the outlining stage, and added a tower for the relationship plot. For each chapter, I identified the protagonist’s relationships with various story elements – other characters, himself, and the story world. Then I examined how each person or element approached the scene with the relationship in mind, and whether they desired more closeness, distance, or the status quo.
That simple exercise revealed multiple opportunities for subtext in the character dynamics, as well as ways each relationship could reinforce the theme of the protagonist’s search for his rightful place in the world.
WIP
In my novel in progress, my protagonist faces multiple opponents, but his chief antagonist is his story world, as he struggles to adapt to his proper place in society. While there are physical manifestations of his struggle – the external plot – a number of scenes find him engaged in varying levels of conflict with his friends, colleagues, romantic interest, and societal betters.
At first glance, the relationship plot isn’t the focal point of the novel, but the protagonist’s failure to find his place is what aligns the forces of antagonism against him, though they come from different angles, depending on whether his opponent is trying to help, use, or squash him. Without realizing it, I’d created a story where everything pivots on the protagonist’s relationships.
While the characters joust over personal matters, beneath the surface each is trying to tug the protagonist towards or away from societal roles he may or may not wish to play.
WIP 2
In the novel I’m outlining, relationships in fact are the central point. The protagonist’s relationships – good, bad, and too-soon-to-tell – and his desire to improve or sever them are what drive his choices, which moves the external plot forward. The relationships also drive his character arc, as he moves from emotional Point A to Point Z through the story.
As I added the relationship dynamics and conflict, it became clear that scene after scene was driven by the protagonist’s desire for closeness or distance, and his subsequent choices were heavily dependent on whether he succeeded or failed. Consciously recognizing and understanding that layer of plot helped me define the protagonist’s motivation and goals for each scene, and set up the forces of antagonism for some juicy interactions that intrude upon both the character arc and the external plot.
When I started each of these stories, the concept of a relationship plot wasn’t on my radar, though the elements were there. Properly assessing, applying, and strengthening this element of story has enriched both novels in progress, adding layers of meaning and increasing the depth of the work.
In theory. The proof will be in the telling. But I do feel good about them. Plot is not my strong suit, so I’m always on the lookout for interesting structural or character tips that contribute to organic plotting.
As always, I hope you find this helpful.
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