A fictional family map exercise for writers

Disclosure: I am associated with the Genogram Maker project, and AI helped me draft this discussion. The exercise below is fictional and is offered for writers, not as a claim about any real family.

When a story spans generations, I find it useful to draw a small relationship map before adding detail to the manuscript. A map is not a substitute for a character arc: it is a way to notice which relationships the draft relies on and which ones have only been assumed. Here is a short exercise that a writing group can try with invented people.

Start with three characters and one question. Imagine that Mara has inherited a box of letters from her grandfather, Sol, and that her cousin Leila wants the box destroyed. On paper, place the three names in separate circles or boxes. Draw the known connections, and leave a dotted line where you are unsure who knows what. At this stage the map should capture the writer's current assumptions, not impose a complete family history.

Next, make two copies of the map. In Mara's version, mark the people she trusts and the people she avoids. In Leila's version, mark the people she thinks will be hurt if the letters are read. The differences can create a scene without requiring either person to be a villain. For example, Mara may think Leila is hiding a crime; Leila may simply know that one letter contains a private medical detail about someone still alive.

Add one missing voice. Perhaps Sol's sister is not on either map because the cousins have never spoken to her. Give her a reason to keep quiet that does not depend on a twist. What would change if she spoke to each cousin separately? A missing voice is an invitation to ask whose account dominates the story, not a licence to invent a secret for every blank space.

Now choose one line on the map and write a scene that changes it. If Mara believes Leila distrusts her, show a small action that challenges that belief: Leila leaves a key, makes a phone call, or refuses to repeat a rumour. Do not explain the relationship in the margin of the scene. Let the reader infer the shift from behaviour and dialogue, and then check whether the map still describes what happens on the page.

Finally, use the map to remove as well as add. If four distant relatives perform the same narrative function, consider whether the reader needs all four names. If a line is interesting to the writer but has no effect on the story, it can remain a private note. A helpful diagram makes revision easier; a diagram that requires a glossary before the first chapter may be doing too much.

For a digital version, the project I work on offers a browser-based diagram tool at Genogram Maker . Its free plan currently supports two projects of up to 50 people each, with PNG export; AI usage is limited. A hand-drawn chart is just as suitable for this exercise. When working with real family stories, ask permission before sharing names or sensitive details and remember that a diagram can never capture a whole person.

I'd be interested to hear how other writers track relationships across a long project: do you keep one objective map, or separate maps for what each character believes?