Chemistry: the subtle art of character closeness

This is actually a picture of the potions classroom from the Warner Brothers Studios. Look at those self stirring cauldrons! I think J.K. Rowling said she was inspired by chemistry for the idea of potions and how they were made, and maybe her own teacher. Interestingly enough, I think she said she disliked chemistry the most and yet Snape talks about it with such descriptive and tantalizing imagery that we all want to pull up a seat in his classroom.

Chemistry, and not the one with the periodic table and moles (which are not furry little creatures that live underground). It's a word common enough that we disregard it, but what is chemistry? And how do we show it between characters?




In my opinion, (feel free to contradict as you please), chemistry between characters means that there is a connection. Usually a positive connection, I have rarely heard anyone refer to enemies having chemistry, mostly it is friends, family, or significant others (i.e. partners). Chemistry also means that this connection has characters who work well together, they play off each other. It can also mean that the relationship feels genuine, if someone is saying, "the chemistry between Adam and Monica is easy to see." I would agree, but then, I'm biased.

Onto how to show this in writing. Sometimes the most difficult part is achieving those genuine relationships in writing. You don't want it forced, but if your reader is coming into a twelve year relationship, then they need some gentle love-tap hints rather than hit you in the face with a frying pan. A writer could choose to state it blatantly:

"Kara cared for Zeke more than anything in the world; he'd been her friend for nine years and boyfriend for five."

• Not very subtle, but it gets the job done. There is information about how she feels and how long their relationship has been. 

Now here come the subtleties:

"Kara moved to Zeke's side, gently interlacing her fingers with his as the sky filled with alien ships."

• Okay, got a little carried away with those last words, but you see the difference. It kind of follows the principle of "show don't tell." You don't generally interlock fingers with a stranger, but then I'm partial to boundaries at the beginning of a relationship, so for me this shows trust and also that when the world is (possibly) going to end - you move closer to the one you love.

Here is how I've broken down the subtleties that you can look for in others writing or use in your own:

Relationships can be shown through physical closeness, do they brush each other, is it a playful tap on the shoulder, are deep meaningful stares exchanged? Physical closeness depends on the following factors:

1. Location
2. Duration
3. Strength
4. Mood/Emotion

When I say location, I mean are they holding hands, do they have their arms around each other, are they kissing? 

Duration seems obvious, but it is also dependent on other factors. First off, long usually means closer relationship (or the antagonist is really trying to whisper some demoralizing words into the protagonist's ear), and shorter duration means a distant relationship. However, a character could be close to someone, but be distracted enough that they only do a "quick peck on the cheek" or brief grasp of hands before they're running out the door. 

Strength can also be dependent on other factors, but for general purposes: a tighter grip means more love/emotion between characters, a loose grip is like the "dead fish" handshake - very low effort and energy. 

The mood/emotion part can be shown through facial expressions or just the inner thoughts of a character. Do they feel good about this person? What are they thinking while connecting with them? Does a tear slide down their cheek or a smile break across their face? People convey a lot through their facial expressions and others respond to those expressions.

Chemistry can also be shown through dialogue.

Short terse responses usually mean anger or irritation. Casual, nonchalant responses show lack of caring or ease of speaking with the other character. Long drawn out responses can mean depth or shallowness (don't you love contradictions!), dependent on whether the character is doing it because they love the other so much that there is so much to say, or if they love the sound of their own voice and are only thinking of their own importance.

I'm going to retract my show don't tell statement, but only for one thing that really can't be shown in other ways (besides flashbacks or lengthy comatose visions): History. The history between characters is either already there or beginning to build.

If we take the Kara and Zeke example (nine year friendship, five year boyfriend-girlfriend), then we know a lot has happened between then and now. Bringing up the history can be difficult, but it can be brought up through dialogue or inner recollection and mostly you'll want to shorten it to a few lines.

"Kara had only seen Zeke this excited once before, when he'd won the robotics competition in junior high."

• Very quick memory thrown in and a comparison to show what Kara knows about Zeke and what Zeke values. It provides background and a hint at their history. Kara was present at this robotics competition and they've known each other as young as junior high. 

 Dialogue is another way to present history, "Do you remember when..." However, summarizing is the best that can be done there. Dialogue isn't meant to retell all the stories of the past, although you can make fun summaries with lines or dramatic characters.

"And it was forty feet high," John crowed. He lifted his arms to the sky to demonstrate.
 "With a moat and a secret tunnel," George added. His eyes glowed as he told Margret. Childish delight covered his face at the memory and she'd never seen him this excited.
"And no one could find us," John said. He whispered very low as if telling Margret a huge secret. "Not even our parents."
Somehow Margret doubted that John and George had built a snow fort that was forty feet high with a moat and secret tunnel, but she loved the idea that it was so elaborate in their minds.

Children recalling a memory may exaggerate, but it makes the retelling of this memory very fun. Some adults are adept storytellers and can easily depict events through their words, but if you choose dialogue beware of its traps.


That's about it, my what a long post. If you have any questions or suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them!