: Re: How do you write boy & girl protagonists without turning them into a love story? I've played with the idea of a multi-book fantasy story for years, where a female and male protagonists' lives

@Kaufman555

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Many same-sex friendships are two of a similar "type" who are also competitors. When gendered male, the rivalry might be athletic or conspicuous displays of wealth. Gendered female the competition might be social or personal accomplishments (out-doing the other, as opposed to defeating the other). Rivalry among career peers is almost expected because there's a one-to-one comparison. There is sometimes a blurring of boundaries where the rivalry is also self-identity. They recognize aspects of themselves in the other. Consider these dynamics and ramp them up.

If the rivals have a similar skill level, they may get a charge out of being around someone who can keep them on their toes, and also someone with whom they can measure their own gains. It doesn't matter what they are competing about since no one really "wins", it's more about having someone worthy to compete with.

Exaggerate their rivalry, and maybe their egos too. Drill home why they are friends but also why they could never get together, because they are both so much alike that neither can allow the other to be good at something without proving they are just as good, whether it's cooking or fencing.

It can be established early on that retreating to a gender-specific role will not end the competition. When young they might decide that helping the other finish chores is the fastest way to get back to competing, but if your society has firmly separated gender roles, they might debate how to be better at them, again just to prove themselves more knowledgable. As a result they might be better at juggling admirers, having coached each other.

If they helped shape the other's romantic image, they may be immune to it themselves. Instead they may see an enterprise which they had a hand in creating. Also this is the one area where they don't directly compete. Les Liaisons dangereuses features 2 villains who share advice and gloat over the details of their sexual conquests. Your protagonists don't need to be predators to consider the other's social success as a reflection of their own skills. I add this possibility since other answers suggest to "friendzone" their relationship by making them unattractive or desexualizing. This allows them to be ridiculously attractive and sexually (over)confident for their age.

As friendly rivals, they know when to give encouragement and when to taunt, and they know each other's limits (similarly, they know when the other is in trouble). They lost their personal boundaries long ago which makes them unusually close, but there is no mystery between them. In fact they are too much alike.

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