Character relationships. New Or Preexisting.

[anthorn]

Which ones do you. 1. Think is best in reading. 2. Best in your writing.
Do you prefere the we already know eachother dynamic where the main characters have known eachother for sometime. Or the Dynamic where they meet for that first time?

I'm currently writing two ideas at the moment, wavering variations of the same story. In one, the main characters. Anthorn and Nikita don't know each other. And their relationship developes as the book goes on. From friendship to love.
In the second one. The two are childhood sweethearts, but Nikita is executed in the third chapter. In the middle of the book, they meet again by chance. (Nikitas death was faked.) And in essance although they know eachother, its also getting to know a new person as years have passed. And with Anthorn discovering that Nikita is alive, still suffers from the guilt that he let her die.

So which ones are best in your work and the works that you read. what kind of character relationships work best for you.

 

[Malloriel]

Personally, I like both quite a lot, and for different meanings. I'm partial to primary characters not knowing each other initially, but growing close through their shared experiences, and characters that are familiar to one or the other to comfortably flesh out the cast.

Also, I've seen you ask for help nearly every step of the way with this story. Are you certain it's what you're meant to be writing? You're making it less a piece of your own, and more an opinions-guided story to please readers and not yourself. One of the biggest bits of advice I've ever seen given to a writer is to write for yourself, not for the audience you think you'll reach. Please you, not them. If you write what it is you really want to see, the stories and style that are written for you more than others, then the odds are that others will follow, enjoying a plot, story, and characters the writer him/herself loves, and it shows.

I think what you should be asking is: Which ones are best in YOUR work and the works YOU read. Looking for the opinions of others in something like this, you should know your own stance first, and for all I know you may and just haven't said so here, but because you haven't, I can only presume to give advice in this vein. How do YOU feel about those character relationships. Again, don't write one or the other because you think people will like it more that way. Go with the one you like more. There must be one version that lingers with you more than the other, at least a little bit, in the sort of way where if someone told you definitively to do the other, you'd choose the opposite because it's what's in your heart (my best friend is like that).

Obviously writing just for yourself can end up a selfish endeavor entirely, so I'm not saying don't think about readers at all, I'm just saying if you've got a story in you, write it and hang the consequences! Editing, revision, and opinion may come into play later and help refine the finished product to so great a polish no one can help but adore it, but make the story yours.

Anything more and I'll be repeating myself to death, so I think I've really made my point about as finely as I can. And I really hope it helps you, to look inward as much as possible and seek help only when absolutely necessary, especially on the prose form itself, or if you're stuck on a particular idea and could use an outside opinion on how certain concepts work together. Opinions aren't bad things, just don't let the opinions become the story.

 

[Quokka]

Both, introducing characters to each other gives a lot of openings that make it easier for the writer but from a readers perspective I don't think I have a preference for one over the other, its still going to come down to the characters and situation. One thing I do like to see is some change in the dynamics if a new character(s) is brought into a group situation. Sometimes it's fine for a character to just slip in without making waves but in a lot of cases adding a new person to a group has an effect on each individual relationship not just the ones with the new person and it's sometimes nice when a story shows this.

 

[Aes]

I want to say a mix of both is ideal for a realistic person. Story characters aren't mmorpg characters, so when created, they don't spawn in the middle of [random village] penniless, powerless, and friendless. Think about your life for a moment. At pretty much any point (which could be seen as the story's starting point) there's people you've known already, and people you'll meet sometime in the future. See what I'm getting at?

 

[The Pelagic Argosy]

I think any novel-length work would have a mixture of both. I guess I've never really thought about which one I prefer. Whenever I crack open a book, all of the characters and relationships are new to me.

I'll tell you two relationship-dynamic situations that I enjoy though. First, I like it when there's sexual tension between two (or more) characters. Like Mulder and Scully. On the one hand, you want them to just do it already. Kiss or whatever. But on the other, you don't, because that would ruin it.

Another dynamic I like is when two enemies come together for a common purpose. Kinda like Gimli and Legolas in LOTR. Although, I prefer it if they stay enemies when all is said and done. Or like in X-Men 2 when all of the X-Men had to join forces to fight Striker. (Again, if you can work sexual tension into the mix somehow, like between Wolverine and Mystique, that's always a plus with me. But I have a one track mind.)

But seriously. My answer to your question is to, like Mallorial said, do whatever works best for your story. But I'll include this caveat. A situation where a couple of BFF's, who don't let anything come between them, (I'll leave you to decide if there's a pun there) has no drama. Even friends like Frodo and Sam had Gollum to interfere at the worst possible time.

 

[the_faery_queen]

i like relationships that develop. as long as it's done properly, no, love at first sight instantly willing to die for each other, romeo and juliet stuff. so i prefer them not to know each other when they first meet, tho they can become friends, then grow to lovers through their life, if you have a flashback or start when they're really young and just met.