(Writerly) Character Quirks?

[slyc_willie]

Kojak and his lollipops. Dan Tanna parking his car in the living room. Sofia's dramatic tales of life in Sicily.

I remember reading the book Relic. Terrible movie, but I liked the book. One of the things that has always stayed with me has been the FBI agent in the story, Pendleton. He was a very superstitious man. There was one little passage where he stops the main character from picking up a penny on the ground because it landed heads-down.

I liked that about him. The character was more than just a token law enforcement agent. He was different. Memorable.

I've used some quirky devices in stories before, and I wonder how well they work for the reader. Do they come across as just a blatant attempt to make the character unusual? Or do they add to the quality of the tale overall?

At the same time, I've always wondered about character affectations, and how they or may not affect a reader. For instance, quite a few of my characters smoke. I wonder if the mention of a character lighting up makes some readers think, "Oh, gross" and back-click out.

Thoughts?

 

[starrkers]

I love quirks, as long as they're not overdone. They show the humanity of a character.

(Mind you my idea of overdone may be a little extreme - one of my favourite tv shows of all time is Twin Peaks )

 

[3113]

Slyc. Stop looking at me like that. No. I will not "come hither!" I'm a married woman. Stop it, I said! Wicked man.

What were we talking about?

 

[slyc_willie]

I love quirks, as long as they're not overdone. They show the humanity of a character.

(Mind you my idea of overdone may be a little extreme - one of my favourite tv shows of all time is Twin Peaks )

Mine, too.

But everything was overdone in that series. The only really annoying character was when Lynch himself showed up as MacLachlan's boss.

I just realized . . . that was Heather Graham as Annie, wasn't it?

 

[slyc_willie]

Slyc. Stop looking at me like that. No. I will not "come hither!" I'm a married woman. Stop it, I said! Wicked man.

What were we talking about?

You can't resist forever . . . .

 

[al_Ussa]

Quirks make a character more unique and interesting, as said before. Even if its something that I myself might not do, it can be easier to relate to such a character specifically because they have some... well humanizing traits. They are more than just another cardboard cut out archetype.

Hence the popularity of shows like House and Monk, or Goren on L&O: Criminal Intent, or L on Death Note. In fact, those are extreme examples that still manage to keep it believable and interesting. In fact, probably more so BECAUSE they are so over the top.

I like to throw in small details about characters when I write specifically for that reason.

 

[slyc_willie]

Quirks make a character more unique and interesting, as said before. Even if its something that I myself might not do, it can be easier to relate to such a character specifically because they have some... well humanizing traits. They are more than just another cardboard cut out archetype.

Hence the popularity of shows like House and Monk, or Goren on L&O: Criminal Intent, or L on Death Note. In fact, those are extreme examples that still manage to keep it believable and interesting. In fact, probably more so BECAUSE they are so over the top.

I like to throw in small details about characters when I write specifically for that reason.

See, I don't watch a whole lot of TV anymore, so I don't know what's popular, what kind of characters people like or relate to.

I think most writers tend to give some of their characters interesting traits, but it's the quirks I'm worried about. You know, the strange things a character habitually does.

 

[S-Des]

I thought the Relic was OK. I have to admit, it seemed like the kind of story that would have a much better book.

My two favorite quirky characters are Columbo & Monk. Interesting that as detectives, the quirks seemed to add not only to their character, but in his ability to solve cases. I can't really think of anyone in TV lore that was as eccentric as the two of them. Monk has gotten a little off track, while Columbo holds up to this day (I almost always stop and watch when I stumble across an old episode). It's mostly about the writing (although the acting was exceptional in both). Quirky characters can become annoying characters, really fast (Jar Jar Binks, anyone?).

 

[Katyusha]

IMO if the affects are done right, they make the characters more believable. It's hard to do though; you can make them seem totally incompetent or put them into a situation that they would never, ever get into in real life because of whatever quirk they have...things of that nature.

