Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. Some of those relationships are positive and supportive, pushing the protagonist to positive growth and helping them achieve their goals. Other relationships do exactly the opposite—derailing your character’s confidence and self-worth—or they cause friction and conflict that leads to fallout and disruption. Many relationships hover somewhere in the middle. A balanced story will require a mix of these dynamics.
The purpose of this thesaurus is to encourage you to explore the kinds of relationships that might be good for your story and figure out what each might look like. Think about what a character needs (good and bad), and build a network of connections for him or her that will challenge them, showcase their innermost qualities, and bind readers to their relationship trials and triumphs.
The following is just a sample of the content available for this relationship. To see it in its entirety (along with 45+ additional relationship entries), check out our Description Thesaurus Collection at One Stop For Writers.
One-Night Stand Lovers
Description:
A relationship involving two or more people who are sexually intimate one time and have no further contact is considered a one-night stand. The intimacy may have been fueled by desire, emotional pain, alcohol, drugs, or sex addiction. It may also have stemmed from the thrill of having no strings attached. One-night stands may be chance encounters or they may be facilitated through an app or website.
Relationship Dynamics
Below are a wide range of dynamics that may accompany this relationship. Use the ideas that suit your story and work best for your characters to bring about and/or resolve the necessary conflict.
Two (or more) people hooking up for one night with no expectation of further involvement
A relationship where one person is emotionally invested while the other is not
The parties staying in contact, resulting in a longer-term relationship
One party trying to pursue a lasting relationship with a lover who isn’t interested
Having to hide the one-night stand from others (because the two work together, they’re involved in other romantic relationships, etc.)
Challenges That Could Threaten The Status Quo
Encountering the other person after the fact
An unexpected pregnancy
A spouse or partner finding out about the one-night stand
Being diagnosed with a sexually-transmitted disease after the fact
One person becoming curious about the other and trying to contact them
Negative Outcomes of Friction (if the two parties disagree about ending the relationship)
Arguments arising when the other person wants to continue the relationship
Having to hide further conversations with the person from one’s partner
A needy party disclosing the liaison to the other person’s partner
Ways This Relationship May Lead to Positive Change
Learning that living spontaneously doesn’t always end well
Taking responsibility for harmful behavior
Understanding attraction on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level
Themes and Symbols That Can Be Explored through This Relationship
A Fall from Grace, Betrayal, Coming of age, Crossroads, Deception, Depression, Disorder, Endings, Freedom, Health, Instability, Isolation, Journeys, Love, Stagnation, Vulnerability
Other Relationship Thesaurus entries can be found here.
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Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.