Family dynamics, especially parent and child, have a long-lasting impact on how your characters are formed. You don’t have to write a family saga to utilize this insight. It will shape who your character becomes as an adult. It can play a big part in a young adult story world. Even in Science Fiction or Dystopian futures, human traits remain. Childhoods can twist and destroy. A good family can make your hero more lovable and a motivated hero. Mix a character with a good childhood without to give them different world views and definitions of family. Sibling rivalry can be a factor. Who did the parent love more? Who did they connect with? Who did they clash with the most? There are many opportunities to infuse conflict in your plot with parents and children. You can mix parents with different styles. You can craft a complex family dynamic based on their temperaments and needs. As always with any of the traits, you can make them benevolent or malevolent.
The sixteen profiles can be either male or female. I alternated he and she. The character can be a father, mother, grandparent, aunt, uncle, foster family, or other primary caregiver.
This post will focus on the mannequin WYNN.
As a parent Wynn can be devoted, loving, and affectionate but reserved. She gives her children personalized attention. At the toxic end, she can be possessive and overly involved. Wynn tries to teach the children right from wrong and expects them to follow the rules. On the toxic end, she will be furious if they don’t. When things go wrong, she isn’t focused on who made the mistake, she just wants peace restored. She won’t enjoy finger pointing and arguments. She can’t play bad cop. She can communicate boundaries but has trouble enforcing them. She hates confrontations. She rewards her children with small tokens of her love and lavish celebrations. She will make sure all of the holidays are memorable. And they better appreciate it. Appreciation is Wynn’s currency. She will punish her children by taking away things and blames herself for their misbehavior.
Wynn represses her displeasure until she explodes. This makes her seem inconsistent. The eruptions are often out of proportion to a small trigger because she has been biting her tongue. Wynn will defend her children against outsiders and cover up their misdeeds. At the toxic end, she is a horrible enabler. She would help hide a body.
The children she gets along with most are Wynn, Francis, River, Nevada, and Blair. Her polar opposite is Morgan.
Wynn/Wynn
As a child, a Wynn is easy to please and seeks approval. She prefers clear consistent rules and as her parent a Wynn will provide them. She needs a secure routine but can’t handle suffocating attention. That is where a Wynn/Wynn pairing can get tricky if the adult Wynn is too involved. Child Wynn does not like being punished for something she didn’t do. Adult Wynn attempts to smooth things over and not focus on who did what. In that situation, child Wynn will be hurt and angry if she is lumped in with other misbehaving children. When stressed, child Wynn will suffer silently and like her parent will withhold negative feelings until they erupt. The two could misunderstand each other for a lifetime until a catalyst releases their emotions.
Wynn/Francis
As a child Francis needs order, structure, calm, and a predictable schedule. Wynn is pretty good about that. He struggles with overly emotional people. Wynn tends to repress her emotions, so she shouldn’t trigger him in that regard. He is meticulous and puts schoolwork before play and his parent will appreciate that about him. Francis isn’t comfortable with new people and situations and clings to close friends. This could be a problem if Wynn throws large parties to celebrate birthdays and holidays. Francis may be found hiding instead of participating. Francis enjoys situations where he can show off his competence. If belittled, he sinks into low self-esteem. He can become rigid in the face of uncertainty and can be a bully. Wynn will protect little Francis. She will insist he couldn’t possibly be a bully and the other person is mistaken. This could escalate fast.
Wynn/Nevada
Nevada needs structure, security and personal attention. If he doesn’t get it, he becomes clingy. He becomes resentful and angry if he doesn't get the praise he seeks. Wynn is very good at personal attention. Nevada craves acceptance and is eager to please. He does what he is expected to do. He follows the rules if fair and reasonable. He speaks out against unfairness. He is furious when other people break the rules. So in that regard, he is compatible with Wynn. However, Nevada will turn against his parents if he perceives that they let him down. He becomes willfully obstinate if violated and that can create a war. Nevada struggles to conform to new situations, so as long as his parents keep his life calm, he is fine. If they are forced to move around for work etc. he can turn into a problem child.
Arden is an active toddler. He likes to experiment and needs constant activity and change. He grows sullen and depressed if deprived of opportunities. He is curious and likes to disassemble things. He is eager to share his findings. He can resort to acting up to get attention or break up the monotony. He will drive Wynn mad and she may withhold the attention in retaliation. Arden isn’t cuddly. He hates standing still and that can be exhausting. He won’t appreciate Wynn’s personal attention. He may destroy her small tokens and gifts. Not to be mean, mind you. But Wynn will take it as a lack of gratitude. Arden wants to impress and wants to earn those trophies and badges. He wants to excel. Wynn will appreciate his determination but may not like his methods. If he steps out of line for gain, Wynn will cover it up.
