Writing Excuses 20.44: Now Go Write- How to Handle Relationships
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Nov 2, 2025 Discover practical tips on crafting believable relationships in storytelling. Explore the innovative Kowal Relationship Axes, which illustrate how dynamics can shift and create tension. Learn how misalignment on different axes can fuel conflict, and why treating relationships like characters themselves adds depth to your narrative. The hosts share how understanding roles and statuses enhances character development and themes. Dive into writing exercises that encourage you to explore the flaws and complexities of your characters' connections.
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Kowal Relationship Axes
- Relationships sit on multiple alignment axes: mind, money, morals, manners, model, and mirth.
- Misalignment on any axis becomes a natural source of conflict and story momentum.
Personal Money And Manners Example
- Mary Robinette describes being the grasshopper while her husband is the ant on money, showing small real-life axis misalignments.
- They also differ in manners because he is from Hawaii and she is from Tennessee.
Treat Relationships As Characters
- Treat a relationship itself like a character with its own arc and tensions.
- Use ability, role, relationship, and status to define how the relationship behaves under pressure.
