Quirks and Flaws

[VWeathers]

To make a character realistic, they can't be perfect. What are some of the quirks or flaws you've given your characters?

[Tarin]

Hmm, fun! :D

Here's a few of my characters and their particular flaws:

Shane Lassiter from A Man Called Outlaw: He has great mercy to those weaker than himself, but his temper is quick and dangerous. While in a temper, he has said and done many things that he regretted later on.

Anna Cassidy from A Man Called Outlaw: She can be over-opiniated and blunt to the point of rudeness at times.

Marcus Annan from Behold the Dawn: His temper, backed by all his formidable strength and power, is a weapon to be feared. He kills without thought - although, increasingly, he is also quick to defend others. He is a conundrum. He kills and yet, for some things, he is willing to be killed. He hates, and yet he hates his hatred. He is a man of passion, yet also of discipline.

Gethin the Baptist from Behold the Dawn: He can be very narrow-minded. He expects no less of himself than he expects of others - but he expects a lot. He can be very harsh in judgment, in his criticism.

Peregrine Merek from Behold the Dawn: He can be very selfish, in an unthinking sort of way. He doesn't think through his actions enough to realize their effects on others. He would be remorseful if he did realize.

Murrade from Behold the Dawn: She has struggled with prejudices all her life, tending to make hasty judgments of others before weighing their character for the good or bad.

Chris Redston from my work-in-progress Dreamers Come: His weakest trait would be his bitterness. He holds grudges big time. He doesn’t often wreak revenge unless an opportunity slaps him in the face, but he’ll nurse grudges ‘til Kingdom come. He doesn’t forget and he doesn’t forgive.

Allara Katadin from Dreamers Come: Her weakest trait would be her inclination to obsess over her mistakes - and to grow bitter about them. She’s very self-conscious of her failures.

Elarn Fett from Dreamers Come: His greatest weakness would be his blind impulses. He dives into things without considering the ramifications. And he’s too proud to back down or ask for help after he’s started something, no matter how ill-fated.

Of course, I'm always careful to balance their bad traits with good traits. It's important for the character to both identify with the character's flaws and like him for his good points.

I'm not sure what you mean by "quirks"? Are you talking about idiosyncrasies?

[TanyaSue]

Gethin the Baptist from Behold the Dawn: He can be very narrow-minded. He expects no less of himself than he expects of others - but he expects a lot. He can be very harsh in judgment, in his criticism.


Oh, Tarin, does he have to be a Baptist? We're already stereotyped with these character flaws! :rolleyes: That's why I never tell anyone I'm a Baptist. Labels are tough to overcome.

[Tarin]

Oh, Tarin, does he have to be a Baptist? We're already stereotyped with these character flaws! :rolleyes: That's why I never tell anyone I'm a Baptist. Labels are tough to overcome.

Hee-hee... No offense intended!;) Since the book takes place at the end of the 12th century, I think you're safe.:p The character is a mendicant monk who preaches against the corruption of the church, to the point that he is considered fanatical by most. His followers call him "the Baptist" in reference to John the Baptist.

[VWeathers]

I'm not sure what you mean by "quirks"? Are you talking about idiosyncrasies?
Yes. Like are they supersticious about something. Do they always smell their food before they eat it? Do they always have to have a toothpick in their pocket?

[tlm]

In the story I am writing now, the main character had a bad relationship with her former husband and her father, now dead. Therefore, she has trust issues with men, once bitten--twice shy. That is a major issue in this story.

[righter1]

My MC, Amanda, was 6 weeks from being married when her fiancé was killed. Since that point, she's had a rough time letting him go--she moved away from where they'd lived, and refuses to go back, a mere 3 hour drive and where her father still lives. In addition to that, she has a problem that her divorced father is dating (which I think most grown children of divorced parents have problems with--I know I do!) She also has a bad habit of sticking her foot in her mouth, and not always being polite or PC--not too big an issue in some circles, but she's not PC most of the time when she really should be watching herself. She also doesn't care if others have problems seeing her give herself insulin injections, being a type-1 diabetic. And, she can be too trusting of people.

Her best friend, Rick, has a problem with control issues, and since she tends to as well, they butt heads. He's trying to overcome some tendencies to hide what he's feeling. And, he can be a worrier. He worries about Amanda a lot. :)

In another book I've got on hold, my MC is Emily and she falls in love too easily--not necessarily a good thing for a detective!!

