WRITING TUTORIALS : CHARACTER QUIRKS
WHAT ARE QUIRKS AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary we define a quirk, as we are using it in this purpose, as follows:
quirk- ( NOUN )
PRONONUCIATION: ( /kwɝːk/ uk OR /kwɜːk/ ) DEFINITION:
an unusual habit or part of someone's personality, something that is strange and unexpected
Quirks are important because they set your character apart. We all remember Harry Potter for his scar and many of the character that we grew up loving contain these kind of traits as well. These traits can be broken down in a three different categories:
SYMBOLIC
quirks that represent your character's main struggle.
PHYSICAL
quirks represent the characters physical personality.
CONTRAST
which is a quirk that is the opposite of the way your character is portrayed, that you must justify with inner thoughts and motivations. These are elements of your character which allow them to feel three dimensional, the reader will be able to relate with the character and by that, it will be easier for them to get sucked into your story.
LOOKS AND PHYSICAL QUIRKS
UNIQUE HAIR // EYE COLOR
EXTREMELY SHORT // TALL
SOME DISCERNING PHYSICAL MARK - BIRTHMARK, FRECKLES, MOLE OR SCARS
WEARS UNUSUAL GLASSES
HAS BRACES AND HEADGEAR
LARGE FEET - MAY MEAN THEY ARE CLUMSY
BITING NAILS // LIPS OR CHEWS ON HAIR
CONSTANTLY FIDGETING AND CAN'T SIT STILL
ACNE, ECZEMA, OR OTHER SKIN PROBLEMS
MANY TATTOOS OR PIERCINGS
OFTEN SICK OF HAS ALLERGIES
TALKS VERY LOUDLY OR QUIETLY
SAYS EVERYTHING LIKE IT IS A QUESTION
TERRIBLE BREATH - POSSIBLE COFFEE OR DRINKER
GETS SWEATY EASILY - ESPECIALLY WHEN NERVOUS
UNUSUALLY HAIRY ARMS // LEGS
VERY LONG PAINTED NAILS
ALWAYS HAS FACEFUL OF MAKEUP
STUTTER OR SPEECH IMPEDIMENT
TUCKS HAIR BEHIND EARS
CONSTANTLY CHEWS GUM
ALWAYS PICKING THEIR TEETH
SMOKES AND HAS RASPY VOICE
BREATHS HEAVILY // SNORES
EXTREMELY MUSCULAR
WALKS VERY SLOWLY OR QUICKLY
LEFT-HANDED // AMBIDEXTROUS
CONSTANTLY SCRATCHING THEMSELVES
NOTICEABLE PHYSICAL TICS
ALWAYS WEARS DISTINCT ITEM OF CLOTHING // ACCESSORY
SYMBOLIC QUIRKS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PLOT POINTS
Never talks about the past
THIS BE A CHARACTER HAVING A ROUGH PAST THE ULTIMATELY COMES BACK TO HAUNT THEM, AN ENEMY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE VANQUISHED, OR AN UNPLEASANT TRUTH ABOUT THE CHARACTER RESURFACING AFTER A LONG TIME.
Picks on skin // clothing when tense
THIS COULD HINT TO A CHARACTER GROWING UP IN, AT LEAST, A VERBALLY ABUSIVE HOME. THIS COULD ALSO REFERENCE SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN MADE TO DO THINGS THEY DON'T WANT TO IN THE PAST. OR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS PROBLEMS CONTROLLING THEIR EMOTIONS. THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN HAVE ANY OF THESE COME UP TO AFFECT OTHER CHARACTER VISIONS OF THIS ONE.
Hypersensitive sense of hearing
THIS CHARACTER COULD HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF TRAINING GIVING THEM THESE SKILLS, EXPERIMENTATION DONE ON THEM AND THEY ARE RUNNING FROM OTHERS WHO WANT TO CAPTURE THEM. THIS COULD BE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT SAVES THE DAY - OR HINDERS IT - LATER ON.
Constantly paranoid
THIS CHARACTER MAY HAVE MANY REASONS FOR BEING PARANOID. ACTUALLY BEING HUNTED COMES TO MIND, BUT ALSO ABUSE OF VARIOUS KINDS-PERHAPS FROM CHILDHOOD-, MILITARY BACKGROUND WOULD ALSO LEAD TO A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PARANOIA OR LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUNDS.
Has a weakness for small animals
THE CHARACTER THEMSELVES WAS SAVED BY SOMEONE IMPORTANT A LONG TIME AGO, THEY LIKE ANIMALS MORE THAN THEY LIKE PEOPLE, VILLAINS WHO ARE EVIL BUT STILL HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR ANIMALS AS WELL.
Compulsively cleans spectacles
THIS MAY COME FROM REPEATED TASKS, FOLLOWING THE SAME MOTIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT COULD BE A NERVOUS TICK, OR SOMETHING THEY DO TO COMFORT THEMSELVES. IT COULD BE SOMETHING THEY LEARNED FROM A FAMILY MEMBER AND DO A SORT OF MEMORIAL TO THEM.
Does not drink Alcohol
CHARACTER IS LATER THROWN INTO AN ENVIRONMENT OF DRUNKARDS, FORCED TO TRY AND MAKE THEIR WAY AND HELP OTHERS THOUGH THEY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE. THEY COULD HAVE GROWN UP IN A FAMILY OF DRUNKS AND SWORE IT OFF OVERALL. THIS IS ALSO LEADS FOR THE POTENTIAL OF THEM COLLAPSES INTO DESPAIR AND DRINKING AS A RESULT AS A LATER PLOT POINT AS WELL
PARTING WORDS
But it is also important to remember that the other characters around your main character help reflect their strengths, weaknesses and flaws. It is important to have a foil as well. A foil character ( think Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter or The Master in the Doctor Who ) is a character outside of the main influence of the antagonist that helps define a character and allow them to grow. If not for all of his exchanges with Malfoy, Harry might not have made the choices he did, had such a concrete idea of his moral system. Remember to not overexaggerate the number of quirks, flaws or traits that you show in your characters, it should highlight your character and provide a balance.
There should
ALWAYS
be a reason to give your character a
TRAIT, PHOBIA, FLAW, OR QUIRK.
I HOPE THIS INFORMATION HELPED YOU LOVELIES. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND TONS OF LOVE
-BRITTANY