RELATIONSHIP THESAURUS

BENEFACTOR AND RECIPIENT



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HELPFUL TIP:

Relationships are part of the very fabric of your character’s life. How well or poorly they get along with others oftentimes comes down to personality, so carefully consider the positive traits and negative traits of your story’s cast. Another factor that can pull characters together or create friction is motivation, so keep each individual’s goal—both at the scene and story level—in mind as you write.
DESCRIPTION:
Sometimes a person with ample financial resources may decide to share that excess with someone who could benefit from it. But introducing money into any relationship has the potential to create strife and alter the dynamics. And the inherent power imbalance here will require both parties to progress carefully and thoughtfully if conflict is to be avoided.

RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS:
Below are a wide range of dynamics that may accompany this relationship. Use the ideas that suit your story and work best for your characters to bring about and/or resolve the necessary conflict.

A benefactor and recipient who have a close relationship before the gifting
A relationship that grows beyond the financial arrangement and becomes personally fulfilling
An arrangement that benefits both parties in a big way (not just the one getting the money)
A recipient becoming overly dependent on the benefactor
A benefactor whose "gift" comes with strings attached, and a recipient who feels obligated because of the arrangement
The gift thrusting a reluctant recipient into the limelight, leading to resentment
A recipient using the gift in a way the benefactor did not intend
A recipient becoming entitled and expecting more resources from a benefactor who has trouble saying no
A congenial relationship becoming strained over time

CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREATEN THE STATUS QUO:
The recipient struggling with self-doubt and a lack of confidence for being dependent on someone else
The recipient asking for more help than the benefactor wants to give
A third-party challenging the legality of the arrangement
The benefactor slipping into financial ruin before or after the gift is given
The benefactor learning (after the fact) that the recipient lied to them (about their financial situation, how the money would be used, etc.)
The recipient using the money in a way the benefactor doesn't approve of
The recipient discovering that the money they received was "dirty"
A humble and introverted benefactor receiving unwanted attention for their actions
The recipient's life worsening in some ways because of the gift (when fair-weather friends re-enter their life, relatives begin asking for money, the windfall causes strife in their marriage, etc.)
The recipient bragging about the gift and being targeted by thieves
Family members of the benefactor resenting their actions

WOUNDS THAT COULD FACTOR INTO THE RELATIONSHIP:
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POSSIBLE CONFLICT SCENARIOS:
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CONFLICTING DESIRES THAT CAN IMPAIR THE RELATIONSHIP:
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CLASHING PERSONALITY TRAIT COMBINATIONS:
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NEGATIVE OUTCOMES OF FRICTION:
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FICTIONAL SCENARIOS THAT COULD TURN THESE CHARACTERS INTO ALLIES:
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WAYS THIS RELATIONSHIP MAY LEAD TO POSITIVE GROWTH:
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THEMES AND SYMBOLS THAT CAN BE EXPLORED THROUGH THIS RELATIONSHIP:
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