How To Character Chemistry: What it is, why it's important, 3 step method, and 2 favourite tools!

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Music. Curtain. Lights. 

Fancy Dude: Oh, the fire in my bosom, the beating in my chest, the pan to my cakes.
Scarf Girl: What is it, my love?
Fancy Dude: I've been thinking about what I'm about to ask you long and hard. I have debated and quarrelled with the inner beings of our selves for years on end. *faraway look*
Scarf Girl: Yes, my love?
Fancy Dude: *kneels* Will you eat fried chicken with me?

*applause*

What was that? Only an example of character chemistry! (Albeit, not a great one.) That's right, folks. It's the long promised post on character chemistry. I've been talking about this since December, so it's about time.

Let's get to!

What, why, how and tricks of character chemistry.

What's character chemistry anyway? 

Character chemistry is the interaction between characters. It doesn't matter whether the relationship between them is platonic or romantic, nor how many characters are interacting. It happens whenever there is interaction. Between lovers, coworkers, family, friends, pets, etc. You can't escape it. 

Chemistry is most noticeable when there's a "spark". I'm sure we've all seen that couple. The couple that's not perfect, as none ever are, but are totally cute--in their own way--and healthy. That's an example of strong chemistry. Another example is complete and utter mutual hatred, as counter intuitive as it seems. 

What differentiates strong character chemistry from weak ones is when the characters are truly interacting, as if they matter, and the audience feels and believes it. In weak character chemistry, there will be indifference and/or a sense of fakeness. The nature of the chemistry is irrelevant to its strength. The chemistry may be positive or negative, and still be strong. True neutrality is the peak of weak chemistry. As Elie Wiesel said:

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."

Not every character will have strong chemistry with every other character, nor the same type of chemistry, especially if you have a large cast. But you want to make sure that the leads have strong chemistry with each other. Pay attention to how each of them reacts in one-on-one interactions to big groups. If writing out their interactions seems natural, and they bounce off each other, you know you're going the right way.

Is character chemistry necessary?

Absolutely. It's so important to be conscious of the chemistry between your characters because it's a valuable tool readers subconsciously use to assess how much they like the character. By interacting, characters give away a little more about themselves, verbal and non-verbal signs included. It's when we see characters interacting with others where we see the substance they're made of. Ever heard the phrase which involves seeing a pig in their homes or something along those lines? 

At the end of the day, you're another day older as long as the readers are invested in the characters and are, at the very least, interested in them, you're doing okay. But with strong chemistry, fans will be clamouring for more interactions. They'll ship harder, they'll fangirl harder, they'll maybe even head canon and write fanfics about them. And even if you have a bad plot, readers will probably stick it through just to spend time with characters they care about. 

Three steps to creating character chemistry.

1. Individual personalities

Everyone has their own personality. For those who have no personality, that's your personality. Before you plonk two characters in a room together, think about them as individuals. They have to be their own selves first before you can flesh out their dynamics. 

That is not to say you can't think of a relationship style first. It's possible. It's been done before. The idea of a soft hearted brooding bad boy and a stone hearted social butterfly intrigues me. I'd love to see it done somewhere in fiction. One of the obvious points of chemistry is all that glorious banter that comes with opposing tropes.

But the specifics? Which one is the sarcastic one? Which one is the optimistic one? Which one is the emotional support and the logical problem solver? Where's the common ground that made them bond? You don't know that until you dive deep inside each character individually. 

A simple Mary Sue and Gary Stu aren't going to cut it. Each character must have their own personalities, goals and motivations, wants and needs, strengths and weaknesses, fears. Ask yourself: are they still compelling as individual characters? Can they stand alone? Do they have a vital role in the story? 

The chemistry a character has with another one shouldn't be the only thing that readers love about them. Strong character chemistry should boost what readers already love. 

Let's take an example from the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. *spoilers* While I appreciate Rand as a character, I hate him. But I love Aviendha and Elayne in their own rights. I'd normally skim the scenes where Rand is the only major character there. With one of his ladies there, I can put up with a word by word reading and even enjoy Rand's character. *end spoilers*

Readers don't need to love all the characters in an interaction. As long as there's one to lift the others up, it's enough. How do you get that? By creating strong characters that don't need others to validate their position in the story.

2. Conflict and tension

No relationship is always perfect. If it is, it's probably a red flag that the other person is trying to get something out of you. Experts have some research suggesting that friends or couples who have a huge argument and can figure it out tend to have stronger relationships. Communication is key.

Like real life, relationships between characters can become messy. Unlike real life, you're the author and you have total control on their level of misery. And boy oh boy are we going to turn that dial way up. 

Now that we have established problems for the characters, let's see how they react to it. The interactions that occur here are key to strengthening the dynamics between them. We'll have stronger chemistry and juicier interactions. 

Internal conflict? The character may handle it alone, or they may share with another character. External conflict? The characters may face it together, or they may splinter in the shadow of a giant. Interpersonal conflict? The characters are going to have to deal with it. Even if they choose to pretend it doesn't exist and all seems right on the surface, there's still budding tension. If they don't cut it off and deal with it, it'll keep on growing until it explodes in their faces.

Glittery pepper spray is not nice.

