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WriteOn! Who's The Boss? [1]

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Date: 2023-03-02

All of human behavior is influenced by power structures, major and minor, formal and informal. Somehow, no matter what we are doing, we end up with leaders and followers. From national and global leadership to children’s games, someone is calling the shots. How do we decide, and how do we show the dynamic in our writing?

In the best personal relationships, people make decisions together, and the one who knows the most about the task at hand right then gets the most say in how it’s done. A division of labor develops. But the word “labor” hints at the friction point here, because all human goals take work, and no one likes to feel that they are doing more than their fair share. Small groups can often get more done than bigger ones simply because they get this ironed out faster. But power plays from even one member can throw everything for a loop.

Not-so-good relationships have more friction and less fairness. Outright abusive relationships are all about control, by one means or another.

Attempts to wield power might look like anger, or guilt-tripping, or passive-aggressive silence, or demands. Resistance or reclaiming power takes more patience and firmness, but might ultimately mean ending the relationship if it isn’t fixable.

Show your characters (or stock ones) in the middle of working out who is in charge right now. Or, if it makes more sense, show an abuse of power in the relationship. Try to limit yourself to 300 words.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/2/2143408/-WriteOn-Who-s-The-Boss

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