5 Tips on Writing Friendships


1. Make both the hero and their friend likable and full characters. This means the friend needs strengths, weaknesses, and a life outside the hero. Their problems don’t have to be subplots, but they should be clear and present.


2. Give them reasons to be friends. Why do they like each other? What do they bond over or agree on? They must trust and care about each other despite their disagreements, and this love must manifest itself based on their personalities. Do they show affection through witty jabs or heartfelt conversations?

3. The friends should complement each other, meaning they must be different somehow. Based on your theme, what opposing viewpoints do they hold? What conflicting flaws could cause tension?

4. Give the friendship an arc. How can you allow them to care about, trust, and communicate with one another through escalating difficulties? Conflict and perseverance will both show what their friendship is made of and change it for better or worse.

5. Investigate the similarities and differences between you and your friends. Examine other fictional friendships to see why they work. What is the basis of their friendship? Why are they better when they’re together? What traits in the characters complement each other? How does their friendship grow and improve as the series develops?



Though my favorite fictional friendship is ever-changing, it’s currently the relationship between the paladins of Voltron in the Netflix original series Voltron: Legendary Defender. What’s your favorite fictional friendship? Leave a comment!

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