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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/24305
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/24305
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

It rather sounds like what you are writing is not a platonic relationship but a frustrated romantic relationship. There are, of course, millions of stories of frustrated romantic relationships. And the key to them always is, what is it that is causing the frustration.

The basic shape of story is desire meeting with frustration. This is followed by an attempt to overcome the obstacles that cause the frustration, followed by either success or failure.

If it feels like the characters should just fall into each other's arms, that suggests that it is not clear what is preventing them from doing so.

Readers expect stories to be shaped like stories. They look for the story shape in the work as they read. If there is a guy and a girl, story shape says they must fall in love, be kept apart by various forces, struggle against those forces, and either be joined or separated forever. If it feels like they should be joined now, that is probably because the story does not contain anything that would keep them apart. If so, the solution is to provide a sufficiently cogent obstacle so that the reader recognizes at once that they can't possibly kiss.

Original score: 7