5 Secrets of Creating Tension Between Siblings in Fiction
I love writing about family dynamics and exploring the complex nuances in the relationships between my characters—especially when they’re related. In my latest novel I Wish We Weren’t Related this is, as the title suggests, a central theme.
It tells the story of my heroine Reeva Mehta, who is forced to spend two weeks with her sisters (sisters she isn’t speaking to) after it is revealed their dad didn’t die when they were young—he’s only just died and his last wishes were for all three of his daughters to complete the Hindu death rituals for him.
There are plenty of scenes of tension between the siblings—they were actually the most fun for me to write—so here are my thoughts on how best to do it.
Know your characters well.
If you’re writing about siblings—or any family members really—you need to know exactly who they are. How would they react in any given situation? What would they think and what would they say? How would they feel?
Knowing the characters inside-out means you can explain how they feel through the slightest action/thought/comment—‘Reeva raised an eyebrow at her sister’s outfit, but decided not to say anything’—without necessarily needing a dramatic scene.
Use the setting.
My novel centers around the fact that the three sisters are forced to spend two weeks together at their dead dad’s house, sorting out his things and going to prayers every night. It means they can’t escape from each other—cue lots of stressful scenes, snapping at each other over breakfast, and walking in on each other in the bathroom.
Thinking about where your characters are—and why—can be really useful in upping the tension. Are they at a café where one of them once humiliated the other but has since forgotten? Are they forced together at a wedding? Or are they about to ruin Christmas at their family home?
Save your reveals.
Often, there is tension between siblings because of some past drama. But what if they don’t know the full story? And they find out the rest of it along with the reader…
For example, my heroine Reeva isn’t speaking to her youngest sister Jaya, because she stole Reeva’s boyfriend, and now she’s marrying him. Reeva eventually manages to accept this—but then she finds out the situation is even worse than she realized. By eking out the reveals, the tension rises, and the characters have even higher stakes to overcome.
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Let it be messy.
My favorite thing about writing families is that nothing is simple. Black and white doesn’t really exist—instead it’s all grey. Siblings rarely just hate each other without any love, or argue all the time—often there’s moments of hilarity too. Extremes can co-exist, especially in families, so use them.
Let your siblings have moments of ease and laughter and familial love—but then have one of them say the exact wrong thing in the wrong moment. What happens now? Mixing up the drama with relaxed moments just makes the tension even more palpable—and very real.
Have fun with it.
I love writing scenes with siblings because they can cross boundaries with each other that friends just wouldn’t. One of my favorite scenes in my novel is where Jaya and Sita keep pushing Reeva’s buttons—‘What, did you want me to share every little emotion with you?’ asked Reeva. ‘Yes!’ cried Jaya. ‘Like an actual sister!’—until Reeva finally explodes—‘Okay, so you want me to share. Fine, I’ll share!’—and tells them exactly what she thinks of them.
As well as oversharing about her recent sexual experience. It’s uncomfortably tense and silent—until her sisters start laughing hysterically.
I believe that when a writer enjoys what they’re writing, it comes through. So my best advice is to have as much fun with these scenes as you can—because then chances are that your reader will too.
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