Writing Those Glorious Ships | Part 2
Any good part of writing a relationship is the physical contact parts. I’m not talking about having them have sex or anything. I’m talking about the build-up to them having a relationship. Those little brushes of hands, comforting each other, hugs. All those things make a reader go wild.
Fact is, we as humans need physical contact. It makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside, and helps us get through the day. I think that’s why people love pets. Especially if they live on their own. We need that kind of affection, and these sorts of things make us feel important. Loved.
Bellamy and Clarke are known for being great at hugging people. The one just here is their most famous. Up until this point, we know they care about each other as friends, but we never really saw that. This is the first time that we, as the audience, really get a feel that they truly care for each other. This isn’t just a normal hug. It feels earth shattering.
One of my favorite authors, Sarah J. Maas, loves The 100, and she’s put Bellarke scenes into her NYT Bestselling Series, Throne of Glass. Speaking of hugs, she used the above gif as inspiration!
(this image was taken from one of my sideblogs @wanhedacelaena)
It’s not an exact copy, of course, but the inspiration is there. Aelin flying to the male just as Clarke did, and the male grabbing her, wrapping his massive arms around her tightly. His head buried into her neck, as if he were breathing her in. All of these little nuggets are words to describe one of the best hugs to ever exist (I’m biased, okay?). But scenes like this really gives the reader something to hold on to. To love.
These scenes, though maybe deemed unnecessary, give readers a big smile and they are rooting for these characters. You can feel how much they mean to each other just by the emotions rippling through the scene. Same with Bellamy and Clarke. You can feel how much all these characters missed each other.
Hugs don’t always have to tell that they’re happy to see each other. It could also be comforting, and like coming home. Hugs are meant to make people feel safe, and every time I see these two hug on my screen, I get that overwhelming feeling that they need each other. Not specifically as romantic partners (though I would certainly love to see their relationship evolve that way), but they need each other emotionally. Clarke understands Bellamy in a way no one else does. She understands his relationship with his sister and why he does a lot of the things he does. Most importantly, she is the only person who is able to get through to him.
Obviously, hugs aren’t all that define physical contact. Fans also love what we call soft™ moments. Basically, it’s like this and the very first gif I posted. Bellamy brushing Clarke’s hair out of her face. It’s something simple, but it’s comforting her. That little smile he also gives her. This wordless moment tells the viewer that God, he’s happy she is safe. These moments can convey so much meaning to the reader and these characters.
As a writer, I tend to turn a lot to my ships for inspiration. These moments make people think about these characters together.
The moment above, you know what this also tells me? Bellamy is happiest when he knows Clarke is okay. He dressed up like a grounder to see if she was alive. He could have died trying to save her. His friend. I don’t know about you, but that’s soulmate stuff right there!
Now, physical contact doesn’t always have to be the soft™ kind. It can also be angsty material. It can be a tug of the arm, a shove, maybe a slap? There’s this one scene in season one where Bellamy grabs Clarke’s wrist and says, “Once you take off your wristband, then we can go.” He also went as far to say to someone else, “I’m getting that wristband. Even if I have to cut off her hand to do it.”
Obviously, this kind of physical contact can cross a line, so be super careful when using the not so soft™ kind. It can turn your readers off in a blink of an eye. However, I think you have to look at the genre and circumstances and justify what those characters did. I mostly write Science Fiction and Fantasy, and those kinds of characters do a lot of bad. They mostly live in a world where “there are no good guys.”
For example, in the latest season (Season 5), Clarke slaps Bellamy (aftermath pictured above). A lot of people disagreed with the writing decision, but I think there’s more to that gesture than anything. I don’t agree with physical violence, but we have to remember the world these characters are set in. There’s tons of actions we don’t agree with, but fact is...these things happen.
Anyways, Bellamy and Clarke always went in this circle of they would do anything for one another, and would never hurt each other. After Clarke slaps Bellamy, the look on his face is pure shock. The Clarke he’s known for years would never do this, but she has. She’s changed. Things like this can invoke a shift in them. I would even label this as a “meaningful moment.” Clarke did this in the wake of a deep betrayal. Bellamy was basically thinking without factoring in others’ priorities. So that slap meant two things. The first being “You hurt me and my family, there will be consequences.” The second being, “You need to snap out of this.” So much is said in those three or so seconds of this scene.
Scenes like this can invoke a change. Something bad has to happen in order to put forward a new challenge for these characters. Usually these scenes come with revelations that Character A didn’t know about Character B. Usually by someone else. And these revelations can affect everything.
Questions for this section:
What is the reason behind that little touch? Was there more to it than what’s actually happening between these two characters?
How does the touch (hug, brush of hands, etc.) make the character(s) feel?
Is there a moment between them after it happens? Does it hang in the air like, was there more to it than they thought?
Do your characters panic over the touch? Or do they feel comforted and accept the touch with a warm feeling?
What will/did this do to their relationship?
