Writing: How To Write a Nove - The Relationship Cycle
Relationship Arc
The Relationship Arc draws on the regular Heroic Story Arc, but instead of focusing solely on one hero’s journey, the focus is on the changing relationship between two people.
The simple 10-12 beat outline offered here can be used in a multiplicity of was. First of all, understand it’s a stepping-stone, not a noose. Don’t strangle the story to fit the beat sheet; use the beat sheet to buttress the story.
Taken by itself, alone, if you have one point of view character and assign a thousand-word scene for each of the ten to twelve beats, you’d have a 10,000-12,000-word story. If you have two points of view, and slightly longer scenes, say about 1500 words each, you’d have a 30,000-word novella. This is the basic template I use for my novella length romances.
What if you’re writing a story that isn’t a romance? Chances are that your character will still have a relationship with someone else in the story. While it might be platonic rather than passionate, in faction, it could even be familial, the emotional notes will still be similar, because human nature runs deep. The struggle between any two individuals to change from strangers to friends or enemies to friends is going to be similar.
However, what if you’re writing a longer, more complex story with multiple characters? Again, this sheet can be useful to tease out the changing relationship between any two characters in your story. In a single book, you might have subplots that deal with:
The MC and his father
The MC and his brother
The MC and his romantic interest
The MC and an enemy that he needs as an ally against a common enemy
The MC and his friend who ultimately betrays him
The MC and a griffin-like alien creature that at first tries to eat him but he later tames and rides into the final battle...
See?
An example is the movie Wreck-It Ralph. The main relationship is a platonic friendship between Ralph and Venelope. They have a classic strangers-to-friends story arc. Meanwhile, there’s also a subplot about Ralph’s enemy-to-friends story arc with Fix-It Felix, and an even more attenuated subplot about Felix’s strangers-to-lovers romance with Sergeant Calhoun.
10 Beat Outline for Any Relationship Arc
1. Meet Cute / Initial Encounter
The initial encounter or re-encounter if they’ve met before. Obviously, bonus points if it’s shocking, embarrassing, or dangerous in some way. But it might be a positive encounter, or even nothing special at first—until the reason for the rejection comes up...
2. Denial / Rejection
If nothing keeps the characters apart, if they immediately like each other and get along fine, there’s no story tension. Something, preferably both an “outer” factor (awkward situation, misunderstanding, rivalry, bigotry or social pressure) and “inner” (emotional hang-up, personality quirk or secret) exist to make a smooth relationship between these two difficult. Their first inclination is either hostility or separation, but for some reason, that’s not going to work.
3. Forced to Work Together
It turns out, they have to work together.
Their first inclination is either hostility or separation, but for some reason, that’s not going to work. Here’s where you explain why they can’t avoid each other, but HAVE to cooperate, however grudgingly. This could be because they are coworkers, or it could be quite literal, because they are chained together. One might be the prisoner or captive or prey of the other, or one might be the bodyguard or protector of the other. Only one partner needs to be motivated to keep together at this point.
4. Three Trials
This is the “fun and games” set of incidents, interactions and events that gradually draws the characters together. It doesn’t have to be exactly three, and it can be subtle, but that’s a good number to keep in mind to make sure there are enough separate interactions to show change. The change shouldn’t come all at once. By adding beats here, the 10-beat cycle can be extended for a longer story.
Note that if each of these trials or events is given its own scene or chapter, that the ten-beat outline expands to twelve. More incidents can be fit in than merely three, but this section shouldn’t be extended too long, or the pacing will suffer.
5. Midpoint Crisis
Disaster, usually from an outside source like a villain or problem (not an internal, emotional crisis) strikes one or both of the characters.
6. Pulling Together.
To deal with the crisis, they have to work together. Teamwork, baby!
7. Relationship High Point
The relationship seems great, but there’s still a secret lurking landmine.
8. The Break-Up / Fall Apart
The Dark Night when something seems to destroy the relationship. This leads to an emotional crisis in both characters. This is when “the secret” is revealed if that’s what’s been keeping them apart, or when one or both makes “the wrong choice” morally or romantically. It may be done from the best of motives on the part of the one walking away, but the other partner might not know that. (I.e. this could be when a new secret is introduced, where a character says, “I never liked you,” but it’s to save the other’s life.
(Note: For a tragedy, or to portray a Betrayal (friend-to-enemy relationship), you can end here, when the true nature of the villain is revealed, or when the traitorous friend—or the anti-hero protagonist—makes the final, wrong choice. In this case, proceed directly the confrontation with the villain, with no grand gesture of redemption.)
9. Big Gesture
The sacrifice, apology or “big gesture” that proves the love or friendship is real. The big gesture might have actually occurred during the Break-Up, but is only revealed now.
10. Declaration
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