Wynn/Blair
Blair needs love and nurturing. Absent, inattentive or busy caregivers make her feel lost. But Wynn will provide the personal attention and gifts and token. Blair needs a solid foundation from which to flit, which seems contradictory to other people. Wynn provides a solid foundation but will not appreciate the flitting. Arden is pleasant and kind and nurturing toward others. She makes special gifts which her parent will enjoy helping her with. Arden is quiet and plays by herself, inventing her own world. She is artistic and highly sensitive, a daydreamer. She rebels if restricted and resists change. She won’t appreciate loud, people-filled parties and holidays. Both Wynn and Arden are givers which is a difficult combination. Since both prefer to give, they aren’t as effusive about receiving.
Wynn/Dallas
Dallas is a restless child. She is suffocated by restrictions or cloying caregivers. She isn’t cuddly. She is a loose cannon and will try anything. Her attention is fleeting. She doesn’t do anything long enough to master it. She will drive Wynn quite mad. Dallas needs to be corralled and Wynn might not be strong enough to do it. Dallas is a ringleader of her siblings or in school. She hates being stuck at a desk listening to other people talk. She forgets to do what she is supposed to. If Wynn tries too hard to suppress Dallas, she becomes a rebellious wild child. Sparks will fly between these two.
Wynn/Hadley
Hadley is an easy baby. She needs calm, personalized attention. Busy or aggressive parents make her anxious and fretful. In that regard, Wynn is the perfect parent. Hadley is agreeable and enthusiastic. She wants to try everything once but quickly drops it. Wynn will be frustrated by this. Dallas wants to be seen and heard and offers deep insights. She shuts down in the face of criticism and everything is criticism. So when Wynn attempts to direct her, Dallas will rebel.
Dallas is easily led and hates leaving friends even though her friendships tend to be fluid. So when Wynn throws those parties based on who she thought Dallas’s friends were, there will be problems. Wynn won’t feel appreciated when it goes wrong. These two will likely have a lifetime of misunderstandings. Wynn will suppress as Dallas rages.
Shelby is a quiet baby with a low threshold for excitement. She needs calm and consistent nurturing. Too much handling, moving around, and chaos make her cranky. She cries to escape the torture when caregivers shake her up and show her off. Wynn is a comforting presence during this time of her life, except for the holidays and situations where she is expected to show up and show off. Shelby likes playing by herself, with her toys, or with her imaginary friends. She likes to daydream and doodle. She hates teams and groups and is highly sensitive to criticism. She turns her pain inward. Both Wynn and Shelby suppress until they blow, so a conflagration could occur. They could hurt each other without realizing it. Shelby is reserved around new people and bonds with a best friend. She can be a loner.
Wynn/Joss
Joss is a quiet but busy child. He is a fearless daredevil. He accepts structure and concrete rules but needs flexibility. He asks permission but finds a way around it if told “no.” He grows bored when options are limited. Joss will run rings around Wynn. He will make her anxious. Joss likes to take things apart to see how they work, but doesn’t tell anyone what he learns. He gets lost in his hobbies. He will not give Wynn the appreciation she craves. He will be mostly oblivious to her gestures. He offers no ill will, he just isn’t tuned in. Joss is a good student, but chafes at rote learning. He gets in trouble for not paying attention or sitting still. Wynn will defend him to the school authorities until he is expelled. She will find another school who will appreciate her challenging child. Joss tries harder to control his world if it spirals out of control. Wynn is a calm, centered parent, so only life causing turbulence is likely to affect them both. If Wynn becomes suffocating and over-involved, she may never see Joss again once he leaves home.
Wynn/Kelly
Kelly is a freedom-loving, active, and cranky baby. If his caregivers crave a consistent schedule, they are out of luck. He transplants easily. Kelly can't sit still and play alone. He craves attention and creates chaos to get it. He won't abide by rules or conform. He will challenge Wynn from day one and make her life chaotic. She may attempt to suppress him and it won’t work. Kelly collects friends and needs to be on the move. He will want his celebrations to be even more lavish. He is a ringleader of mischief. He needs firm hand, not an iron fist. He can be self-destructive if thwarted. He learns how to manipulate early and can become a bully. Wynn will defend her bully son all while blaming herself for his actions. He will easily run roughshod over her. He definitely won’t appreciate her, unless he realizes that is a manipulation tool to get what he wants.
