Thread: Character Interactions

Title sums it up.

Here's an example: an episodic series like the Pokemon Anime often has a character (person or Pokemon) featured where they have a challenge to overcome. When writing, you could have the other characters get involved to help or even subtly develop them. Like a character can emphasize with the issue another is facing leading to the events of a future story.

Have anything to add?

Uh, I don't get what you're trying to do with this thread, exactly.

Originally Posted by Kelleo

Uh, I don't get what you're trying to do with this thread, exactly.

Isn't the title enough of a hint?

Originally Posted by matt0044

Isn't the title enough of a hint?

No. What about character interactions? Are you trying to get advice on how to be better at writing them? Or do you just want people to list their favorite character interactions in fiction? I don't have any idea.

Originally Posted by Kelleo

Originally Posted by matt0044

Isn't the title enough of a hint?

No. What about character interactions? Are you trying to get advice on how to be better at writing them? Or do you just want people to list their favorite character interactions in fiction? I don't have any idea.

I want people to discuss it in general. However they want. I merely provided a sort of example to maybe get the ball rolling.

Originally Posted by matt0044

I want people to discuss it in general. However they want. I merely provided a sort of example to maybe get the ball rolling.

Oh. Well, I can't really think of anything to say on the subject right now...

Character interaction is something that I find to be incredibly important in a story. If you have interesting character interaction then you can have a good story, even if nothing else is going on, but if you have stuff just happening and you don't have anything interesting going on character-wise, you probably won't wind up with anything good. The character interaction is heavily dependent on the depth the author has put into the characters, and it's in the interactions where you'll be able to see that play out and best understand the characters themselves.

A common thing is to have two very different character play off of each other (these are usually foils) which highlights their differences and/or similarities. I think Romance is the obvious character interaction that come sup the most but I don't know if we want to get into writing romance specifically here. Either way I think relationships between characters are very important things to pay attention to and show in writing. It isn't really enough to say that two characters are friends, you have to show them interacting in friendly activities, as well as provide some sort of justification for why they might be friends in the first place (i.e. give them some things in common, for instance.) People don't really like to think about relationships in the sense that people only get into them to get something out of it, and obviously its a lot more complicated then that, but when showing character interactions, its necessary to at least make it clear to the reader how each character is benefiting (or perceives themselves to be benefiting, or if they aren't benefiting, then justify why they are still in the relationship). When this isn't given it can be really jarring.

I know I've read some book series where in later books, there will be mention of all this stuff one character did with another, and it doesn't really make sense since we never see it happening and there doesn't seem to be a reason for it, other than the other needed the character to have a friend and the author decided to make it one they'd already introduced before, just out of convenience, even though it feels out of the blue and unlikely, considering the characters. You can tell that the author hasn't done something right with the characters when their interactions with other characters is inconsistent and their personality seems to shift at the whims of the plot (throwing a fit over something they usually wouldn't, just so this character can do this, etc.) I think staying consistent is something that a lot of new writers struggle with.

I mean, there's nothing to say that unlikely characters can't be friends, fall in love, etc. But those commonalities, those things that each other do for the relationship, need to be pointed out to the audience and reinforced with multiple interactions. As I always say, when in doubt, justify, justify, justify!

Originally Posted by NoirGrimoir

Character interaction is something that I find to be incredibly important in a story. If you have interesting character interaction then you can have a good story, even if nothing else is going on, but if you have stuff just happening and you don't have anything interesting going on character-wise, you probably won't wind up with anything good. The character interaction is heavily dependent on the depth the author has put into the characters, and it's in the interactions where you'll be able to see that play out and best understand the characters themselves.

A common thing is to have two very different character play off of each other (these are usually foils) which highlights their differences and/or similarities. I think Romance is the obvious character interaction that come sup the most but I don't know if we want to get into writing romance specifically here. Either way I think relationships between characters are very important things to pay attention to and show in writing. It isn't really enough to say that two characters are friends, you have to show them interacting in friendly activities, as well as provide some sort of justification for why they might be friends in the first place (i.e. give them some things in common, for instance.) People don't really like to think about relationships in the sense that people only get into them to get something out of it, and obviously its a lot more complicated then that, but when showing character interactions, its necessary to at least make it clear to the reader how each character is benefiting (or perceives themselves to be benefiting, or if they aren't benefiting, then justify why they are still in the relationship). When this isn't given it can be really jarring.

I know I've read some book series where in later books, there will be mention of all this stuff one character did with another, and it doesn't really make sense since we never see it happening and there doesn't seem to be a reason for it, other than the other needed the character to have a friend and the author decided to make it one they'd already introduced before, just out of convenience, even though it feels out of the blue and unlikely, considering the characters. You can tell that the author hasn't done something right with the characters when their interactions with other characters is inconsistent and their personality seems to shift at the whims of the plot (throwing a fit over something they usually wouldn't, just so this character can do this, etc.) I think staying consistent is something that a lot of new writers struggle with.

I mean, there's nothing to say that unlikely characters can't be friends, fall in love, etc. But those commonalities, those things that each other do for the relationship, need to be pointed out to the audience and reinforced with multiple interactions. As I always say, when in doubt, justify, justify, justify!

:'| Those are my exact thoughts. Good dialogue is so very important, and interesting to read... In my own experience, it's rather entertaining to write, as well. =] It's fun to develop the character, or try to stay in the lines of a character from an anime/manga/show, and ask yourself what would /they/ do in the situation.

I actually love character interaction in a way, to the point that I may go a little overboard with it sometimes during chapters. I don´t know why but I just like to exposed more on it, I feel like when the characters talk with each other I can expand more on their personalities, reactions, likes and dislikes as well as what they have in common with each other or what they´re different in. I believe that for great character interaction you not only need great characters but characters that have different points of view with each other, because this is also what happens in real life when you interact with someone else, it isn´t just talking, you might laugh, or cry, or argue over things that do or don´t matter so I believe that good character interaction gives more life to a story, plus it can be used as a great way to take a break from serious moments sometimes.

When it comes to character interaction, for me there are just so many to chose from. I always tend to imagine how characters would interact in certain situations, but most of them can't be used. Though I do find it to be a great exercise, and it's sometimes very entertaining.

Character interactions could be categorized in a lot of different ways; by the number of characters at a time (which for me is usually comical in large groups), by genre (romantic, dramatic, comical, or just plain characterization). It isn't about the interactions though, while they my be entertaining, but about the relationships the characters build or end for that matter.

It's interesting to notice how it's such a popular belief that heartbreaks only come from deaths and the end of a romantic relationship, which is definitely not true. But it's difficult to find a story that has a well portrayed story in which a friendship is broken, especially one that had been established very early and flourished throughout the length of the story.

@NoirGrimoir; I find your note on how sometimes an author decides to create a relationship out of the blue with a new character just out of convenience, without properly building their relationship through previous interactions, or at least foreshadowing (in my opinion). But there should always be justification for any relationship that an author builds and should be believable and realistic. I just hate it when an author makes a justification that isn't believable just for convenience.