Whenever you read a novel, you will find a main character or protagonist and a supporting cast of characters which will either support the main character, or prevent him from reaching their objective. It is very rare to find a single character in a novel; they will always have a companion of sorts, otherwise the story will struggle to create the necessary conflict and develop toward its conclusion.

You will find different character relationships within one novel. A family relationship, a friendship, working relationships and how these dynamics are successful and enriching or debilitating for the protagonist. As a writer, the most fascinating part of the writing process is creating a good, strong character list, with different personalities, and then discovering how they interact with one another. Sometimes the relationship between two characters can be healthy for one but unhealthy for the other, or unhealthy for the both of them. A character that is strong and confident in the workplace can find themselves tongue-tied when they visit their local sandwich bar, because they have a deep love for the girl who works there.

If your main storyline revolves around a relationship, it is better to build the groundwork for that relationship first and then gradually introduce your other characters. There are four character relationship components to remember which are as follows.

Both characters have a shared objective and goal that keep them together. This kind of characters' relationship is mainly found in crime novels, where you have two cops working together to solve a crime. They may have totally opposite characters and opinions on how to reach their objective but as the story unfolds, they move from working colleagues who dislike one another to friends. Their reasons to reach their goals must be strong enough to keep them working as a team, even though they dislike one another.

The characters have totally different values and beliefs. Their personalities are polar opposites, maybe one lives life dangerously and takes risks while the other lives lawfully. This can create great conflict in your story as they disagree on how best to overcome the obstacles to achieve their goal.

There is a difference of opinion between your characters that threatens to tear them apart. This is another great way to build conflict in your story. Remember to build flaws in each of your main characters as in real life, nobody is perfect. If the characters have no flaws, the story has no room to grow and will become stagnant. Use these flaws to pull the characters apart and a shared interest to keep them together.

The differing personality traits of both characters tend to become blurred as the story develops. They start to take on characteristics of one another. The uptight and straight-laced character becomes more laid back, while the risk-taking, uncaring character discovers it is beneficial to be more considerate of others' feelings.

If you include these elements in your story, you will find it easier to make the story progress, build conflict and make it more engaging for the reader. Keep the level of conflict and common bond equal or you risk the chance of the story either becoming boring or having so much conflict it ends the relationship. To help you build your character relationship, think of a personal relationship you have with either a friend or family member. What characteristics do you both have that have kept you together and what are those that inhibit you from becoming even closer? What qualities have you adopted from one another since the beginning of your relationhip?