 For Authors: April 29, 2009 Issue [#3021] |
  For Authors
This week: Edited by: Cubby  
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Hello, everyone! Welcome to this edition of the For Authors newsletter.  This week's topic is focused on character quirks but first off, I'd like to share a few quotes with you. Enjoy!
Quotes:
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"Certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks."
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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"A character should display only as many mannerisms as are necessary to convey what is important about him or her without distracting from the story and the character's role within it."
~ Brandilyn Collins |
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Quirks: Habitual Mannerisms
Definition taken from https://www.dictionary.com
quirk - [noun] - a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; mannerism
Never leave your characters without at least one quirk. Everyone has them including you and me. Adding quirks to your character helps personalize him or her.
Quirks may be mild, extreme, or somewhere in between. Someone who twists their hair with an index finger is not all that unusual, but their action is still considered a quirk. Arranging food on a plate so nothing touches is a bit quirkier. Believing everyone is out to get you, is more extreme.
A quirk is an action done repeatedly by a person or character. Most of us, if not all of us, acquire habits in our lifetime and so must our characters. If done right, the writer will not need to continuously repeat the quirks of his or her characters. Eventually, the reader should be able to envision the character twisting her hair constantly or eating her food in a clockwise order without being told in details.
Examples of Physical Quirks
Knuckle cracking
Neck cracking
Nervous cough or clearing of throat
Winking
Picks nose
Twists at necklace
Pulls on watch
Turns ring around finger
Bites fingernails
Pulls on beard
Twists hair around finger
Jingling coins in the pocket
Using hand gestures while speaking
Can't walk past a Return coin slot without checking it for forgotten change
Lights a cigarette when nervous
Snapping gum
Obsessively washing hands
Finger tapper
Examples of Verbal Quirks
Says "Dude" at the end of almost every sentence. Whatcha doing, dude? Hey, dude. Come on, get outta bed, dude."
Includes the word like in most dialogue. "Like, you know, like how that cute guy over there keeps, like, looking at me?"
... or any other repeated word or phrase the character uses often enough to stand out.
Flat characters are not interesting. Allow each character a personality, including habitual mannerisms. Help your character to live.
The above lists include only a small portion of character quirks. I bet some of you might even send me a few more, yes? 
Great links:
http://character-development.suite101.com/article.cfm/creating_characters_that_l...
http://www.pameladowd.com/Adobe/CharacterDevelopmentChart.PDF
http://writeanything.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/mannerisms-the-icing-on-the-cake/
A few interesting books to check out:
 1001 Character Quirks by J. Timothy King
Creative Writing: for people who can't not write by Kathryn Ann Lindskoog
Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
Now for a fun prompt... Create a character and give it at least one quirk!
Happy Spring! and...
Keep on Writing!
Cubby ") |
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Thank you! Good point!
Thank you, everyone, for all the wonderful feedback you send in!