Author: JoyeEverett715

Requester: ErynneStorm

Category: Writing Tips

Sisters, sisters. If you don't have a sister (or a lover, or a good parent), it'll be a bit difficult to write a relationship like that of any sort. Though many shows and movies portray relationships a certain way, the truth is that experience is the best teacher. But just because you don't have the same experience as your characters doesn't mean you can't write about their situations. Luckily, I happen to have a wonderful sister, so I will be able to give advice both for writing sisters who grew up in the same house, as well as writing sisterly relationships where the characters in question aren't related.

First, let's dissect the differences between blood-related sisters and, say, "sisters" who met later in life. Perhaps this is a sisterly relationship between two girls or women, or maybe Jane's family adopted a younger sister when Jane was seventeen. Either way, the biggest factor if these sisters didn't grow up together is going to be age. Let's discuss that.

Depending on how old your characters are, the age gap will matter less. For example, a twenty-something and a thirty-something are more or less at a similar maturity level, and are thus able to relate to one other. (Or, if we want to look at brotherly love, Waxillium and Wayne from Brandon Sanderson's Wax and Wayne trilogy is another good example.) However, a thirteen-year-old and a nineteen-year-old will have vastly different perspectives because the thirteen-year-old is still developing. And both will probably be immature to some degree (coming from a jaded seventeen-year-old).

I bring up age because here's the tea: if your characters didn't grow up together, they're going to see each other differently. Too much of an age gap will produce a mother-daughter relationship instead. How much is too much depends on the characters, their backstories, and their maturity level. You can have a mature thirteen-year-old and a mature sixteen-year-old have a nice sister relationship if they're good at conflict resolution (which will vary depending on the person).

Besides the whole age thing, I would consider how these siblings met. Going back to the brotherly-love example from Wax and Wayne, Waxillium saved Wayne from getting hanged as a criminal, and now they work in law enforcement together. While you may not have as dramatic a meeting between your sisters-from-different-misters, it's important that their meeting be a foundation for intimacy between them. If your characters met over a common religion (as is the case with me and my best friend, who's basically my sister at this point), those values will shape how they deal with conflict and comfort one another.

Finally, follow the general rules of writing a relationship. How do their personalities complement one another? How do they clash and cause conflict? Why do they stick by one another's side, and what are the costs and benefits of doing so? There are also smaller things to consider, such as their common interests and hobbies, but knowing each person as their own character will help you shape how their relationship plays out.

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