How To Write Fictional Families
Transcript:
Brother, sister, mother, mister.
Today, we're talking about fictional families and how to write them.
My book deals with several different types of family relationships.
My main character is the youngest of a pretty big family, but she's also a twin. She deals with a lot of different dilemmas. How can she measure up in the shadows of her siblings? And how can she be her own person when she's never truly been alone?
Her role in her family informs a lot of her decisions, even in ways that are not obvious. Family dynamics are one of my favorite things to write about. That's probably because I come from a pretty big family myself.
I am the second oldest of four.
I have three brothers. One that is 18 years older than me and then two younger ones who are three and seven years younger than me. Here's a photo of me and my younger brothers and my mom. Aren't we just adorable? I think we're pretty cute.
My mother handled four kids pretty well, but she has six siblings so it's not news to her. She is a middle child born right in the middle of seven kids. According to birth order I guess I should be a middle child too, but since my older brother had literally just become an adult when I was born, the dynamic there was a little bit shifted.
My older brother's father died when he was two, long before I ever came into the picture. But my younger brothers and I all have the same father, so I do feel a lot more comfortable in the eldest sibling role. My older brother's relationship to me was more of a guiding adult relationship than the rivalry and camaraderie I get with my younger brothers.
I felt and still feel very responsible for my younger brothers. Even though they're not babies anymore.
I feel like it is my job to set a good example for my younger brothers and when I don't live up to the expectations that I set for myself I feel like I've let my whole family down.
I have a lot of ambition and I think that stems from my place as a mother and—A mother?! Whoa, I'm not mother. Oh my god. I'm only a mother to a puppy! I think that stems from my place as a SISTER and a DAUGHTER. Oh my god.
I would be a very different person if I was an only child. Just as I would be a very different person if I only had sisters or if I only had one sibling.
When building a family for your main character, it's very important to think about how these people shaped or influence your character even if we never meet them.
Even if they are long dead before the story starts, we should know how the character fits in her family. A family should never be just a tragic backstory or something a character half-heartedly misses on her great adventure. A good way to figure out your character's family is to examine their personality and think of what type of upbringing would foster those traits.
Is your character very spoiled? Maybe she's an only child.
Is he afraid of commitment? Maybe he has divorced parents.
But like with all good character building, don't stop there.
A good family, like a good character, is multi-layered.
Let's think about that spoiled girl... maybe she was spoiled because she was their only child. Maybe her parents tried for other children, but when they couldn't have anymore they put all the resources into their one child. How would they feel about that? How would that inform their parenting? Build upon what if questions.
If the only explanations you can come up with are stereotypical or cliche, try thinking of ways to convert those tropes. Maybe the boy with commitment issues has perfect parents, maybe they never broke up. Maybe instead, when he was young he had an older sibling who committed suicide over a breakup and he decided never to be that attached to anyone.
A good family is a reflection of your character.
They are what your character could be if only they make better or worse choices.
They are what they want for themselves or what will do anything to avoid.
No matter what, they are inseparable from your character and who they must be.
Tell me about your favorite fictional families! What are your tips for writing families? What is your family like? I want to know it all!
Let me know in the comments. Please subscribe if you want to be a part of my family. I think I'm a pretty good sister if I do say so myself.
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