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    A~Z Writers’ Character Quirks: A~ Z of Behaviours, Foibles, Habits, Mannerisms & Quirks for Writers to Create Fictional Characters: Writers' Resource Series, #2
    A~Z Writers’ Character Quirks: A~ Z of Behaviours, Foibles, Habits, Mannerisms & Quirks for Writers to Create Fictional Characters: Writers' Resource Series, #2
    A~Z Writers’ Character Quirks: A~ Z of Behaviours, Foibles, Habits, Mannerisms & Quirks for Writers to Create Fictional Characters: Writers' Resource Series, #2
    Ebook129 pages1 hour

    A~Z Writers’ Character Quirks: A~ Z of Behaviours, Foibles, Habits, Mannerisms & Quirks for Writers to Create Fictional Characters: Writers' Resource Series, #2

    By Paula Wynne

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    About this ebook

    Creating real fictional character is one of the most important steps in writing a novel. 
    When you write a novel, the first thing to learn is how to create fictional characters, from heroes and heroines, to baddies and villains and other minor characters. Without a compelling character you don’t have a story! Whether they will be an animated object, toy or animal, a monster, alien or fantasy fabrication or real human beings, they need to be fully developed with emotions, flaws, hurts and habits or quirks.
    But even if a writer creates an archetype character, a fictional person from a star sign, or a hero or heroine from the enneagram types, they must end up being a character with personality. You have to give them unique traits and characteristic to make them real and not a walking cardboard. After you've started with a basic character and then added ‘real flesh’ to your character’s bones with different personality traits and emotions, you’ll need to put a lot of thought, research and time into developing a fully-fledged individual. Another way to ensure your characters are like real people is to give them habits and quirks.
    One of the hardest and most satisfying parts of writing is making your characters fully alive so your readers can recognise them, visualise them, believe in them and care about them. And worry about them so much that they keep turning the pages to see what happens to the character and how they cope with the plots twists thrown at them.
    Of course, this requires careful use of story events, flashbacks, memories and dialogue. Along with disorders, traits, past hurts and personality flaws, it's also helpful to flesh characters out with distinctive quirks and habits to make them memorable and distinctive.
    Don’t Just Create A Character ~ Create A Memorable Fictional Person
    Quirks and habits serve several purposes in fiction. Inside, bestselling author of Pimp My Fiction, Paula Wynne explains a few major uses for character habits and quirks:
    • Bringing Characters to Life with Quirks and Habits
    • Identifying Characters
    • Defining Character
    • Creating Conflict
    • Habits and Quirk Shifts

    As part of the Writers’ Resource Series, the A~Z of Writers's Character Quirks will give you a long list of Behaviours, Foibles, Habits, Mannerisms & Quirks in easy to find alphabetical order to help you create memorable fictional characters.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPaula Wynne
    Release dateMar 19, 2016
    ISBN9781519909787
    A~Z Writers’ Character Quirks: A~ Z of Behaviours, Foibles, Habits, Mannerisms & Quirks for Writers to Create Fictional Characters: Writers' Resource Series, #2

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      Book preview

      A~Z Writers’ Character Quirks - Paula Wynne

      Introduction

      Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.

      Mark Twain

      When a writer gets a character in their head, often that fictional person starts talking to them. I am known in my family to ‘have voices in my head.’ My husband calls my characters ‘squatters’ because they come and go, depending on which writing project I am currently working on. Some linger much longer, determined to get themselves heard.

      As I continue on my writing journey I am constantly looking for writing resources to improve my writing. I started gathering a smorgasbord of writing guides to help me create believable characters that would jump out at my readers and tug at their collars, making them worry what happens to the characters throughout the story.

      There are many excellent creative writing resource guides on creating characters, and some that even give character templates. I have listed the best ones in the first book in my Writers’ Resource Series, Pimp My Fiction.

      But even if a writer creates an archetype character, a fictional person from a star sign, or a hero or heroine from the enneagram types, we have to give them unique traits and characteristics to make them real and not a walking cardboard cutout.

      There are many ways to do this, and taking a look at the chapters on character creation in Pimp My Fiction will give you loads of ideas. But another way to ensure your characters are like real people is to give them habits and quirks.

      While I found lots of excellent writing books, I couldn’t find a list of habits and quirks to help me enhance my characters. So I started watching people and making notes.

      Like me, you will most likely get inspired to create character habits from watching people. It's easy enough to do when catching a bus or train, or sitting in a station.

      I wouldn't want you to start stalking people, but watching them closely for a while, from behind a book or newspaper (the bigger and more discreet the better) will make you realise little things they do that could be added to your resource character list. Keep a notepad handy and jot down the things that amuse you or intrigue you the most.

      Creating Character Habits

      For my ‘Creating Characters’ file, I started making a list of things I noticed about people in many different situations of everyday life.

      Many writers watch people to inspire ideas for creating fictional characters. Human habits and quirks are ideal to copy and use to create our heroes, villains and other minor characters.

      I started asking friends about their habits and before long, it became an after dinner party topic. It’s amazing how, after a few glasses of Rioja, friends open up and share things they like and don’t like about people they meet (I have promised to keep all habits generic).

      While riding London’s underground I watched a girl twiddling with her hair while chatting on her phone. Now and then she used her phone as a mirror. On another occasion I spotted another young girl twirling her hair into a thin spiral and then sucking on it. Was she nervous, thinking about something that had happened between her and her boyfriend or parents? Or did she do it out of boredom?

      I don’t often catch buses, but when I did once in London, I saw a man waiting for the bus. Or rather, I heard him. He kept jangling the coins inside his pockets. After a while I turned to glare at him, but he didn’t even realise he was doing it. Then, strangely enough, when he jumped on the bus, he didn’t even have the right change!

      Making Characters Unique

      These movements and gestures we display make us unique from the person beside us. Like the man jingling his coins and then not having the right change, our habits and foibles can be so deep-rooted we don’t even know we do them. Often it takes a partner, parent or sibling to point them out for us to notice what we are doing.

      I know a lot of people who forget things. Me, for one. I used to have a sterling memory, but now I often find myself saying ‘What’s her name’ or that ‘thingy-ma-jig.’ There are probably millions of people out there who do the same.

      Lots of people have habits like drinking, smoking, gambling, sex addictions (I once worked with a guy once who spent all his spare time on porn sites; eventually the boss found out!), and even food addictions.

      When I was promoting Pimp My Fiction, I noticed there are even people who are addicted to entering competitions!

      I am often invited to speak at events, and catching the train up to London gives me the perfect opportunity to scrutinise the things people do. I notice things like men who read the newspaper back to front, sports section to front breaking news. Actually, I think most men do that. That’s just one of the little habits they have.

      A few years ago, on a plane to Cape Town to speak at their book fair, I had to endure the lady behind me cracking her knuckles all the way there. Phew. Long flight! I was sorely tempted to peek at her hands, imagining she had gnarled knuckles from all that bone crunching.

      People Watcher

      I enjoy watching people talk, and I have learnt that most people do so with their hands. A lot run their tongue along their lips or bite their lips or stick their tongue out when they’re thinking about something or trying to make up their minds. Other facial expressions, such as someone flaring their nostrils, also go into my notepad. Or finger tapping. My worst aggravation is those people who call you ‘Luv’ when they don’t even know you and give you a forced wink. Their habits and foibles are worth listing in case one day I want a character who does that.

      When you observe your colleagues or friends or people in public places, use their habits and foibles in your stories. Why not? Just don’t give your characters similar

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