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A great story is comprised of several key elements that all work in tandem. Not a single one overpowers the others and throw everything off balance. One of the lifebloods of such a tale is that of character interactions and they are far more integral to it than you think. Thus, mastering them and presenting them in a way that keeps your audience invested is key to success.
The best way to utilize character interactions is to match them to the personalities of the characters involved. This sounds deceptively simple on the surface but requires more finessing to it, meaning you have your work cut out for you. Using them correctly can distinguish your characters from each other and help your viewers remember them long after they’ve completed the story and moved onto another one.
Many things drive the plot and character interactions is one of them. They can steer it in wild and unexpected ways, resulting in storylines that you didn’t envision, let alone plan out. At key moments in the plot, how these interactions go can very well determine not just the trajectory of the main plot-line but the decisions these characters take afterwards, for better or worse.
Smart creators don’t just rely on similar interactions, they use a wide-ranging number. This helps keep things interesting, otherwise your audience would get bored of seeing the same ones repeatedly which can and will definitely damper their enthusiasm in the story. They incorporate new ones throughout the tale which also adds a dimension to the characters involved and flesh them out at the same time.
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Characters in stories are not just fictional people created for the sake of the plot. They have their own goals, dreams, idiosyncrasies, and so on. Some are more eccentric whereas others are normal. Their personalities are reflected not just in how they perceive the world and others around them but how they associate with them.
How exactly do you match character interactions to their personalities? Let’s take a wise old man for example. In this scenario, due to his wisdom, he is considered the sage character. He has a grandfatherly demeanor where he dispenses advice to the protagonist and always encourages him to press on, even when the odds are against him. He also uses his extensive knowledge to solve riddles and questions that the protagonist has no idea how to solve.
When fleshing out a character in the brainstorming phase, focus on how his personality dictates how he sees the world. If he sees it in a positive way, he is more inclined to be more inviting, more willing to communicate with other people, than one who views it in a negative way. The latter might be more of a recluse and view others with suspicion which affects how he interacts with them since he’ll think they have ulterior motives.
Characters with similar personalities are more likely to spend time together than those with contrasting ones. In the former, they have either strong friendships or are becoming good friends which leads to more positive interactions that accentuate who they are at heart as well as how comfortable they are with one another. In the latter, when they converse, they are more frank and dispense with the pleasantries so they can get down to business immediately and then move on when said business is concluded.
Much like real life, character interactions change over time. These changes reflect how different a character might view someone else. For instance, a married couple might get divorced, leading to a new number of ways the divorcees deal with each other. While they might no longer be together, their personalities still drive how they interact with each other, taking into account the reason why their marriage ended in the first place.
Many pivotal moments in a tale feature character interactions in some capacity. Some show them at odds, being on opposite sides of an issue, whereas others are more friendly, as if one is offering advice on something another is wrestling with. How they end dictates the remainder of the story which helps keep your audience invested.
As the plot progresses, the characters socialize with each other in many ways. While the vast majority involve talking (how else could they exchange information or learn more about each other?) that isn’t the only thing that can happen. For instance, they could be fighting each other or eating a meal together. These supplemental activities add dimensions to the involved characters and give them access to actions they otherwise couldn’t take if they were just talking.
The fantasy genre places a heavy emphasis on adventure, taking the protagonist through various lands in his quest to stop evil from winning. The hero typically doesn’t travel alone, he has a party, each member with his own strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the journey, the party develops camaraderie and forges ever-growing bonds of friendship that will serve them well, making them increasingly likely to put their life on the line for each other. Activities such as hunting, collecting firewood, and keeping guard go a long way in cementing the party’s friendship which will pay dividends down the road.
At critical junctures in the plot, the type of character interactions seen are more prominent than in many of the other moments. They are indicative of what said character is feeling at that particular moment, enabling the audience to grasp what is going on within that character. For example, an angry character is likely to be more ill-tempered and prone to exaggerated movement to express his anger and someone else will need to attempt to get through to him to get him to calm down, resorting to several actions he thinks will work such as speaking softly or listening to him vent.
While seeing how character interact with each other is fun, not to mention it’s an instrumental part of storytelling, it can be tempting to make use of the same ones over and over again or those that are too similar. Relying on a small set runs the risk of alienating your audience in that they’ll start to tune out, even at a seminal moment which is why you want to keep them fresh at all points in the plot.
Even though talking is the number one in terms of character interactions, as a creator there are a number of devices you can employ that helps keep it interesting. For instance, you can add actions such as riding horseback or exploring an abandoned mine which gives you access to different conversation topics which can either bolster or hinder the relationships of those participating in them.
A superb way to change up character interactions is to have them evolve over time. For example, someone at the end of the plot won’t necessarily be the same as he was at the beginning due to how he grew from then to now. His personal growth across the plot influences how he socializes with other people, leading him to use those he didn’t beforehand. For instance, someone who gains more confidence in himself might be inclined to choose actions that accentuate his change in personality.
Another method you could go with is to employ ones you use sparingly at critical junctures. Not only does this add to the gravitas of the scene, it is also a departure from the norm in that you are showing ones your viewers don’t see all too often. For example, you can have characters throw objects at each other in a heated argument or have one storm out in anger, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. Doing this not only makes such scenes stand out but highlights the power of these interactions.
Character interactions don’t just make a good story, they are an integral part. By showing your audience how they deal with each other, they learn more about them and how they see each other and the world by extension. If used correctly and presented in a way that keeps your viewers on the edge of their seats, you can craft a tale that lingers in their mind long after they’ve reached the end!
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