Friendships in fiction should be multifaceted, just like they are in real life. They can be loyal yet complicated, nurturing yet competitive, comforting yet confrontational. And when they’re written well, these relationships elevate your characters, deepen your plot, and move your readers. Let’s talk about how to write friendships that feel real, raw, and unforgettable.

A strong female character is not strong because she’s emotionless or flawless or invincible. She’s strong because she’s real. Because she has agency. Because she struggles, grows, leads, fails, and fights to define herself in a world that often wants to do it for her.