Saturday, April 19, 2014

Quirks - Crafting Characters #AtoZChallenge


Wilkins Micawber from Dickens' David Copperfield."Something will turn up."

   Quirks make people, whether real or fictional, memorable.  (It might not always be in a good way;  I was traumatized in Junior High when I read about Humbert Humbert using his tongue to get an eyelash out of Lolita's eye.  It still gives me the creeps.)

   Dr. Ruth made waves in the 80s by frankly and openly discussing answering questions about sex, but I remember her most for her sense of humor - and the fact that she was a trained Israeli sniper and incredibly accurate at throwing hand grenades.

   If I had to choose a book in which just about every character is quirky, Joseph Heller's Catch-22 would be in the top 5. My favorite is Dunbar, who is busy extending his lifespan by using boredom to slow time.  I think of him often, as the minutes crawl by during meetings and certain social events.  

   Whether it's a physical trait, a catchphrase, a particular like/dislike or an unusual outlook on life (comic or otherwise), find a way to make your character memorable.

Can you identify these characters?

  1. Says "fiddle dee dee" a lot and made a gown from curtains.
  2. “I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. It's terrible.”  
  3. Nemesis is a tiger named Shere Khan.  Best friend is a bear.
  4. “I’m about as shapeless as the man in the moon!” His physical abnormality is part of the book title.
  5. Fierce female, world class hacker, has a tattoo which features in the book title.
  6. "That's my spot!" (This one's a TV character.)
  7. Corresponds with a personal assistant of "our father below" AKA Satan.

8 comments:

  1. I got five our to seven without having to look them up!

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    1. Very good :-) Answers will be in "R" post Monday.

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  2. Can't miss Sheldon!
    Quirks can be little things. Too much, and we can't relate to the character.

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  3. Quirks are good! I love to give my characters quirks. Not only does it make them real, but also fun. :)

    I know #1 is Scarlett O'Hara! And #5 is Lisbeth Salander! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very good :-) Answers will be in "R" post Monday.

      Delete
  4. I know1 3 and 5 but not sure about the others. I may have to have my characters have quirks now or see if I added any. Hmm . . .

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  5. Quirks are important :) They give a lot of character to characters. But they can also get annoying if a writer uses them too often. Just like real people :)

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary - Tales of colors
    MopDog - The crazy thing about Hungarians...

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