Every character has different quirks that make them unique, just like real people. Someone may roll their eyes a lot, for instance, when they're annoyed (especially a teenager!). A character may have something they like to do that may pop up every now and then throughout the story. No matter who your characters are, they should have unique traits that make them feel like real people.
The way each character speaks and acts should be unique to who they are. You wouldn't want every character to be exactly the same, would you? That would probably be boring, and maybe even a little confusing. When you have two characters speaking to each other, you'll want each voice to stand out on its own.
So how do you make each character unique? Think about all the things about you that make you different from other people. Are you shy and awkward or confident and outgoing? A shy person may not speak much at all, will probably blush more easily than others, and maybe will use more "uhs" and "ums" when they speak. A more bold person may say things more directly and be willing to take more risks and try new things. Even the language a character uses makes them unique. I have one character who swears all the time (guess who!) and one who almost never does, so that when he actually does swear, it stands out and is kind of amusing.
Think about what your characters like to do. A hobby may be a fun little quirk that can fit into your story. I have one character who likes to cook, another one plays the guitar. One character just likes to go for walks, although I'm still trying to figure out what exactly that says about him. If you want to feature hobbies for characters, it really should fit into the story. If it's just there for the sake of it, it may seem strange. For instance, the cooking hobby actually plays a huge role throughout the story. But if my character did something that didn't forward the story at all, I may not want to mention it.
The ultimate goal is to make each character feel like a real, unique human being. But also to be believable and interesting, while still making sense for the story you're writing.
How do you give each character unique traits? Do your characters have any fun hobbies?
Everything your character does can be an opportunity for character building, even the narration itself. The book I'm working on now has several point of view characters, and one thing I've done is make each one focus on a specific sense(or, in the case of a recently-blinded character, every sense but one). This is particularly effective since the book is first person, but can be done in third person too and is a fun way to help make characters unique.
ReplyDeleteA person's job or their family situation can also have a big effect on their personality--how they react to stress. So many things to think about.
ReplyDeleteI have one character who never uses contractions when he speaks. And one who speaks in pop culture references. One who hates needlepoint, and one who hates boats. I recently created a character who wants to be an artist, and she's quasi-friends with a girl who fancies herself an actress. And most of my characters like to swear—I don't know why...
ReplyDeleteIt's important to choose those quirks well and not over use them. I sometimes grow tired of reading stories that use quirks a lot, but fail to develop their characters in other ways.
ReplyDeleteHabits are definitely part of a person, real or fictional.
ReplyDelete@mirymom1 from
Balancing Act
In my first book, I had a character who was always playing video games. It was his hobby.
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes it can get very confusing for the reader if the characters are improperly defined.
ReplyDeleteWell... this 50+ year old grandmother discovered (quite by accident) that her protagonist was obsessed with Minecraft. I had to do some quick research to discover what this phenomenon is all about :)
ReplyDeleteHabits, hobbies, mannerisms, all of these things go into making a believable character.
ReplyDeleteI like quirky characters. Some writers are really good at creating them. I try but ...
ReplyDeleteSusan Says
I have a character who constantly talks out loud to his pet bird. :)
ReplyDeleteAJ Lauer
A-Z Co-host
@ayjaylauer
Walking as a hobby has many possibilities. It is/was the habit of choice for many great creative minds, such as Beethoven and Thoreau. Great for brainstorming, apparently. Your character might be a nature lover. Or trying to escape some drama in the household. If they are a young person, it might signify feelings of isolation as I don't know many young people who enjoy walking as a hobby. What's the time period? In the early 1900s extreme walking was a big fad.
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ReplyDeleteVery good insight! I like giving my characters realistic hobbies or traits. One of my characters rolls his eyes all the time. lol
ReplyDeleteI have a character that reads a lot of military books. But those books are not present in his stay at a mental ward. So, he happens to find a book just lying around. It's a play, but he ends up reading it in a day.
ReplyDeleteG. R. McNeese from
Project Blacklight