Relationship Sections on Character articles

[WeiryWriter he/him]

So a while back we were talking about formalizing the sections for Character articles on the wiki and I suggested a "Relationships" section.  It didn't really go anywhere, partially I think because I didn't explain myself very well.

 

What I mean by this is a section devoted to analysis/discussion of the relationships (both romantic and platonic) that are necessary in understanding a certain character.  It's more than just the facts, it's the meaning behind them as well, if that makes sense.  An example, Vin for example would have subsections for Kelsier, Sazed, Elend, etc. because her relationships with those characters are important parts of her character arc.

 

An example of kind of what I'm going for can be found here.

 

This would be a more endgame part of article writing but I think it would be valuable.  I think it would go a long way to raising the "production value" of the coppermind.  (I've said it before, I want other fandoms to look at it and say "Why isn't our wiki as awesome as that one?")

[Chaos he/him]

I'm definitely not opposed to this, and your example makes a very good case for it. Seems like a fine idea to me.

Is there any reason to not have this, really?

[Windrunner he/him]

I was always on board for this idea. Relationships are one of the basic foundational part of character, they deserve a section.

[Metacognition he/him]

I have to agree with Aether (Err, I meant Windrunner), even if he does so without a bunch of lists. 

 

A large part of a character's development is how they interact with those around them. Without that, the characters fall flat. 

 

My only worry is that the Wiki becomes too convoluted, but since it is the end all say all of our collective knowledge and not just theories, I'd suspect it to be nothing less than painstakingly thorough. 

 

It could also help us draw unique and revealing connections between the worlds and their people. This could be a bit difficult to balance (for example, Galladon drawing on relationships from many different worlds), but I think the end result will help immensely. Even so, I don't envy you the task, though I'd be willing to help in anyway I can. 

Edited January 26, 2014 by Metacognition

[Aether he/him]

Sorry to disappoint, Meta, but that was Windrunner, not me. Rest assured, though, when I get serious, there will always be lists.

Edited January 26, 2014 by Aether

[Meg]

I don't want to seem opposed and I don't know if I understand your -- Weiry's -- suggestion right, but I feel having reservations. Though there is an example I don't really see what you want.

I think it's not only about "Vin is married to Elend." or "Ialai is the wife of Torol Sadeas."

But then: Does describing relationships not always include an interpretation of the person(s) and the relationships? And here I see problems (as an example I dare point at this thread, were it's explicit to see that every reader has their own interpretation of real or possible relationships). Which "objective" view would we use for those descriptions?

I apologize for breaking in and hope for clarification.

[WeiryWriter he/him]

Umm... Let's see.  (Be warned I don't actually know if what follows will actually be intelligible)

 

You are right in say "it is more than Vin is married to Elend".  It's also about how the relationship grows and changes.  Where it started and other important events.  It's also the effect the relationship has on the individuals.  Vin's relationship with Kelsier helps her to accept her nature as a mistborn, for example.  How does this relationship relate to the culture they are living in?  You are right in saying that people have different interpretations on things and we would have to keep a careful eye on things so they don't get out hand.  However I think if we keep to the core of the relationships we can't really go wrong?

 

That probably makes no sense...  It's a good question, I'm just bad at answering it.

[AerionBFII he/him]

Have the main characters interacted with each other enough for this??