Happy Wednesday, my writing friends,
The last couple weeks we’ve talked about how incorporating
family into our stories can deepen our characters’ relationships, motives, and
vulnerabilities. We talked about sisters last week. This week: brothers.
Rivalry
In the Bible, a handful of intense brother relationships spring up. The story of Jacob and Esau pops as one of the most intense. What can I learn from their relationship that will deepen my own characters?
One nugget is their rivalry for parents’ attention and
affection. Mom loved Jacob best. Dad loved Esau. This planted jealous seeds in
both which led to their defining conflict—the whole switched-inheritance thing.
When writing brothers, jealous rivalry flows naturally and
can be the basis of a whole story—like in Steinbeck’s East of Eden.
Opposites
Have you watched the TV series, Heroes? It’s
addicting! And surprisingly, the whole show centers not around a romantic
relationship, but instead, on Peter Petrelli and his brother Nathan. When I
first realized this, I wondered how they could sustain a whole show around
brothers. But it worked!
Peter and Nathan operated very differently. Peter exuded
compassion, heart, and inner strength. Nathan preferred to be practical. He
desired success and sometimes bent rules to get it.
Their juxtaposed personalities added incredible
opportunities for character development. When Nathan lacked empathy, Peter
filled that void. Nathan learned from Peter. And vice versa. When Peter got too
wrapped up in his feelings, Nathan helped him see the clear direction. They
bickered and wrestled along the way, but their brother-bond kept
them turning to each other for help.
What can I learn from this brotherly aspect of Heroes?
Create brothers who are opposite, but who add strength to each other’s weaknesses.
I can use this for both conflict and to build closeness.
Support
Another show that featured a lot of brother relationships
was One Tree Hill. The main characters, Nathan and Lucas Scott, grew up
apart, but in high school, built a great relationship. They supported each
other through the darkest heartaches. I admit the brother bond in this silly
teen show inspired me. I liked seeing them encourage, listen, and cheer each
other up. I liked how they overcame their conflicts and grew to forgive.
What can I learn from One Tree Hill? Without
forgetting the struggles of brothers, I can show the inspirational positive elements.
What are some ways you think brother relationships can build
our characters? I’d love to hear.
God bless and happy writing,
Ocieanna
