Over the past couple of months I’ve been in the “reverse outline” stage of my latest novel. This means I’ve done three (or four? I lose count) drafts and now I’m finally ready to get down to the nitty gritty of plot and beats that I probably should have done before starting. But hey, that’s the life of a discovery writer.
With each book, I concentrate on exploring different tools. I like to think the tools stay with me in the future, and I become a better writer, but time will tell. This book I’m trying to explore relationship arcs more thoroughly. In past, I’ve concentrated on plotting and character arc, but never focused on tools for relationship arcs. Of course I’ve written relationships that range from romance to friends, family, enemies, and “it’s complicated.” I like to think that I’ve written some good relationships. But I’ll be honest: the relationships have always served the character arc.
Recently, I was working on a dual POV romantasy, and I realized the power of not just the relationship in the character arc, but the relationship as its own entity. Having set the romantasy aside (for now) I’m back to darker relationships — ones built on needs, obsession, and toxic desire rather than love and romance. It made me realize there aren’t a lot of resources out there that focus on negative relationship arcs.
The Types of Relationship Arcs
September Fawkes’ website has been instrumental for my understanding of relationship arcs. Especially helpful is this article about the four types of relationship arcs. TDR:
- Positive steadfast: The relationship starts close and grows closer (friends to lovers)
- Negative steadfast: The relationship starts apart and grows further apart (strangers to enemies)
- Positive change: The relationship starts apart and grows close (enemies to lovers)
- Negative change: The relationship starts close and grows apart (student to enemy)
This grid of relationships helped me realize all the different types of relationships we can write. But just as most character and plot beat sheets focus on positive arcs instead of tragedies, the relationship beat sheets I could find focused on positive change relationships. This is probably because most of the relationship beat sheets out there are romance beat sheets. But even the beat sheets that aren’t romance-related focus on positive relationships.
Because most of my writing is horror or dark sci fi that ends in tragedy, I find myself constantly writing relationship arcs that focus on separation. I did some googling for divorce beats but couldn’t find anything, so I thought I’d explore on my own.
Flipping Positive Relationship Beats
Below I’ve outlined what I’ve found as the positive/romantic relationship beats. I’ve then tried flipping them to fit negative relationship arcs.
| Romance Beats | Generic Positive Beats | Negative Beats |
|---|---|---|
| Meet Cute | Meeting/current state | Meet Ugly/Current State |
| Adhesion | Adhesion | Repulsion |
| Token of trust | Token of trust | Red Flag |
| Breakup | Broken trust | “I can fix them” |
| Grand Gesture | Grand Gesture | True colors |
| HEA | Wrap Up | Wrap up |
I’d like to point out that I have difficulty leaving behind the romantic relationship, even when going into the negative arc. So much of the world focuses on romantic relationships, whether they are positive or harmful. While there is writing that also looks at family dynamics and friendships, these often take a backseat to romance, especially when it comes to writing relationships and doubly so when it comes to genre fiction. It think the only other type of relationship given as much focus in genre is possibly the mentor.
So I’m doing what I can and trying to “break out” of romance as THE relationship. But… baby steps.
Diving Into the Beats
Romance Example Divorce
Non-romance example: Cult leader
Meet Ugly/Current State
This is either when the characters meets for the first time or the author reveals the characters. We get a sense of the current relationship. In a meet cute, the most important thing for me is that the reader sees the potential of the relationship. It’s even better, imo, when the reader sees it and the character doesn’t. So in a negative arc I’d think I’d focus on:
- How the relationship is potentially harmful to the characters.
- Little red flags on both sides (saving the major flags for later)
The couple is on autopilot. We see neither of them giving much attention to their relationship. Maybe there is the tension of resentment and some snide comments. Maybe the MC is dreaming of another life.
MC is a cult leader. Current state is them feeling protective of their cult members. They experience fun and joy with them and are determined to guide them down the “right” path. There may be some signs that the MC is controlling or that the cult members are dysfunctional in some way.
Repulsion: The Ick
I’m torn on this one. Not sure if it should still be adhesion or if it should switch to repulsion. Adhesion is what allows both characters to stay in the plot. If there was no adhesion, the MC would just walk away from the other character and there would be no relationship. In a negative arc we still need a relationship. So repulsion doesn’t make sense. Perhaps there needs to be both a repulsion beat and an adhesion beat.
With both a repulsion and adhesion beat, the repulsion beat would be the ick. It’s the moment the character knows they want out of the relationship.
The MC is folding clothes and realizes she can’t stand to fold another one of her husband’s shirts. Or maybe she goes out with friends and sees a flirtatious relationship and comments about wanting that… and being ready to get it.
The cult leader realizes they want to give up their position of authority. They want to retire and live a quiet life alone.
Adhesion
Instead of just being able to walk away, there needs to be something to hold the characters together.
Oh no, I want to divorce you but we have kids. Or a mortgage. Or your visa.
The cult leader can’t leave because the cult is in the middle of a tax investigation and if they leave it will look suspicious, leaving their cult members at risk of jail or disbandment.
Red Flag
The relationship is shown to the MC to be harmful. They finally see what the reader saw in the first scene.
The MC realizes her husband has drained her bank account.
The cult leader finds some cult members have been stock piling weapons.
I Can Fix Them
This is a moment of forgiveness and reconciliation. There are apologies and promises to change. The MC realizes they want this relationship and are willing to fight for it.
Break up sex ‘r’ us
The cult leader comes up with a new “meditation” meant to teach the cult peace and acceptance. He spends a weekend re-engaging and remembers his original ideology.
True Colors
The relationship is shown to be truly harmful, something the MC can no longer permit in their life. Perhaps it is shown to be harmful to bother members an/or kids/family/friends
The husband takes the kids out of school and out of state, kidnapping them.
The weekend engagement goes wrong — taking drugs causes panic and the cult ends up in a shootout with the FBI. Several members die.
Wrap Up
The characters end up together and hating each other or separate.
Divorce and a legal battle or the wife agrees to come back.
The cult leader is allowed to leave the cult, but lives in a prison cell. From prison, he sends letters to his members, reforming the cult.
Issues and Benefits
I’m not 100% sure this structure works, but the benefit of beats is looking at the common moments in relationships. This gives a good starting point, especially when reverse plotting. I don’t feel the need to write to the beats but instead see if these beats map onto my writing and, if so, if there is anything I might be able to emphasize more. If they don’t line up, is there a way I can pull in these common beats as a reference to contrast my relationship.
Overall, I think the most beneficial part of relationship arcs has been looking at the relationship as a third character. If character A and B are in relationship C, their relationship might be negative but each individual should remain complex and multifaceted. Plotting relationships allows me to remember to give some negative traits to my MC and some positive traits to the antagonist. Because people don’t have to be bad for a relationship to take a negative arc.
I think those are two things I am working on in real life, too.
- Platonic relationships can be more important than romantic relationships.
- A failed relationship does not equal bad people.
What do you think? Have any input? Perhaps some resources to share? I’d love to hear.
