In most novels, the romance gets all the attention. But for many readers, the most memorable part of a story is the "platonic soulmate"—the friend who sticks around when everything else falls apart. Writing a great friendship is about more than just having two people hang out; it’s about creating a chemistry that feels as essential to the plot as the main conflict.
Here is how to take your fictional friendships to the next level.
1. Develop a "Secret Language" Real friends don't talk to each other the way they talk to strangers. They use inside jokes, half-sentences, and shorthand that only they understand. When writing dialogue, skip the formal introductions and let them jump into the middle of a thought. This immediately tells the reader that these two have a long, shared history.
2. Contrast Their "Operating Systems" The best fictional duos often have opposite ways of looking at the world. If one character is impulsive and leads with their heart, make the friend clinical and logical. This natural friction creates built-in conflict and ensures that every decision they make together involves a bit of a tug-of-war.
3. Use the "History File" A friendship shouldn't feel like it started on page one. Mention past events—the time they got lost in the woods, or the person they both used to dislike in high school. These small, throwaway references to a "life before the book" give the relationship a sense of weight and gravity.
4. Create a Shared Ritual Small, repetitive habits ground a friendship in reality. Maybe they always meet at the same dive bar on Tuesdays, or they have a specific way of checking in after a dangerous mission. These rituals provide a sense of stability for the characters and a "home base" for the reader.
5. Brainstorming the Chemistry Sometimes, it’s hard to find that perfect "spark" between two characters. If your dialogue feels a bit stiff, I often use Sudowrite to brainstorm different ways a scene could play out. By asking the AI to give me five different ways these two might argue or joke about a situation, I often find a "lateral" idea—a specific bit of banter or a surprising reaction—that I never would have thought of on my own.
6. Vulnerability is the Ultimate Proof A character might act tough to the rest of the world, but they should be able to drop the act with their best friend. Showing a character admit a fear or a failure to their friend—and only their friend—proves the depth of the bond more than any grand heroic gesture ever could.
7. Let Them Fail Each Other Nothing makes a friendship feel more real than a well-placed disagreement. If a friend makes a mistake or lets the protagonist down, it raises the stakes. The process of forgiveness and rebuilding that trust makes the bond stronger in the end and keeps the relationship from feeling too "perfect" to be believable.
8. Distinct Voices, Shared Values While your friends should sound different (unique word choices, different pacing in their speech), they should usually share a core set of values. They might disagree on how to solve a problem, but they should generally agree on why it needs to be solved. This shared "moral compass" is what keeps them on the same team.
9. The "Ghost" of the Relationship To test how strong a friendship is, ask yourself: What would happen to the protagonist if this friend were gone? If the answer is "not much," the friendship isn't deep enough. The friend should be a pillar of the protagonist's world—someone whose absence would leave a gaping hole in their ability to function or succeed.
The Bottom Line An iconic friendship isn't just about support; it's about synergy. When you write a duo that complements, challenges, and occasionally drives each other crazy, you create a relationship that readers will root for just as much as the main plot.
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