[wgjones3]

My main characters tend to be homicidal or suicidal, promiscuous or super legalistic, cowardly or stupidly brave, conniving or stupidly selfless, slutty or puritanical, book smart but socially dumb, maniacal and a little delusional. But none of them--dare I say it? NONE OF THEM drive a Ford. So I guess they're not too flawed after all. :D

[whitehawke]

My main characters tend to be homicidal or suicidal, promiscuous or super legalistic, cowardly or stupidly brave, conniving or stupidly selfless, slutty or puritanical, book smart but socially dumb, maniacal and a little delusional. But none of them--dare I say it? NONE OF THEM drive a Ford. So I guess they're not too flawed after all. :D

lol WG. Gotta have the Holdens, eh?!thumbsup!

[pajarita_deDios]

In Mary of Sorrows, Maria has come to learn in her life that it's a mans world, the men that have been in her life have been in control over her and others. That's why, if anyone has noticed, she has more of a masculine persona. She's rough and distant, keeps her cool, but is likely to give in to anger, tatooed and carries a weapon. (Not that men are like this, but from the POV of a women who has been under the control of many men in her life, they are.) That's her main trait.

[VWeathers]

What about a protagonist who is a single mom believes she is a otherwise moral woman, but she has fallen in love with an unhappily married man?

[paulchernoch]

My hero Kemp swats at insects that aren't there. He likes anagrams. He fears betrayal.

Wynona the reporter is obsessed with UFOs. She wants people to take her seriously. When they don't - she gets mad. A war can be going on around her, and she sticks to her plans, undeterred.

Daniel the lawyer likes too much drink and burritos.

I need to go to the quirk store and buy some more.

- Paul

[Tarin]

I need to go to the quirk store and buy some more.

Naw! I think you're doing just fine on your own!!thumbsup!

Here's the idiosyncrasies I used for my list of characters. Not all of them actually showed up in the stories, but they were fun to have in the back of my mind.

Shane Lassiter: When he's thinking deeply, he will rub the long scar on his right index finger. He doesn't like others to saddle his horse for him. When he is angry he talks very precisely (like a lawyer).

Anna Cassidy: She is an excellent cook, but she cannot make coffee without burning it. She will sometimes tug on her right earlobe when thinking or when embarrassed.

Marcus Annan: Except when in the clutches of a hot rage, Annan always allowed an opponent first shot (or, at least, an opponent he is personally facing; obviously he wouldn't do that in battle).

Gethin the Baptist: He is so very strict in his spiritual observances, so separated from others as to be eccentric. But he is a man of God, so people still accept him. Aside from all that, he has a tendency to talk to passing birds as if he were acquainted with them personally.

Peregrine Merek: Merek thinks he needs to eat every hour, much to Annan's annoyance, so he packs along little munchables - fruit, dried meat, dried bread, sweetmeats. He's always asking the wrong questions.

Murrade: Idiosyncrasies include chewing her lower lip to the point of making it bleed when nervous, enjoying the feel of rain on her upturned face, singing even English songs in Gaelic or Latin (she loves the sound of Latin).

Chris Redston: He knocks his fist on something (desktop or whatever’s handy) when he’s trying to think. He likes flat soda just as well as fizzy soda. He only swears when he loses his temper. He can’t whistle. He never uses pencils because he can’t stop himself from chewing the erasers off.

Allara Katadin: When she’s embarrassed, she’ll hide behind her hair (though about the only time she’s vulnerable enough to be embarrassed is when she’s happy). When she’s concentrating, she’ll rub the forefinger of her right hand, which she broke in a sparring match when she was fifteen. She doesn’t own a hairbrush; she uses only combs.

Elarn Fett: When he’s bored on horseback he’ll braid his horse's mane in tiny plaits. He hates the sound of the wind in the treetops. He likes gray days best of all.

[VWeathers]

What about a protagonist who is a single mom believes she is a otherwise moral woman, but she has fallen in love with an unhappily married man?

So the adultery leaning protagonist flaw would be the adultery leaning...her idiosyncrasy could be something like an obsession with being tan and comparing tans with others and judging beauty with tanning?:)

[Ransom v. Unman]

I saw this thread yesterday and wanted to post so bad! But, time has been an issue.

