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Nov 11, 2020 · Are you looking for a way to distinguish a character in a work of fiction from others? Giving the character a few interesting quirks can be a good way to do just that. Explore this long list of quirks for inspiration on how you can effectively characterize the protagonist, antagonist or other characters in a story.
- Mary Gormandy White
- Staff Writer
- admin@yourdictionary.com
- What Are Character Quirks?
- How to Use Character Quirks
- 150+ Useful Character Quirks
- Miscellaneous
- Clichéd “Quirks” to Avoid
A character quirk is an unusual feature that sets your character apart from others. Many of the most famous figures in literature have distinctive quirks, from Harry Potter’s lightning scar to Hercule Poirot’s mind-blowing detective abilities. To clarify, “quirk” doesn’t just mean any descriptive quality — for example, having brown hair does nothin...
You might think that deploying a character quirk is pretty simple — just think of one, add it to a description, and you’re done! But it’s actually a bit more nuanced than that. Here are a few ways to ensure that these quirks work effectively in your story.
Physical
These traits have to do with someone’s looks or physical habits. 1. Unique eye or hair color 2. Extremely short or tall 3. Some discerning physical mark — birthmark, freckles, mole, or scar 4. Wears unusual glasses 5. Has braces and headgear 6. Large feet — may mean they’re clumsy 7. Bites their nails/lips or chews on their hair 8. Constantly fidgeting and can’t sit still 9. Acne, eczema, or other skin problems 10. Many tattoos or piercings 11. Often sick or has allergies (constantly snifflin...
Personality
These qualities describe how someone acts and what they’re like. 1. Very introverted, quiet and reserved, keeps to themselves 2. Highly extroverted, loves socializing and meeting new people 3. Mega control freak who has to have everything their way 4. Neat freak (often coincides with control freak) 5. Total slob who never knows where anything is 6. Super stubborn and will never admit when they’re wrong 7. Brutally honest and can’t lie to save their life 8. Extremely judgmental of other people...
Strengths and weaknesses
This section contains suggestions for unique strengths and talents, as well as weaknesses or negative traits one might possess. Strengths/talents: 1. Fantastic cook or baker 2. Skilled musician (piano, guitar, violin, etc.) 3. Artistic talent (drawing, painting, sculpting, etc.) 4. Model athlete (football, hockey, swimming, etc.) 5. Great at voices/ventriloquy 6. Can do sleight-of-hand — may be a pickpocket 7. Speaks multiple languages, even obscure ones 8. Knows everything about history 9. M...
These are idiosyncrasies that don’t really fit into any of the above categories, but could still be of good use in your story. 1. Dresses all in one color 2. Bedroom is decorated exactly like a Pinterest picture 3. Won’t drink still water, only sparkling 4. Refuses to use headphones and blasts their music in public 5. Always dresses too nicely for ...
Giving your characters interesting tics can cross-over into ham-fisted writing if your quirks are used way too much, like the following: 1. Pale skin 2. Crooked smile 3. “Intense” stare 4. Relentless clumsiness 5. Artificial hair colors that are supposedly natural 6. Characters thinking they’re unattractive when everyone else thinks they’re beautif...
Apr 7, 2021 · 50 Surprising Weird Personality Traits. Twitches when nervous; Unhealthy obsession with a certain food; Snort when laughing; Obsessed with cleaning; Mumble things to himself continuously; Talk with animals when feeling alone; Wearing glasses without their need; disturbance of sleep; hesitate to eat in front of others; Fear of silly objects
- Being bluntly honest. Some people aren’t afraid to say what’s on their minds. They don’t sugarcoat things and this can sometimes come across as harsh. However, we can’t help but appreciate their honesty.
- Being a grammar nerd. We all know that one person who can’t help but correct our grammar and spelling mistakes. While it may be annoying at times, we have to admit that their love for language and attention to detail is admirable.
- Having a contagious laugh. Laughter is truly the best medicine, and those with contagious laughs have an innate ability to spread joy and happiness wherever they go.
- Being a bookworm. Some people just have a love for books that is unmatched. They can spend hours lost in a good story, and their enthusiasm for reading is contagious.
Character traits are markers of all sorts that help define your character's personality. You can have positive character traits, and you can have negative character traits, sure. But did you know there are neutral traits as well?
Feb 4, 2023 · What Are Personality Quirks? A character’s quirks make them stand out in some way from the crowd. Those quirks can be physical (e.g., spiky blue hair or brightly-colored scarves) or tied to their personality or their strengths and weaknesses. One character’s signature quirk could save their lives or the lives of their friends.
People also ask
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Quirks are character traits that make the people in your story memorable, relatable and different to one another. A quirky character is one who some may consider unusual, eccentric, or a bit weird.
