Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. Some of those relationships are positive and supportive, pushing the protagonist to positive growth and helping them achieve their goals. Other relationships do the opposite, derailing your character’s confidence and self-worth or they cause friction and conflict that leads to fallout and disruption. Many relationships hover somewhere in the middle. A balanced story will require a mix of these dynamics.
The purpose of this thesaurus is to encourage you to explore the kinds of relationships that might be good for your story and figure out what each might look like. Even seemingly superficial relationships for your character (such the bank teller they see every other Friday or an acquaintance they run into at neighborhood events) can have impact. Think about what a character needs (good and bad), and build a network of connections for him or her that will challenge them, showcase their innermost qualities, and bind readers to their relationship trials and triumphs.
The following is just a sample of the content available for this relationship. To see it in its entirety (along with 45+ additional relationship entries), check out our Description Thesaurus Collection at One Stop For Writers.
Servicer Provider and Customer
Description:
A service provider is hired by a customer or client who needs their expertise. Examples of service providers run the gamut; these individual might be plumbers, electricians, personal drivers, babysitters, hair stylists, physical therapists, accountants, realtors, financial advisors, etc.
If the two parties only interact for a short period of time (as in the case of a one-time service call), this relationship will be a superficial one. But some situations may require a long-term partnership, such as a customer employing an on-call handyman or hiring a repeat freelancer. These situations will result in deeper relationships.
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 relationship based on trust, mutual respect, and boundaries
A purely professional relationship where both parties reach a satisfied outcome
A service provider being hired by a customer who is a family member of friend
One party being uncommunicative or unavailable
A relationship based on unrealistic expectations (regarding cost, the scope of the problem being solved, the time involved to complete the project, etc.)
Challenges That Could Threaten The Status Quo
The customer seeking a second opinion from another service provider
The service provider going over schedule or budget
The customer posting a bad review of the service provider
Trouble resulting from the service provider having poor social or professional skills
The customer or service provider being late or unavailable
The service provider losing their professional credentials
The customer changing their mind about an aspect of a project after work has begun
The service provider delivering a poor outcome that fails to meet the customer’s expectations
Clashing Personality Trait Combinations
Independent and Needy, Controlling and Weak-Willed, Generous and Greedy, Persuasive and Gullible, Efficient and Scatterbrained, Judgmental and Oversensitive
Negative Outcomes of Friction
The parties deciding to maintain only a professional relationship, ending a budding friendship
The provider being fired from their company or the customer’s project
Fights and arguments over a proposal
Ways This Relationship May Lead to Positive Change
The customer and service provider connecting on a personal level
Both parties learning from one another and growing in positive ways
Each person being validated and growing in confidence from the experience
Themes and Symbols That Can Be Explored through This Relationship
A Quest for Knowledge, Beginnings, Deception, Depression, Disorder, Friendship, Greed, Inflexibility, Knowledge, Passage of Time, Perseverance, Pride, Stagnation, Teamwork, Transformation, Unity
Other Relationship Thesaurus entries can be found here.
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Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.