Relationships

This is (at least in my opinion) an interesting subject, as this is one of the topics that will develop through the course of the story. I feel like this is going to be my last post of exposition before delving into the action (which means a look at perspective and portraying action in the near future) of the story. Since this is a fluctuating topic, this is in no way, shape, or form concrete! Before you begin, you might want to make a chart or something to show how your characters relate to one another, who gets along (and who doesn't), and which ones are in charge of the others. To be honest, this is the first time that I am going to do so before I begin to write, as I like to write the introduction of my main character(s) of my stories before anything else. However, initial relationships between characters should not be an afterthought.

Feathery Thoughts (schoononover.deviantart.com)

Now that I have my miniature rant out of the way, let's get down to business. First of all, which other characters comprise of your main character's family? Who are they friends with? Who do they dislike (or hate, since it makes it much more fun to have a character that frequently pops in to annoy your main character... but I digress)? Do they have a boss, or are they someone else's boss? Are they in a relationship with another character in the beginning of the story? Since we have the laundry list, we can begin to compile everything... or at least to make some sort of chart and show where all of your characters lie.

As I have before, I will use Arynna as an example (she is my current story muse, as the story events play out randomly in my head).

• Family: her mother and father are very influential members of the kingdom's court, though she has no idea that they are her parents. The only one who knows that they are related is her mother, and she isn't talking.
• Arynna is the captain of the Temporal Guard, but because of her personality her vice-captains do not stick around long. Her current captain is Maeru, and he can be cocky, so she has to put him in his place at times (much to his distaste). The other guard that shows up in the beginning is Hyorin, who is constantly getting in trouble for being late (he is like a lost puppy on the side of the street in the rain) but is very loyal.
• She is very close to the queen/ keeper of the realm of time, for reasons other than being the captain. The queen acts as her mother (plot hole/ hint). Arynna's relation to the king, however, is more related to her business than friendship or family. From time to time she is required to perform tasks as the Court Assassin (her job is interesting and complicated), and when she goes to fix a rift in time she should report back to the king (she makes her vice-captain do this- just one of the reasons why they do not stick around).

There is not much more to tell about my character, but trying this with your character might be able to help the exposition move more smoothly. Just remember that these things can be changed whenever you feel like it, and please do not exhaust your characters by writing too much. If anything, you could simply write the names of the characters and a sentence about who they are. Have fun writing, and be prepared next week to tackle some action!