Tarin, I like your style. ;)

Bobby Denezheg from the WIP tentatively titled Fairy Stories Gone Terribly Wrong: While difficult to find traits about this guy that aren't flaws, most of these sub-flaws can all be attributed to Bobby's tremendous ego. When he's making passes at his psychologist, he thinks she's falling in love with him even though she's actually frightened to death. His felt need to be better than everyone else causes him to overeat and drink himself to the point of vomitting and passing out. I could go on...

Séaneen Gowenglave from the WIP tentatively titled Fairy Stories Gone Terribly Wrong: His greatest flaw is perfectionism coupled with self-doubt. When he isn't certain as to what the right action should be in an instance, he is immediately torn apart and filled with fear and confusion. It gets even worse when he does something that he ultimately concludes was wrong.

Arsan Vengafrom the WIP tentatively titled Fairy Stories Gone Terribly Wrong: His greatest flaw would be his unspoken misanthropy. He can't stand city-living, can stand even less other people's stupidity, and has a difficult time mourning for or empathising with those whom he perceives as less capable.

Sid Blockhead from Ten Seconds: His greatest weakness is his ambition. He has a genuine, altruistic side that constantly finds itself at war with his desire for power. The biggest danger in this is that very, very few people know about his ambition. Even fewer know how it affects his decisions as a leader.

Grimace Winchester from Ten Seconds: His horribly low self-esteem makes him dependent on both the approval of others, and the presence of his close friends. When he starts losing these, he starts losing his mind.

Josef Schiedler from Paradise: Josef is a pessimist of the highest degree. The cup could be 7/8 full, he'll still complain about that 1/8 that's missing. And if something actually is half-empty or worse, he won't stop going off about it.

Deffyd Carpenter from Selánt: He is a rigid character. He accepts change only reluctantly and with great difficulty. His first tendencies are to also come out swinging when things aren't going his way - something that causes trouble for him and his loved ones.

There, that's a good start... I'll get you guys some quirks later. ;)

[Keith Wallis]

Ransom: Arsan Venga - ooh phonetically that's a soccer orientated name over here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsene_Wenger

[Ransom v. Unman]

(Ahh, you picked up on that Keith, ;))

[paulchernoch]

Naw! I think you're doing just fine on your own!!thumbsup!


Are you talking about my characters - or me? :D

This thread is helpful. I lost sight of some of my character's quirks, and thinking back on Osmaniac's love of drawing, I figured out a great way to foreshadow something. While he was insane, he used to torment one of my MCs with menacing pictures of events that actually came true later. Now he torments his wife (the one who is always looking for UFOs.) I think one of his drawings is about to end up in someone's pockets at a crucial time...

Between me, my wife and my kids, I suppose I could come up with enough oddities to supply all the characters in a shelf full of novels.

- Paul

[VWeathers]

You know all of this talk of characters, flaws and quirks has mad my TV / Movie viewing enhanced. I find my self making mental notes. I was watching a movie last night and pointing all the little things I picked up on...much to her dismay I might add.

It is all just fun to me. I've always had a very vivid imagination and daydreamed scenarios in my head but I never wrote...until recently.

I guess I should offer an apology to all of you for bombarding you with so many threads of questions. Hope I haven't stepped out of bounds with any of you. I just find all of this so interesting.

[paulchernoch]

I guess I should offer an apology to all of you for bombarding you with so many threads of questions. Hope I haven't stepped out of bounds with any of you. I just find all of this so interesting.

No need! You ask great questions, which is the hallmark of a great writer (or maybe a police interrogator).

- Paul

[Tarin]

I guess I should offer an apology to all of you for bombarding you with so many threads of questions. Hope I haven't stepped out of bounds with any of you. I just find all of this so interesting.

Not at all! It's always fun to talk about the little details of the craft!:cool:

[VWeathers]

You are too kind. It makes me think of a brand new Christian all fired up picking the brains of the more mature Christians.

[Lookin^Up]

Even though my spacegoing crew of families hails from the Millennial Kingdom, I still made them quite human, with all the flaws and foibles that implies. Their focus is on serving the Lord through their space travels, but as with us, their human nature sometimes gets in the way.

