there are several components to writing about friendships and giving them good chemistry, this chapter will explain those
i. banter
one of the most interesting aspects of fictional friendships is the way the characters interact with each other whilst important plot points are occurring.
if your characters have easy banter, teasing one another without missing a beat and managing to bounce off each other even in the toughest circumstances, it will be clear to the reader that these two are/should be good friends.
friends know each other well. they know the other's character so well that they can easily find something to tease each other over. however, this also means knowing which topics are off-limits.
if you want to write a good, healthy friendship, your characters shouldn't use humour/sarcasm as a way to hurt the other. it should be good-natured and understood as such from both sides.
some friends might not tease each other at all. banter isn't necessary; it's just a good way to make your characters come alive and make their friendship one that is loved by readers.
ii. mutual support
unless you purposefully want to write an unhealthy/toxic friendship, your characters should both be supportive of the other.
few things will make your character as likable as remembering to check in and be there for their best friend even when they are in the middle of a crisis.
you need to show your characters being vulnerable in front of each other and being supportive in ways that are tailored to the needs of each friend. so, if one of the characters really responds to physical comfort, the other should know to give hugs/rub their back when they're not feeling well. similarly, if one of them doesn't like being touched and responds to material comfort, have the other bring them ice cream and join them for a movie marathon.
what gets me every time is when a character is falling apart and won't listen to/be consoled by anyone but their best friend (but this is just personal preference).
iii. knowing the other's past/family life
this really only applies to characters who have been friends for quite a while.
good friends know each other's backstory - the highs and lows and mundane details. they know they layout of their family home and they probably know their family members well.
perhaps there are issues at home/trauma from the past that the other character will immediately understand. so, if one character appears with a black eye, their friend might know that the father was probably drunk the night before and got violent. or if the character has a nightmare, the friend might know that it was about childhood abuse etc.
this can also apply to good things i.e. if one of the characters gets a nice note in their lunchbox, the other might know that their grandma is in town.
whatever works for your story should be used to indicate the level of unspoken understanding the friends have.
iv. being protective
few things will make your readers love a friendship more than the friends being fiercely protective of each other (in a healthy, non-territorial way).
has someone hurt one of the characters? the other should be furious and want to exact revenge. does someone say something demeaning to one of the friends? the other should defend them immediately and vehemently.
this can also take on a humorous twist if one of the characters starts dating someone. the friend can make extra sure that said date is sincere and promise to exact vengeance if their friend is hurt.
this can also be a great plot device, since it could explain why the character's best friend joins the quest/goes along on the journey. perhaps this is the main plot point: a character seeking to protect/avenge their friend.
iv. common interests
even if the two characters are vastly different, there should be something that keeps them together besides loyalty. this is especially important for characters who become friends throughout the course of the book.
this doesn't have to mean that both of them go hiking every weekend or want to become pilots one day. it could be something small, like a love of cheesy movies or a shared taste in music. maybe they both enjoy silence/don't like other people. maybe they are both social justice warriors, but for different causes.
this could also be common characteristics instead of interests. perhaps both are very ambitious/funny/social.
there should just be some factor that ignited the friendship and brings the two of them together. this doesn't necessarily have to be a big part of your story, but you should at least have it mentioned to make the friendship appear more authentic.
