How do you correctly write a Father-Daughter Relationship?

Question

The two main protagonists aren't actually related and the initial relationship they have is filled with mistrust and irritation, but eventually it turns into an unspoken father-daughter kind of bond.

I am considering doing dual POV between them. What kind of thoughts and emotions would I have to write to convey to the audience the correct relationship, both for the irritable stage, bonded stage and for both POVs?

Answer 1

Answer these questions (for yourself):

• How do they meet?
• What is their relationship? (Are they colleagues, prison mates etc.?)
• Why and how are they bound to or dependent upon each other? (Do they have to work together, do they need each other, are they trying to best each other etc.?)
• What do they want in that situation (do they have unrelated, the same or opposing goals) and how does that make them feel about each other?

This will give you the background for the irritable stage. The feelings and thoughts of each of the two characters should follow naturally from that.

Do some brainstorming (you probably had a father or father figure in your life or know people who had or have read about it) and research:

• What does a good relationship between a father and his daughter commonly look like in the culture of your characters? (care, responsibility, duty, trust, conflict, compromise, closeness, common experiences etc.)
• What are examples of similar relationships without a biological kinship? (adoptive partent, mentor, teacher, boss, older brother etc.)
• How does such a non-biological parentlike relationship differ from a biological one? (It is voluntary, less imperative, more fragile, more friendship, potentially sexual etc.)
• What do your characters seek (on an emotional level) and how is the other person the answer to that (someone to look up to, someone to take care of, someone to guide, someone wise, protection, the feeling of being needed etc.)?

This, and the demands of the story you are going to tell, will provide the framework within which you can construct the specific relationship that your two character will eventually have.

Finally invent a transition from the irritable stage to the father-daughter stage. Let the story, within which all this happens, guide you in some of the details. (Are they travelling together and spend a lot of time with each other so they can talk a lot or are their interaction mostly governed by the tasks that bring them together and they grow to know and respect each other by observing each other work?)

Does that help?