How to casually reveal the relationship of two recently introduced characters?
I have two characters near the beginning of my story, who are brother and sister. I want the reader to know right away, as the two are talking (they are alone), that they are brother and sister, but I'm not sure how to do this naturally without it coming across as forced.
How would two siblings address each other in a way it would automatically reveal their relationship? Could I write something like:
"Brother... are you sure we're on the right path?"
Or is that too "unnatural"? Would most siblings refer to each other by name? And to make the answers more universally helpful: what about other types of relationships (married, friends, associate)?
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1 answer
The answer to this is crushing simple. You tell us that they are brother and sister.
"Pass the butter," Pamela said.
"Get it yourself," her brother replied.
Don't try to slip information into dialog that naturally and properly belongs in narration. It will always sound forced and unnatural and there is no earthly reason to do it.
If you are doing this in service of "show don't tell", learn a new rule: Show when appropriate. Tell when appropriate.
In a screenplay, this would be a genuine problem. One of the advantages of the novel format is that you don't have to jump through hoops to convey these simple pieces of information. Take advantage of the liberty that the form gives you.
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