How to Write Amazing Friendships in 5 Steps
Direct Answers
What is an unbreakable rule in character friendships?
An unbreakable rule is a special promise or belief that characters will never violate under any circumstances. This rule can be explicitly stated or shown through their actions throughout the story.
To make this compelling, determine the one thing your characters would never let happen, and give each friend a different personal reason to care about it.
- Decide on a core promise the friends share.
- Establish what enemy or problem they will always fight against.
- Determine a shared belief that matters more to them than winning.
How do opposite personalities improve character friendships?
Giving friends total opposite personalities creates a dynamic where they can help fix each other's flaws. When characters have opposite problems, they naturally balance one another out.
For example, a loud and impulsive friend can teach a quiet friend to speak up, while the quiet friend helps the loud one calm down.
- Identify a bad habit one friend has that the other will not tolerate.
- Decide what specific skill or lesson one friend teaches the other.
- Show how their differences help them save each other from mistakes.
What are the best ways to create shared memories for characters?
Shared memories imply that characters have a deep history together and make their bond feel authentic. You can easily add these shared moments to your story by focusing on traditions, secrets, and special symbols that remind them of their past.
- Give them a tradition, like a silly habit or a phrase they always repeat.
- Make them share a secret fear or dream they never tell anyone else.
- Create a symbol, such as a special object or place that represents their bond.
What is a friendship test in storytelling?
A friendship test is a specific scenario where characters are forced to break their own personal rules or boundaries to help their friend. This clear action displays the depth of their bond without you having to explicitly state it to the reader.
To write this, ask yourself what your character would normally never do, and then force them to do it.
- Identify a strict personal boundary or belief the character holds.
- Write a crisis where breaking that rule is the only way to save their friend.
- Use the sacrifice to prove their loyalty over their own pride.
Why Great Friendships Matter
Series like One Piece and Avatar The Last Airbender have friendships that make you laugh, cry, and root for characters like they are real people. Writing your character friendships without a plan will leave you with a copy paste of every other series.
Great friendships are the glue that makes readers care about the plot and the battles. It is that special element that brings magic to your story.
Step 1: Create an Unbreakable Rule
Every great friendship has a special rule or promise the friends will never break no matter what. The rule could be explicitly said by the characters or shown through their actions.
For example, in One Piece, Luffy's crew believes in true freedom as shown by their actions freeing others. To make your own unbreakable rule, determine the one thing your characters would never let happen.
Give each friend a different reason to care about this rule. One friend might hate bullies because they were bullied themselves, while another friend just thinks it is unfair.
Step 2: Make Them Opposites
Friends do not have to be the same, and it is actually better when they are total opposites. Imagine one friend is messy and loud, and the other is neat and quiet.
The loud friend teaches the quiet one to speak up, while the quiet friend helps the loud one calm down. In Avatar, Zuko is angry and impulsive, but Aang is calm and patient.
Give your friends opposite problems, such as one talking too much while the other listens well. Let them help each other fix those flaws as the story progresses.
Step 3: Create Shared Memories
Real friends have inside jokes, secrets, and symbols that remind them of moments they have shared. You can use a tradition, like something they always do together before important moments.
Make them share a secret, such as a fear or a dream they never share with anyone else. You can also create a symbol, like a special object or place that reminds them of their friendship.
Inserting shared memories implies that your characters have a lot of history together. This automatically makes their friendship feel much stronger.
Step 4: Switch the Roles
Humans have multiple sides to their personality, and so do your characters. Every now and then, let your characters switch roles, especially when the plot gets crazy.
For example, in One Piece, Usopp is usually the coward of the group. When his friends are in trouble, he steps up and becomes a brave hero.
Make the funny friend get serious during a sad moment, or let the quiet friend yell orders in a battle. This keeps the friendship exciting, like when Sokka becomes a smart leader during invasions in Avatar.
Step 5: Add the Details
Friends do not need big fancy gifts to show they care. Simple things like sharing a snack or telling a secret can mean the most and prove they know each other.
Give them a friendship test by putting your characters in a situation where they must break their own boundaries. Aang nearly kills the sandbenders to save Appa, which goes against his pacifistic nature.
Create an only us moment with a word or gesture that only a friend of the character will understand. Finally, have the friends sacrifice or exchange something meaningful after a big fight, like a food they hate but pretend to like.