Greer is a happy, easy going child who likes to explore and plays happily alone. He needs routine and safety and Wynn supplies it. He asks odd challenging questions and enjoys fantasy, mystery, inventing, and thinking. Wynn might not understand her child, but since he isn’t causing her problems, she will be fondly tolerant. He can’t handle chaos and hates being fussed over or the center of attention. Wynn can become smothering fast. Her parties won’t be appreciated. Greer doubts himself and takes criticism hard, but Wynn isn’t usually one to criticize. They should muddle along fairly well together even if they have nothing in common.
Wynn/Taylor
Taylor needs peace and calm. Chaotic and unpredictable caregivers make her anxious. Overprotective parents suffocate her. Absent or busy caregivers allow her to spiral out of control. Wynn is stable and provides the calm she needs unless she becomes too involved or entangled. Taylor is friendly and values harmony. Pleasing others makes her happy. She is like Wynn in that regard. Taylor will take charge of her siblings and the playroom. Wynn and Taylor may eventually vie for dominance. Taylor is hurt if she senses disapproval or if her efforts are rejected. Both Wynn and Taylor need gratitude. They can hurt or heal each other in that regard. Taylor overextends herself by trying to play with everyone and must be reined in. Wynn will hurt Taylor when she tries to rein her in. Misunderstandings are a given.
Wynn/Cam
Cam is a quiet, low maintenance child. He won’t ask for anything, even for what he needs. He is good because it’s important to be good not to please others. He expects everyone else to be good too: caregivers, siblings, teachers, and friends. A chaotic or highly dysfunctional family pushes him further inside his shell. Wynn provides personal attention and calm unless life or her partner dictates otherwise. Cam spends a lot of time daydreaming and thinking. Though his questioning of authority and probing questions make Wynn squirm. Cam is self-regulating and responsible. He develops his own belief system and does not conform to what others believe. That may be a problem for traditional Wynn. He won’t want the parties or the fussing over. Wynn’s attempts to encourage him may be taken as criticism. Cam withdraws to protect and Wynn will try harder to reach him. They could be circling each other at an arm’s distance their whole lives never really understanding each other.
Wynn/Morgan
Morgan is a lively baby. He walks, talks, and gets into everything early. He might do them all a little differently. Caregivers who expect everything to happen on time and in the right way are frustrated. He will make Wynn very anxious. Morgan has a lively questioning mind. He takes risks and outwits dim caregivers, teachers, or other authority figures. He may run circles around Wynn. He likes creative projects and follows his unique interests wherever they lead. His penchant for invention is evident early on. Wynn may not appreciate his experiments.
Morgan is outgoing. He likes to orchestrate activities, assign roles, and oversee the progress and is irritated when he doesn't get his way. He may critique his parents and won’t give Wynn the unconditional appreciation she needs. Morgan doesn’t like group activities but can be a clown in social situations and won’t appreciate the parties or holiday fuss. He is likely to take apart his toys or utilize them in interesting ways. Wynn won't appreciate it.
Wynn/Lee
Lee is a high-demand baby. If placed with absent or self-absorbed caregivers, she screams until someone pays attention to her. She proves exhausting to the most attentive caregiver. Wynn gives personalized attention but even that may not be enough. Lee knows her own mind from the day she can talk and tells you what she wants and does not want. If Wynn has different plans and goals for Lee, she is met with stubborn resistance. Lee excels at whatever she chooses to participate in. She is in competition with herself not others, but they might not realize it. Her mother will be largely inconsequential. Lee could triangulate her parents and become daddy’s darling, seeing her mother as competition. Lee is a leader on the playground and becomes the enemy of anyone who doesn’t follow along. She is the quintessential queen bee. Wynn will defend her daughter when she is criticized by the school and other parents and make excuses, after all her daughter is all about excellence. To caregivers with Lee’s temperament, Lee is the perfect child. To rigid caregivers, she is a pain. To less intrepid caregivers, she scares them a little.
Wynn/River
River is a quiet baby. She is content to observe the world. A busy, aggressive, or outgoing caregiver makes her cry. She needs peace and quiet to thrive. She lives in a dream world most of the time. Wynn’s personalized attention will suit her well, but she could feel easily smothered. If Wynn attempts to drag her to play groups or to the playground, River will go kicking and screaming. River has one or two friends. Her emotional skin is thin and any criticism lowers her self-esteem. If she does not rise to Wynn’s expectations, she may become depressed. River naturally sees the world as treacherous and trust is vital. She hates violence and discord and needs peace and continuity. Wynn’s calm approach to life can provide River with a safe haven. However, Wynn could easily overpower and suffocate River, pushing her to do things she doesn’t want to do. If other people think her child is odd, Wynn will protect and shield her. Wynn may not know what to do with her changeling, but she will take on anyone who attempts to hurt her and River is easily hurt.
Next week, we will introduce Francis.
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