A perfect relationship can be done. But it's mostly used for comedy and it almost always requires you to suspend your disbelief. An imperfect relationship is real. It's believable. Relatable. This encourages readers to feel more sympathy for the characters. On a larger scale, the way the characters handle all these problems together--by interacting--can be inspiring. Or a warning, if you prefer that route. The chemistry built upon these strifes is often what makes a reader fall for a character. 

There's a reason why Bucky is more popular than Sam from the MCU. *spoilers* He has descended to being the least of humans and came out broken. Yet we see his suffering, we see how he interacts with Steve. We admire him for his intrapersonal struggle. I think what wins most people over is, after all that, he is still best friends with Steve. The chemistry is still there and is what helped Bucky break out of the Winter Soldier. That's a strong bond right there. *end spoilers* 

3. Inspire growth

I've yet to meet a person who doesn't want to meet their soulmate. One of the biggest signs that you've met the one is when they inspire growth. That's not to be confused with forcing you to change for their personal gain--for your "greater good" they'll likely pretend.

The characters in your story probably aren't all going to be soulmates with everyone. But when a character is inspired to become a better person through another character/s, that's strong chemistry. Change happens over time. There may be an obvious key turning point, but in the meantime, enjoy building chemistry with each interaction. It usually takes a tonne of interactions for a relationship to get to that point where both people are heavily impacted by each other--or perhaps one holds the other to such a high standard, such as a mentor and student. 

Let the characters get vulnerable with each other. Let the hurt victim rave at the aggressor. Let there be rampant rages, cold indifference, exploding dams or whatever form you want. The options for turning points are endless. The characters will interact. They have their own problems they're dealing with. They'll most likely have shared problems. They have their own personalities; some may clash and some may not. Through this, they'll come out of it as matured, stronger people with an iron bond. And if they don't, let it serve as a warning. 

Let's look at the soft hearted brooding bad boy and a stone hearted social butterfly dynamic again. There's many ways for them to grow. The social butterfly may bring the bad boy out of his brooding. The soft hearted one will soften the hard hearted one. Maybe they'll descend in a negative arc and the opposite will happen. Either way, it's growth or decay.

Two tools to strengthen character chemistry.

1. The five love languages

Gary Chapman was the first to suggest the five love languages. He was a marriage counsellor for 20 years and realised that everyone had their preferred way of expressing love, no matter their identity. His findings were published in 1992, The Five Love Languages: How To Express Heartfelt Commitment To Your Mate. So here's the five love languages:
  • Word of affirmation. People who use this as their primary love language always give and want compliments. They encourage their partner and actively listen to them. Think of surprise notes with uplifting comments. Or perhaps biting remarks is the way they communicate and express love.

  • Physical touch. They want and need physical touch. They want hugs and kisses, or even just pats and being beside them. Think holding hands and cuddles. 

  • Receiving gifts. They want and need to receive something personal to them. A surprise gift just because they feel like it. They may buy an emu figurine because of that one time they bonded in that Emu War. 

  • Acts of service. They want and need things to be done for them just because they care. They like doing things, most likely individually, just to make their partner's life a bit easier. Perhaps they'll do the dishes after their partner goes to bed. Or their laundry. Or sweep up the floors.

  • Quality time. The want and need to spend intimate time with their partner. They want uninterrupted conversation to bond. Think walks in the park, coffee dates and lying under the stars.

The five love languages have a direct relationship to the three steps to creating chemistry. As an individual, the character will have a preferred love language/s. It will most likely be different to another character's love language, wherein lies the conflict. This type of conflict is rarely the biggest one, but it can help develop nice tension. As they understand each other, they grow. It will dictate how the characters treat each other.

2. Types of attractions

In the ten minutes I've spent researching this, and the years of collecting random information before that, I've seen a ridiculous amount of attraction types. (I apologise if I am not strictly accurate. Please suggest corrections in the comments!) Here's some to name a few. Keep in mind that there are so much more, so get creative about it!
  • Sensual: wanting to touch another person. I want to hug them!
  • Romantic: wanting to be their romantic partner, but not necessarily going beyond that. I love them!
  • Platonic: wanting to be their friend. Let's be BFFs!
  • Aesthetic: enjoying their appearance. I'm basking in their gorgeousness!

Personally, my favourite attraction types are these:
  • Physical: You look good. Let me become close with you.
  • Intellectual: I like your brains.
  • Emotional: I connect with you.
I like those ones because of this. The five stages of attraction goes like this: intellectual --> emotional --> obsession --> confirmation --> love. (In my experience, I'd add physical attraction before intellectual.) They are the building blocks upon which the others are built.

What does this have to do with the method, you may ask? The attraction type is the basis of what the chemistry is built on--the type of character chemistry. For example, two intellectuals hitting it off. A cold intellectual getting support from a feelings-centred person. The list goes on.

Examples of favourite character chemistry.


~  

 
That was how to character chemistry! It was a long time in coming. 

Character chemistry is the interaction between characters. It helps the reader enjoy the story more and become attached to the characters. 

You create chemistry by first, writing individuals. Then throw a whole lot of conflict at them and see how they respond. The strongest chemistries will result in character growth.

To help achieve the desire dynamic, use the five love languages and attraction types.

What did you find most helpful from this post? Do you have any tips up your sleeve? Is there a fictional (or not!) relationship you love because of the chemistry? Is there a relationship you hate because of the chemistry? Leave a comment below!

Until next week, happy authoring!

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