For instance, I have one character that drinks coffee nonstop all day long, which I've been told makes him seem normal, believable. Another character is always playing with the rings on her fingers. I've even got one that chews on the ends of her hair.

They can be overdone, and quirks can make a character seem like a bumbling idiot as much as personality traits or other problems they have (for instance, someone in a leadership position that loses his temper too easily, AND has problems teaching, AND has problems learning new things; unless he's supposed to be an idiot, I don't want to make all that a part of him). And if the quirks turn some readers off, they turn some readers off. You're not going to please everyone.

It is good, though, to weigh whether or not one of these quirks is going to turn the reader off. If you want your readers to like the character then you do have to make a judgment call; for instance, if you've heard too much about smokers in your stories making people go read something else, then don't make your likable characters smokers, but don't remove smoking from all your stories. Likewise, if you want your readers to dislike a character, then giving them quirks that makes them endearing is not a good idea, unless it's not supposed to be revealed right away that they're a cretin.

And now that I've written a novel here, I'm going to leave it at that.

 

[slyc_willie]

Good points, Des, Kat.

Something you said, especially, Kat, reminded me of something else. In quite a few stories I have both read and written, the main character comes off as something of a non-persona. They react to everything around them, and are essentially heroic, but when it coems to their personality, they often seem pretty normal. Even boring. No one reads the story because of that particular character. I suppose there's an 'everyman' quality to that, in that the reader can insinuate themselves more easily into the character.

As a for instance: Lord Of The Rings. Everybody in the story has their own noticeable quirks that makes them just a little unusual, or at least unusual to the reader. But Frodo is definitely a very 'normal' kid, in my opinion. Sure, he has this titanic quest thrust upon him, and he eventually succeeds (of course), but take him out of the context of the story and he's like your average eight-grade layabout.

So I suppose there are two extremes: the 'boring' MC, who can be molded in the reader's mind, and the really eccentric, unusal MC who possesses an intractable personality.

 

[glynndah]

I once read a book where an older Lizzie Borden (yep, the one with the ax) was a minor character. The author portrayed her as entertaining the young heroine in the story with card tricks. I don't remember much about the rest of the book but Lizzie and her acumen with cards certainly stayed in my mind. And I'm still not sure if she really did know card tricks or if the author made it up from whole cloth.

 

[TE999]

I always attempt(and some times succeed) to portray my characters as unique individuals with quirks and foibles.

I eschew gender and racial sterotypes, although I have been twitted that I write some female characters with male characteristics.

A not altogether bad thing in the name of equality.

 

[slyc_willie]

I always attempt(and some times succeed) to portray my characters as unique individuals with quirks and foibles.

I eschew gender and racial sterotypes, although I have been twitted that I write some female characters with male characteristics.

A not altogether bad thing in the name of equality.

I received a PC on Pretty Baby that said I sometimes "portrayed women as men want to see them."

One of my first reactions was, "duh." But then, I thought about it . . . I've known quite a few women who are more like men in their thinking than I am.

 

[glynndah]

A link to NPR's program, In Character.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17914370

 

[Weird Harold]

Something you said, especially, Kat, reminded me of something else. In quite a few stories I have both read and written, the main character comes off as something of a non-persona. They react to everything around them, and are essentially heroic, but when it coems to their personality, they often seem pretty normal. Even boring. ...

Depending on the POV, that could be a sign of good writing or bad writing. Real people don't often think about their own quirks and foibles; in their own mind each and every person is "normal" and often "boring."

The kind of character quirks and foible you're taliking about are difficult to manage in a short story where every word has to be purposeful. I've found that dialogue is a good way to drop little tidbits about the characters quirks and foibles. A character's choice of words and idoms can say a lot about him without wasting narrative on character development.

 

[slyc_willie]

Depending on the POV, that could be a sign of good writing or bad writing. Real people don't often think about their own quirks and foibles; in their own mind each and every person is "normal" and often "boring."

