How do you write a strong main duo?

[BrittleBones]

...without falling into common dynamics? I'd like to write a sort of buddy comedy and, while I have a pretty good concept of what the two leads will be like- one is an intelligent, socially awkward PI and the other is a more sociable, overenthusiastic noble (think of- though this is more of a myth- Marie Antoinette playing shepherd on weekends)- I'm wondering how I can add nuance to these characters to make them bounce off each other well. I want there to be some friction between the two without it being so strong they find each other intolerable. And I want there to be something unique to their interactions- beyond the typical 'begrudging allies that learn to appreciate each other' or 'comedy duo' tropes.

While, we're at it, let's turn this thread into a sort of analysis, too- what makes other iconic pairings work? And what makes them stand out? Normally this is already quite important, but I think it warrants a more thorough look than normal for a story that hinges on the dynamic between two characters.

 

[Finchbearer]

I wouldn’t know about comedy writing to be honest, but I think Sam and Frodo are the only pairing I can think of who were intentionally written to be a platonic duo dynamic within the fantasy genre. Who else am I missing??

Erm, they are a good example and a bad example I think, because they showcase a friendship between the two, but equally Sam has a much more rounded character imo. Frodo is more of a sounding board kind of character. And if they were written today, then I’m not sure how they would stand up to modern conventions of fantasy storytelling.

I myself am writing a female friendship dynamic in a fantasy setting, in part because one of my favourite series (not fantasy) the Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante showcases a complex female friendship that spans a lifetime, and I just couldn’t get those characters out of my mind, mostly because they really contrasted each other in so many clever ways that pulled me through the story. So, I’d say that a duo has to have contrast as one important feature.

 

[Queshire]

Well if you want to avoid common dynamics you could always have it not be just platonic. =0

 

[Finchbearer]

I am sure there is a plethora of Sam and Frodo not-so-platonic fanfiction out there…

But, if it’s not platonic then wouldn’t it just be a romantic storyline and not so much a duo? Or am I being dumb and romance counts as a duo.

 

[Queshire]

It doesn't have to take over the plot. It could just come down to, "They're a couple. They fight crime."

 

[BrittleBones]

Well if you want to avoid common dynamics you could always have it not be just platonic. =0

I could, but romance... isn't exactly my forte, especially since I'm asexual

Finch is right in that romance is a bit of a different wheelhouse compared to platonic relationships. Doesn't always create the same kind of situations. (And, I'm pretty sure they'll have just met each other at the start of the story, so?)

 

[A. E. Lowan]

As someone who's been married for her entire adult life (34 years in September), you're shooting for the intangible interactions, how do they fill in the other's missing pieces? This is something you can show from the very beginning, since these interactions are subconscious and the hind brain recognizes what it wants before the rest does, something like, "Yes, yes, we want this. Give us this." Not too complicated, but it does need signposting and subtle interactions in the narrative. Small things, like even when your POV character doesn't like or trust the other one, they recognize there is something there to approve of, like skills, like bravery, like that sort of thing.

 

[pmmg]

I wonder if batman and superman might not be a good model for this. They do not often approve of the way the other does things, but they both respect and trust the other. And they have funny bits along the way.

But....plenty of buddy cop stories out their. Most are humorous. I dont know how you will manage to be untypical. Just give them something to grate with you dont see very often. Gay would not cut it for me. Maybe they both share the same ex-wife

 

[ThinkerX]

I wrote a series of short stories about a disparate duo that I will have to get back to sometime.

Toki is a petty thief and sorcerer with an attitude problem. Hock-Nar is a hobgoblin warrior with a monastic side. (Hobgoblins and humans are not even remotely biologically compatible.) They became soul-bound as the result of a mishap with a magical gem. One of them gets hurt, and they both feel the pain. They get more than a couple hundred yards apart, well that is painful as well.

