Goldman says his creative impulse behind the book was his desire to write a long novel:[1] At the time, all of my friends were screwing up in New York, it seemed.

"[3] After writing 300 pages, Goldman took some time off to work on Broadway, and when he returned to the book he experienced writer's block, so he wrote another novel instead, No Way to Treat a Lady (1964).

"I don't know if Soldier in the Rain had sold to the movies or whatever happened, but there were a bunch of people [publishers] who wanted Boys and Girls Together", he said.

"[6] William Goldman says his editor, Hiram Haydn, thought the novel "was going to establish me as a serious American novelist – and it got crucified.

[8]Richard Andersen wrote of the novel: Seeing all their energies leading to death and betrayal, the characters of Boys and Girls Together conclude that there are no satisfactory alternatives.

In June 1966 it was reported director Sydney Pollack was attached and David Rayfiel was writing a script.

Goldman worked on a musical version of the story, called Magic Town, which remains unproduced.