The kind of character quirks and foible you're taliking about are difficult to manage in a short story where every word has to be purposeful. I've found that dialogue is a good way to drop little tidbits about the characters quirks and foibles. A character's choice of words and idoms can say a lot about him without wasting narrative on character development.

Very true. But I suppose I am leaning toward the characters in longer works, of novella or novel-length. In a short story, it's more about the situation than the characters, although characters can shine fairly well.

 

[TE999]

I received a PC on Pretty Baby that said I sometimes "portrayed women as men want to see them."

One of my first reactions was, "duh." But then, I thought about it . . . I've known quite a few women who are more like men in their thinking than I am.

From go I have not written 'sex stories', rather stories with sex as a part of the story. I have portrayed women as savvy, strong and independent--also sexy, passionate and loving.

As one reader put it--referring to the women in 'Coming Clean' Ch.6 -- they're a cross between Rambo, the Terminator and Pamela Anderson.

 

[slyc_willie]

From go I have not written 'sex stories', rather stories with sex as a part of the story. I have portrayed women as savvy, strong and independent--also sexy, passionate and loving.

As one reader put it--referring to the women in 'Coming Clean' Ch.6 -- they're a cross between Rambo, the Terminator and Pamela Anderson.

Just so long as they look like Pam

Or the Kristiana Locken Terminator

 

[Weird Harold]

Very true. But I suppose I am leaning toward the characters in longer works, of novella or novel-length. In a short story, it's more about the situation than the characters, although characters can shine fairly well.

The best characters I've encountered in longer works -- trilogies and series, even -- are built up from little throwaway lines of dialogue; moreso than from "physical" quirks.

There are a lot of characters memorable for phycial quirks -- Humphrey Bogart's characters often had something in their hands; a silver dollar to flip repeatedly, a pair of steel balls to click together, etc. However, it's the catch phrases and verbal quirks from things like popular TV characters that get remembered and imitated, rather than the physical traits.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I think stereotypes are accurate; experience with people confirms it. There are exceptions, but so what? The herd conforms to and reinforces the stereotype.

Readers like quirky characters, even diabolical characters, but they wont suffer the ass-heads and ass-clowns they have to deal with in real life, viz., bureaucrats, clerks, and the terminally anal-retentive. And they dont like cowards.

 

[al_Ussa]

And they dont like cowards.

Rubbish! Flashman is one of the greatest literary characters of all time, and he's a coward through and through.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Flashman, you say? I think youve misspelled the name. Salty Sol Fleischman was the local sports guy on tv.

 

[gauchecritic]

...and Lovejoy, a complete coward by his own admission. and shaggy and scooby of course...

Asimov was good at quirks enough to completely identify a whole character just by one characteristic, even some of his robots. (Dors Venabili or Caliban)

I think character quirks are salt and pepper to the meal. (My condiments to the chef) but I can't really think of any (except in a nearly begun novel) where I've actually written any.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Rubbish! Flashman is one of the greatest literary characters of all time, and he's a coward through and through.

George Macdonald Frasier is my writing hero! (one of them, anyway)

I love quirks. A lot of my character quirks are verbal things; out of a couple, the musician says; "Hey, listen, listen," and the artist always says "Look, baby..." The musician is described as "jittering," bouncing on the balls of his feet, or from foot to foot.

 

[al_Ussa]

George Macdonald Frasier is my writing hero! (one of them, anyway)

I love quirks. A lot of my character quirks are verbal things; out of a couple, the musician says; "Hey, listen, listen," and the artist always says "Look, baby..." The musician is described as "jittering," bouncing on the balls of his feet, or from foot to foot.

ah, a man after my own heart. Growing up, my childhood heroes included the likes of T.E. Lawrence, Sir Richard Francis Burton, Kit Carson and Wilfred Thesiger, alongside the likes of Odysseus, Beowulf, Sultan Selim, Leonidas and Rostam.