At the foundation of every story is a character. And at the foundation of that character is something they yearn for. Something they need or want that will shape their actions and relationships the entire journey, whether they know it or not. Harry Potter wanted family, love, and safety. Pip in Great Expectations wanted to escape his dreary, moor-bound peasantship and become a gentleman—a gentleman loved by Estella.
The obstacles that stand between a character and what they want can be unjust systems, natural disasters, illness, or any number of other things. But often the most interesting obstacles walk on two legs.
Other characters often, knowingly or unknowingly, support or stand in the way of a protagonist’s dreams. And when this happens, we get to see power-plays on the page.
Power dynamics between characters are always there, but they aren’t always obvious. A cute girl who lives to be admired may be stopped in her tracks by the appearance of an even cuter boy on the scene. And what if he’s an earnest and unassuming cutie? A Seymour Krelborn? Her foil certainly didn’t intend to wield power over her, but he changes her feelings and actions nonetheless. An ill sibling like Beth in Little Women can hold the power to grow and mature her entire family, although it wasn’t a power she would have chosen.
More traditional power dynamics play out in characters’ roles and direct relationships to one another. In these scenarios, like a bully to his victims, one character may be aggressive, and perhaps his aggression forces other characters into submissive roles they wouldn’t normally inhabit. Or one character can be vivacious and optimistic, while her bestie stews in quiet pessimism. Maybe one character is “the boss” but his subordinate knows the business better and lords this over him. Power can play out in myriad ways, but at its base it is agency. The character who has the freedom to exercise their own agency is the one who has the power advantage. Just like in real life.
So play with power as you write. Keep in mind who has the upper hand and remember that relationships and their power dynamics are the medium in which the plot develops. So develop it powerfully!
Anse Najiyah Maxfield, Head of Publishing, Daybreak Press