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Has anyone ever thought about using a plot structure (9-step plot dot, save-the-cat, “jot, bin, pants”) for character relationships? It could be for friendships or romances or any relationship like that.
This might be a dumb question, cause every writer may have thought about this already, but I was just putting it out there. 😉 Has anyone done that? If so, how’d it work out? It’d be great to hear some thoughts!! 😀
Tagging some people:
@gracie-j
@everyone-else 🙂
Thanks in advance!! 🙏
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000@nova21 I’m the person who makes up characters on the spot whilst writing and then is surprised when people tell me how much they liked them. What do you mean, you liked how I developed the character? I gave no thought to developing that character. I never give thoughts to developing characters.
So basically, I can’t tell you, because I’ve never thought about it, never put it into practice, and I’m the person who does things and doesn’t know about them (for example, I do ballet, but I haven’t heard of any of the famous ballet dancers) so even if I have heard of those plot structures which you have mentioned, I couldn’t tell you what they are.
Have fun, though 🙂
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
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@nova21 I’m with @devastate-lasting on this one. If I examined my character’s relationships, I could probably discover a certain structure I used (which I may go and do…), but I’ve never intentionally “plotted” relationships.
What kind of information would you be looking for in a relationship outline?
@nova21 Ooh that is a very interesting concept! Can’t say I’ve really plotted out relationships, but maybe I have subconsciously. I’m a pretty character oriented person so usually I just figure things out lol. But I’m sure there are times I see a structure and am like “oh hey that’s kinda like this relationship,” etc.
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
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#ProtectSeb- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
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@godlyfantasy12 I’m exactly the same way!
@godlyfantasy12, @gracie-j, @devastate-lasting
Yeah, I agree with all y’all about never having thought about it. I was just plotting my novel and I thought hey, that might be a good idea. 😁
@gracie-j
[quote quote=88055]What kind of information would you be looking for in a relationship outline?[/quote]
Probably just the ups and downs of a friendship: e.g. the “Inciting Incident” for childhood friends could be meeting for the first time in an unlikely way. I know that some of the plot structures wouldn’t work for a relationship outline, but I could always modify them.
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1789
@nova21 That’s a darn good idea, actually. I may outline one of my relationships and see what kind of structure I can get. Keep your eye out, will ya?
@gracie-j
Cool beans. 😉
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000I don’t really plot relationships, either, but I think that you have a cool thing going here. I am pretty sure that relationships would have to tie into external events and the individual character arcs. Here’s an example I came up with written how I will jot down my (often sidetracked and incomplete) outlines:
- Joan and Kim meet at a church. Joan is a regular church attendant and a long-time Christian. but it is the Saturday after her beloved mother’s funeral and she is wondering how she can go on. Kim was chased in by the rain because she left her umbrella on the bus, and while a Christian, hasn’t been to church in years.
- Joan can’t seem to think of the positives and Kim is an over-bubbly daydreamer.
- they meet and they start talking about knitting and Joan is invited to Kim’s knitting club.
- Kim knows that Joan is down and is constantly trying to cheer her up, and Joan is glad of the distraction but it doesn’t help her with the grief she’s enduring.
- Kim has a disconnect with reality and is trying to help Joan in her childish way, but she gloms on to Joan as a close friend.
- Kim learns that her estranged father is dying and wishes to see her.
- Her father was a harsh man who always forced her to do better than she could realistically do, making her feel imperfect and retreating into herself while still being the bubbly extrovert. Kim breaks down and runs to Joan for help.
- Joan gives Kim advice her mother had given to her and finds comfort remembering that there is hope in death for the Christian and assures Kim that she is not alone and that she can go with her for support.
- Kim agrees and Joan waits outside the door to the room, realizing that it is the same hospital that she saw her mother die in.
- At the end of the visit Kim and her father are reconciled and Joan helps Kim home.
- The next day Kim’s father is dead and Joan has to help Kim, who is so weighted down by her proverbial crash with reality she is struggling to remember to function like an adult.
- Joan helps her and finds peace in helping her friend, and realizes that while the pain may lessen, it won’t go away and she can use it to help others.
- The two become like sisters.
I hope this random sample helps!
We crazy people are the normal ones.
You read my mind! That’s exactly what I was thinking of!! 😉😃 I’m gonna try that tomorrow…
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000
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