Toki lives for learning magic, filching interesting things, and chasing women. He likes cities. Hock-Nar wants to kill and practice being a monk. Not much in common - but they are stuck with each other.

 

[skip.knox]

The best way to write such a combination is the same way there is to write anything good. Know it thoroughly.

With characters this means to take the time needed to get to know each of the characters as individuals. Get to know them outside of their relationship, how they behave in various circumstances individually as well as when they are together. Your plot is going to put them in situations. While writing, you need to have a feeling for how each might act, look, speak, feel. Then you can have one speak or act and the other react to that as well as to the situation.

What makes any character, or combination of characters, work is to have enough depth to each of them for their actions and words to resonate. To have the reader think, oh yes that's so typical of that person. Or, indeed, to be surprised by some action that can get explained later.

With a setting, it becomes most real when the author knows more about the place than the reader does. The same goes for characters.

Some writers can do this sort of thing naturally, instinctively. I cannot. The only way I get to know my characters is by writing them. This means I write them in many more situations than ever appear in the story itself. But I at least know the aim. I'm trying to get to the point where I myself, as I work characters through a scene, can sit back and thing, oh yes, that's so typical of that person.

If that's all in place, the comedy will come naturally.

 

[The Dark One]

I think the first thing to decide is whether they've known each other a while or have just been thrown together. The dynamics are very different.

Second, they ought to be united by a common goal.

Third they need to depend on each other in some way.

Apart from that, there are a multitude of possibilities but you need to find at least one original angle as this is deeply into the hackneyed trope region.

 

[Finchbearer]

I feel like dynamic duo’s are what cop shows / police dramas are practically built on.

I think maybe in a comedy duo you’ll want to think about how close the friendship is marked by how much one can laugh at the others expense. That is usually a sign that the friendship or relationship has evolved, and creating fun relatable dialogue to go along with it that doesn’t feel forced.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Here's a great example of how a couple of the sort you want to write overlap, for lack of a better word. Overlap really is the best word for it.

Look at how everyone is sitting in relation to each other. Close. These are friends and warriors. Now look at Nat and Clint, the two in the foreground. That's what I mean by overlap.

 

[Mad Swede]

The others have already given you a good heads up, so I'll try and put it in another light. A successful partnership, be that business or personal (romantic or just platonic) is all about bringing something to the table that the other one doesn't have. A common aim helps but isn't essential, it can be enough that both parties have aims which partially overlap. It's an open question as to whether the two should have similar or totally different personalities. Long term relationships evolve, so over time the dynamics change as do the contributions each partner makes. Finally, betrayal by one partner or the death of one partner can have a huge impact on the other, especially if the two have been partners for a long time.

The reason I write it all like that is because you need to think these aspects through when you sit down to write. How long have these two known one another, what brought them together and what does each bring to the partnership? Get those points sorted and you've got the basis for the dynamics between the two. Bear in mind that it can't all be about comedy, there has to be some other aspects to the partnership and the story to make the humour appropriate.

 

[Penpilot]

This is very prevalent in buddy cop movies. To generalize. There's a yin-yang aspect, where each of the partners is incomplete without the other. They're each different and their differences create friction, but they also have similarities that draw them together.

Look at the Lethal Weapon movies. Drawing from memory here so forgive if I make an err.

You have Riggs. Young. Unstable and out of control. Chance taker. No family.

Then you have Murtaugh. On the verge of retirement. In control. Wants to avoid rocking the boat. Family man.

Their styles conflict. They rub each other the wrong way.

They're both ex military and served in Vietnam. They both want to do what's right.

When you put them both together, you get a balanced team, and I'm not just talking about professionally. With Murtaugh, Riggs finds family, too.

IMHO, nuance comes from the execution of the characters you create, what the differences are, and the reasons they come together. For example, yeah sure you can put two cops together, but how about a cop and criminal instead? That's where you get the movie 48hrs. Or to bring up something more recent how about Thor and Loki in Thor Ragnarok, a hero and a villain.