RELATIONSHIP THESAURUS

CO-VOLUNTEERS



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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:
Volunteer work takes many forms, from visiting hospital patients to preparing care packages for natural disaster victims to teaching a native language to second-language learners. These opportunities often bring like-minded individuals together, but volunteers come from all over, with their own beliefs and baggage. Working together in close quarters and emotionally charged circumstances can create some interesting dynamics.

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.

Passionate volunteers working together to achieve a goal on behalf of an organization
Two people bringing their own unique skills to a joint task and learning from one another
People being put together because their strengths and weaknesses complement each other
A random pair being assigned to the same cause or task
People being forced to volunteer as part of a school or community-based requirement
One controlling volunteer taking over the role of another
Two Type A personalities who have trouble relinquishing control being paired together
An apathetic volunteer working alongside an ambitious, passionate workhorse

CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREATEN THE STATUS QUO:
One of the volunteers identifying corruption within the organization 
Being paired with someone who constantly complains
One party veering into inappropriate territory with a recipient of the organization's efforts
The character's fellow volunteer publicly bashing another worker or the organization
Working with someone who recklessly breaks rules, policies, or laws to get the job done
One party slacking off, so the others have to do all the work
Workers being expected to accept poor working conditions (since they're volunteers)
One party bowing out of the project, leaving more work for the rest
Volunteers being chastised by members of the public who disagree with the charity's mission
Being paired with someone who has good intentions but creates more work
One volunteer realizing the work isn't what they thought it would be, becoming disgruntled and unhappy
A volunteer developing a deeper relationship with someone in charge

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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