Characters need
quirks. What makes yours unique?
It doesn’t have to
be something big. Not every book needs a ninja/librarian that loves chocolate
ice cream and orange kittens. It came be something simple. Which character in
popular literature wears round glasses? Which female protagonist survives with
her mad bow and arrow skills? Which cartoon characters have a pet platypus?
It doesn’t have to
be elaborate, but give your characters something that makes them unique. Give them
a trait or a love or a dislike that will stick in the readers mind. This will
make the character more real and memorable.
Important note: don’t
go too far with the trait. If your character always does the Hokey Pokey when
they hear the word red, it might get a little annoying. For a character whose
uniqueness makes them obnoxious, watch Episode 1 of Star Wars. Jar-Jar Binks is
unique, but . . . .
What are your
character’s quirks?
Quirks are oh-so important... but you're right. It can get carried away. Like with my latest MC - she likes to chew on her nails, whenever she gets nervous, but by the end of the MS, I don't think she has any nails left :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
LOL, you crack me up! You mean, I really can't write about a ninja/librarian who loves chocolate ice cream and orange kittens? This sounds like the start of an epic book! :D
ReplyDeleteMy MC actually has a "thing" that she likes to do, but I didn't really realise how important it was until I read this post! :D
You make me smile, lol
ReplyDeleteAs my poems are about myself, family and travells, there are many quiks too many to write down.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed you U post.
Yvonne.
Bigger question: How many of our MC quirks are ones we know about intimately?!
ReplyDeletehttp://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/
I keep lists of the quirky things I see real people doing, such as sniffing a stick of gum before chewing it or licking one's lips before licking an envelope flap. I record all the little odd things that can go unnoticed but that really say a lot about a person, then I apply them to characters.
ReplyDeleteLucy
oh yeah i agree and the quirks keep them human
ReplyDeleteQuirks are great - often my characters have developed them all by themselves without my realising! Great post - and thanks for visiting my blog. Now following :-) LindaK
ReplyDeleteI've taken one of my own quirks and given it to one of my characters. I have no sense of smell...and now...neither do they. Something small, but unique! :)
ReplyDeleteI talked about this in a workshop the other day, making characters special, but not going overboard with quirks. Makes them memorable.
ReplyDelete