Friendship is a strong motivational device for fiction. If you're writing YA fiction or have young characters in your novel, chances are you'll include a theme of friendship and what it means to you. Peer groups are said to have more influence in teenagers' lives than family (for more info on that visit Peer Pressure).
There's been a lot of great friendships in fiction, look at the trio in Harry Potter, Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings, or the touching protectiveness of Katniss with Rue in The Hunger Games. Of course, friendships aren't always positive, Truman Capote had a very disturbing bond with the killers he wrote about in In Cold Blood, and the friendship between George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men was just sad.
In Undead Kev, I'll have a theme of friendship that explores loyalty and responsibility. There's many different sides of friendship and many ways you can use it to drive your narrative, some possible themes to mix in are:
- Jealousy
- Loyalty
- Trust
- Dependence
- Attraction
- Betrayal
- Responsibility
- Death
And of course many more! Do you have a theme of friendship in any of your stories? Did you find it predicted your character's behaviour? Today I'm taking part in a writing challenge over at Romantic Friday Writers to come up with a short story for the prompt: Oh how I hate my beautiful friend! I've brought back Rosie for this one, she can be a bit foul mouthed sometimes, but I bleep her out.
Love that Rosie character Charmaine! She's always up to something! What next? I guess her friendship with the svelte Debbie is over!
ReplyDeleteLove that Rosie character Charmaine! She's always up to something! What next? I guess her friendship with the svelte Debbie is over!
ReplyDeleteSo funny! I really needed that, because I recognize Rosie. :)
ReplyDeleteAnother winner for sure!
Good examples of the aspects of friendship! It's so important in writing.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the exploration of themes and examples...and Rosie is just hilarious, and brilliant and real!
I think friendship is a key component of most stories, one that often gets overlooked.
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Moody Writing
Love the line, 'mound of Rosie'. This was terribly funny.
ReplyDeleteWill Tweet and FB.
Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Rosie is a great character! And agree with you about friendships. My critique partners taught me to use friendships as driving forces instead of as merely accessories to the M.C.
ReplyDeleteI loved the humour and the slight trip at the end of the svelte young thing. Great writing.
ReplyDeleteHi Charmaine
ReplyDeleteYour writing advice is great. Friends are so important in fiction. In my epic fantasy, it is friendship that blinds one of them into self sacrifice.
Love Rosie. I can so relate to the critical eye. I'd tell her about Weight Watchers where you can have cake if you'd like. But that's a whole other story. For yours, well written, the garbage guy ain't right for her. Well done.
Nancy
Dear Charmaine,
ReplyDeleteThis little story says so much about Rosie, how her complacency made her fat and now she's paying the price.
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my post. I'm glad you like my new character, Ramona Slope. She is a combination of several people. I love redheads, and jumped at the chance to write a story about a rather wild one.
Friendship is indeed a fruitful ingredient in stories. Once again, you have made visible something that is true but often overlooked.
Best wishes,
Anna
For the benefit of other readers:
RFW No. 45 - 'Oh how I hate my beautiful friend'
Friendship is the main theme for most of my stories.
ReplyDeleteGreat piece. I'm glad Rosie made another appearance on your blog.
ReplyDeleteLoving that Rosie, even with her attitude. I keep seeing Rebel or Magda. Highly relatable. Well done.
ReplyDeleteLoving that Rosie, even with her attitude. I keep seeing Rebel or Magda. Highly relatable. Well done.
ReplyDeleteHi, Charmaine! Rosie is quite a character. I could definitely picture her in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what Tim Tams are, but no doubt it's something self-destructive Rosie should avoid. Great character. Right on.
ReplyDeleteLoving Rosie! I wish she would've flipped the trash guy the birdie too. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know what tim tams are; but I want them too :) This is cool. Rosie is so well built, and has such a great voice. She is easy to fall into empathy with, and I see her world through her eyes and emotions.
ReplyDeleteGood Job on the characterization Charmaine.
Thanks for participating with RFW this week :)
.........dhole
Rosie's back and how..! I love her and her hypnotic breasts ..LOL
ReplyDeleteKeep writing about her, make a Diary, she will take you places for sure~
Hi, Charmaine,
ReplyDeleteYour post on friendships is SO SPOT ON! That is what I look for first in what I read. I LOVE good chemistry between characters. If it's not there, I usually drop the book and start on another.
As for your friend Rosie, well, SHE is TOOOOO hysterical. She's crass, spoiled, expects too much from people. She wants her cake and eat it too AND remain a size 4.
Your descriptions are wonderful.
I'm so glad she had a change of heart about exercising. She wouldn't be who she is if she were thinner...not yet anyway.
ReplyDeleteI like your bit on friendships also. So important
I think it's sad that Rosie is letting her health go.. I would love to see her take charge of her life! I think you captured her feelings very well.. this very well could be the start of a new day!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteEmotive piece! Fat and lovable Versus slim bitch... ;)
best
F
I laughed so hard at this. I've felt this way before and never followed through. What I liked most is that there wasn't really a friendship thinly veiled by jealousy or power play - she was just an acquaintance had an nothing to lose in her moment of pique. SO much fun.
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