Rachel Riegel is a loving girl, and more than a little generous in every sense of the word. But at the outset she's also an incurable romantic who is easily swayed by a handsome face and mealymouth talk.

Fondlo Urzer is a skilled negotiator, and a strong force for God's goodness to everyone he meets, whether they believe or not. But he also tends to be ideallistic in his outlook, and when some of his family is in trouble, he tends to plunge into deep depression and blaming himself.

April Riegel is intelligent, caring, and a great friend to have, but cross her and you could have a vicious enemy on your hands. Even if it's someone in authority, if she feels he's not doing a good job, she's not above scolding them without fear.

It's fun coming up with quirky sides of human personalities. It makes them more real, more human, and best of all, more identifiable to the reader.

[Tarin]

I read an article in The Writer last night about "unlikable characters." It got me to thinking about just how important quirks and flaws really are. Making a character likable isn't nearly as important as making him interesting. Think about some of your favorite characters: How many of them are actually likable? But the best ones are always fascinating.

[VWeathers]

Watch any television program and / or movie and quirks, idiosyncrasies, flaws are apparent in all the interesting ones. Since we have been discussing this I have noticed it a lot.

You have to keep a pen and paper with you where ever you go. You never know what interesting flaw or quirk will reveal itself. I LOVE IT.

My mother has a hand washing / hand sanitizer / baby wipes fetish. She keeps them in her car, purse, everywhere...well technically I guess that might be a germ phobia. We sit down to eat and out pops one of her stash of individually packaged wipes.

My brother will not eat any meat that is not on the verge of becoming jerky because it is so dry. If he even thinks there will be any morsel of fat in his mouth he will not eat the meat period.

I have something called "night terrors." Not every night but often enough I "wake" to seeing a man (usually) standing at the foot of my bed. Then I scream. The screaming is actually what wakes me and I realize I was dreaming. It is repetative. The details are almost always the same as far as appearance.

One night, after my husband and I first married, he just raised up to look at the clock on my night stand and (in my sleep) I balled up my fist and punched him right in the eye.:eek: :o :D

I could probably ad a little interest to a character with that little quirk.:p ;) It's made our marriage interesting. :D :o :D

[VWeathers]

It's tempting to want to have some fun with quirks, but you don't want your heroic characters to appear too weird.

[DearPrudence]

It's tempting to want to have some fun with quirks, but you don't want your heroic characters to appear too weird.

Unless, there the anti-hero, or that misunderstood underdog. My characters are usually that, unconventional, with a habit for the ridiculous.

Theres no yardstick to measure how much "weird" or "normal" a hero should have. A lot of times I find myself rooting for the villan, simply because the hero is so boring.

[wgjones3]

lol WG. Gotta have the Holdens, eh?!thumbsup!

Holden, Pontiac, and Chevrolet... all the way... !thumbsup!

[whitehawke]

Holden, Pontiac, and Chevrolet... all the way... !thumbsup!
William, you speak my kind of cars. :cool: :D !thumbsup!

[tlm]

Every time I see this thread I think of the show on the USA channel, Monk. I love his quirkiness, though as writers have changed (or for some other reason) his quirks and even the history behind this character have changed.

[silumenye]

One of my characters is horribly seasick whenever she steps on a boat. Perhaps that might not be so bad, but she lives in a culture where to be seasick is a disgrace - her people are seafarers. They practically live on their boats . . . well, not quite. But it is a problem for her, because she has to hide her illness.

[melw]

I was thinking about one of my characters. Jessica is a Christian in name, but not in practice. She realises this is a problem when the man that she loves is a very dedicated Christian.

that man isn't perfect. In an earlier relationship before he became Christian, he had slept with his fiancee whom was pregnant to another man.

So i guess this is also could be put in another thread.

My thought is all characters must have some faults or quirks or flaws. No one is perfect we all have things we struggle with and i think readers like to see some of themselves inside the characters.

In this same novel one girl is raped and became pregnant. but i don't go into any of the scenes it is just mentioned.

MEL

[VWeathers]

Sometimes there is no real reason to be explicit.

[Meganiterocks]

What's all this talk about Holden, Pontiac, and Chevy? My main character is a mechanic and is EXCLUSIVLY a Mopar girl. Oh, and if it's not Snap-On it's not in her tool box.