Has anyone else noticed this trend? Where the main character (usually a girl) is plain and reserved, and has a best friend who is tall, pretty and outgoing?
Examples:
Delirium (by Lauren Oliver): The main character, Lena, is short, plain and has brown hair. Her best friend, Hana, is tall, blonde and popular.
Divergent (by Veronica Roth): Tris is small and plain, and her best friend, Christina, is tall and confident.
Shiver (by Maggie Stiefvater): Main character Grace, is reserved, a bookworm and an introvert. Her best friend, Rachel, is social, loud and confident.
Uprooted (by Naomi Novik): Agnieszka is a clumsy brunette who is only good at getting herself dirty. Her best friend Kasia is good at everything and loved by everyone.
Shadow and bone (by Leigh Bardugo) Main character Alina is small, scrawny and always the odd one out. Her best friend, Mal, is tall, popular and outgoing.
Love, hate, and other lies we told (by Dierdre Riordan Hall): Navy is short and plain and a bit awkward. Her best friend, Katya, is tall, beautiful and social.
You get the point.
It’s not that I don’t like these relationships. They’re very well written and we love the characters, but it’s been done too many times.
Try something new. How about a blind best friend, or a stuttering best friend, or a best friend with agoraphobia who panics when she leaves the house.
Writing on the job 