MASTER AND APPRENTICE
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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:
RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS:
The master knowing their trade well and delighting in training apprentices
The master wanting to do anything possible to make the apprentice successful
An apprentice having the confidence to solve problems and make decisions without needing hand-holding
The apprentice having a half-hearted attitude about the situation (underachieving, showing up late, not doing their best, etc.)
The apprentice being unteachable—because the apprentice is only pursuing the trade to please someone else, they feel they know more than the master, etc.
An apprentice needing constant affirmation and encouragement
An apprentice being partnered with a master who is strong in their craft but weak on mentoring and teaching
The master being so busy that the apprentice is constantly being sidelined or made to wait
A master not trusting the apprentice with important jobs—giving them busy work that robs them of the ability to learn and improve
One party being more concerned with what they can get out of the relationship than what they can give
A master using the relationship as an opportunity to dominate, control, or abuse the apprentice
CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREATEN THE STATUS QUO:
The master taking on multiple apprentices
Either party developing a bias (socially, culturally, racially, etc.) against the other
The master becoming jealous of or feeling threatened by the apprentice's skill
Either party ceasing to fulfill the obligations of their agreement
The master's business booming, resulting in less time to devote to the apprentice
Business and profits declining, creating tension and threatening the apprentice's position
The apprentice surpassing the master's skill level
The master falling ill
The apprentice causing a severe accident or disaster
The apprentice sustaining an injury that impacts their ability to work the trade
Either party dealing with a difficult personal situation that impacts their work performance
Either party taking credit for the other's ideas or work
The loss of the physical setting or tools necessary for training (due to a fire, theft, disrepair, etc.)
A widespread supply shortage in tools or resources needed
An economic downturn that results in financial hardship for the master
The apprentice being a willing learner but lacking skill, dexterity, strength, or another vital quality that limits their progress