{discover.play.build.} long-term relationships

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I’ve been thinking about what I know about Andy now that I didn’t know when we got married twelve years ago.

  1. He has more compassion for the underdog than I ever believed was possible.
  2. He is fiercely loyal to his family.
  3. He works hard because he cares about a job well done.
  4. A fifteen minute nap + a shower wipes away all stress, frustration, and grouchiness. It is magic.
  5. He likes to make people feel good about themselves.
It makes me realize there’s a rhythm to relationships when we’ve been in them for awhile. This isn’t just true for married people, but for friends, siblings, and parents.When we know someone for many years, the relationship feels differently than when we only know someone for a few weeks or months. And this different can be good or not.
{discover.play.build.}
Consider the relationships in your character’s life. Who are the people that have been around for awhile? Who is new to her life? How can we tell the difference?
  • How do people act when they’ve known each other for awhile?
  • What are ways to tell when people are comfortable or uncomfortable with another person?
  • What makes a long-term relationship special?
  • What makes a long-term relationship difficult?

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characters work

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  1. Hmmm. I think this detail is what makes me believe a book or not. The deep relationships in the book have to be believable. This reminds me of the book The Beautiful Between (I think you blogged about it awhile back, so I picked it up, loved it, and shared it with a former student). The relationships in that book- especially the family relationships were so well-written that the book was believable. The whole story relied on the believability of the relationship between the mother and the daughter. Otherwise, as a reader, I wouldn't have bought that the daughter didn't know about her father's death. Great idea for exploring a character! I am a bit behind on your challenge, but I am working to catch up!