Passive-aggressive behavior or the "silent treatment" that prevents resolution.
A parent dies, and the will is read. But instead of a simple division of assets, the will contains a series of cruel, calculated tasks. To inherit, each sibling must perform an act that exposes their deepest shame or forces a reconciliation with the family’s darkest secret.
In family drama, the biggest fights are never about the subject at hand. They are about the last twenty years.
Whether you are writing a sprawling generational saga or a tight two-hander about a mother and daughter in a kitchen, remember this: