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Group Interactions

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 4:21 pm
by Westeford
My current project takes inspirations from the usual school visual novel (Examples, Clannad, and Persona). MC spends time with heroines to get closer and learn their stories.
The current plan is that there is an overarching plot that brings the characters together for a common goal. So there will be many scenes where the group meets together and talk. (not unlike Persona.)

I'm wondering if you guys have any tips for these kind of scenes. like general rule of thumbs, things to avoid, or even examples I could learn from.
The usual group consists of 5 people.

Re: Group Interactions

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:47 pm
by Katy133
Some good examples are Night in the Woods and the first season of Stranger Things. They both have groups of friends and characters who join together to defeat something bigger than themselves. And before that, the audience learns about each character through their interactions.

I'd say use a "story grid" while plotting out all the story threads, so you know what you have to set up/establish/foreshadow earlier on so that it's given a payoff later on in the plotline (as a grid, have each column be a different character or element, and each row being a different scene or chapter in the story). If you need an example of a story grid, JK Rowling make on for on of the Harry Potter novels.

Re: Group Interactions

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:35 pm
by renkka
Considering how the characters perceive each other is important, since that will affect how they interact in those scenes.

You could consider their personal goals and beliefs (outside of their overarching motivation) and how that aligns or contrasts to the goals and beliefs of other characters. What I like to do is use index cards and write the names of my characters on there, shuffle the cards, and pull out random pairs of characters and think about what those characters think about each other and how that affects group dynamics.

For example, if a character is on the passive side but is in a group of outspoken people, there's a possibility the passive character won't be able to speak much, and this could lead to misunderstandings later. If two characters are at odds, chances are, group interactions will be tense, and other characters will have to resolve their conflicts.