We all know the struggle of making a new character. It's like the start screen of a new game of the Sims. They're blank and naked, and you have to change them. Dress them, add layers, make them whole.
People are complicated, and although we all know that things in real life, such as speech patterns do not translate well into writing, people will always be complicated.
Lately I've been altering the personalities of some of my characters, giving them better rounded behaviors and motives (which is talked about in the previous post), as well as more details.
I will use one of my main protagonists as an example:
His name is Nye. Usual fantasy character. Elven (well, my specialized race of elf like people) prince, leader of a rebel army against the dark forces, in love with a girl who doesn't feel quite the same. All of these things are well and good, until you actually begin writing (or fill out one of those character development sheets).
Until you realize that, wow... he's kinda dull without any "human" qualities.
So I gave him allergies.
An an interest in music.
And an odd, lovely little laugh that he does only for his friends.
Throughout the day (or several) I wrote down different little human quirks, and qualities, and little details. Some of them fit his personality/character, some of them didn't.
And of course, you don't want to give the character TOO many quirks. That would be rather too much if they had more than what could fit their personality. Especially since some quirks and details are bigger and more noticeable (such as drumming their fingers on any surface they can) than others (such as the way their eyes crinkle at the corner when they smile).
I advise watching people (and yourself). They generally blend into someone's personality, but if you really watch, you can pick up little details that many people have.
Here's a list of some examples-
- Speech patterns- such as mispronouncing something, or saying only a single word in an accent or with an inflection every time: An American saying croissant with a thick and exaggerated french accent.
- Physical tics/habits - Sometimes people get nervous and have to move or do something to get their energy out: Tapping their fingers (in a certain pattern), chewing their hair, adjusting their clothes, rubbing the back of their neck, cracking knuckles.
- Physical details - Generally this comes in when you're creating your characters overall look. But not always. Perhaps your character hasn't smiled honestly at anyone up until a certain point in your story, and then they do and there are details: crooked smiles, crinkles around the eyes when smiling, little nose twitches when they think too hard, purses their lips/sticks their tongue out between their teeth when concentrating, "reads" the air when inventing or thinking hard, sighs a lot to clear the lungs of unwanted breath, their glasses fog up when they blush.
- Misc details and quirks, which don't really fit into certain categories (or I can't think of any because it's 2:30am and I'm tired): Not so good with babies, allergies, have to have their blankets/pillows a certain way, glasses, places their pens and pencils in a certain order, always have to have something to write with/on with them, likes going into office supply stores for no reason, likes cute things, likes dark things, will only drink a certain brand/color of soda.
But also on a side note, remember that your character, even if they fit into a certain genre, doesn't have to conform to that genre. Say you have a brooding, muscly, goon. What if his favorite flavor of ice cream is strawberry and he likes it in a cone with rainbow sprinkles?
What if your cute little teenaged girl character likes Norwegian death metal and listens to it on her pretty pink iPod?
