RELATIONSHIP THESAURUS

FRIENDS



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HELPFUL TIP:

Relationships are part of the very fabric of your character’s life. How well or poorly they get along with others oftentimes comes down to personality, so carefully consider the positive traits and negative traits of your story’s cast. Another factor that can pull characters together or create friction is motivation, so keep each individual’s goal—both at the scene and story level—in mind as you write.
DESCRIPTION:
Friends fall somewhere between besties and acquaintances. These people know each other to some degree and may choose to hang out or interact primarily through a larger social group. 

RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS:
Below are a wide range of dynamics that may accompany this relationship. Use the ideas that suit your story and work best for your characters to bring about and/or resolve the necessary conflict.

Spending time together regularly but not with the closeness of best friends
Knowing one another well enough to ask for help if needed
Getting together occasionally or within a larger group of friends
Participating only in surface-level conversation; not knowing one another intimately
The friendship existing only online (through social media, a chat app, on a discussion board for a shared interest, etc.)
Only feeling comfortable with each other when a mutual friend is present
Only interacting when necessary—such as at work or in specific social functions
One person being more invested in the friendship than the other
Not having contact except when it is an absolute must

CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREATEN THE STATUS QUO:
A mutual friend becoming jealous of the friendship
A new friend entering the picture and taking up more of one person's social time
One party entering a new stage of life that doesn't include the other person (having a child, achieving professional success, etc.)
One party changing their circle of friends
One party becoming romantically involved with someone close to the friend
An unfortunate event that results in one party needing a lot of help (the death of a spouse, losing their home or job, etc.)
One person in a mutual group of friends not being included in an event
One person not agreeing with the other's choices (regarding parenting, dating, morals, etc.)
One person crossing personal boundaries (regarding language choices, physical touch, etc.)
One party claiming they know the other person better than they do
Conflict between the friends' children
One friend hearing or spreading a rumor about the other
A drastic change in one person's religious or political ideology
The parties being pressured to take sides in a spat between mutual friends
One friend unknowingly discussing a topic that is a trigger for the other person
One party starting a business that competes with the friend's
One person's drama bleeding into the relationship 
One friend revealing privately shared information about the other
Their adult children becoming romantically involved, and either party not approving of the relationship

WOUNDS THAT COULD FACTOR INTO THE RELATIONSHIP:
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POSSIBLE CONFLICT SCENARIOS:
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CONFLICTING DESIRES THAT CAN IMPAIR THE RELATIONSHIP:
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CLASHING PERSONALITY TRAIT COMBINATIONS:
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NEGATIVE OUTCOMES OF FRICTION:
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FICTIONAL SCENARIOS THAT COULD TURN THESE CHARACTERS INTO ALLIES:
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WAYS THIS RELATIONSHIP MAY LEAD TO POSITIVE GROWTH:
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THEMES AND SYMBOLS THAT CAN BE EXPLORED THROUGH THIS RELATIONSHIP:
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