Every character, every one of us, has idiosyncrasies and quirks that make us truly unique. Make sure your narrative characters are just as real with these menus of ideas!
Idiosyncrasies, quirks, addictions, phobias, habits, and their like are those little (or big) things that make everyone unique, that make personality alive with variety and unpredictability. Everyone’s got ’em! So should your characters. Have a look and see if these menus trigger any ideas…
Idiosyncrasies and Quirks
- twitch, tic, tick, nervous habit, biting nails,
- habit, vice,
- craving, desire, need,
- longing, pining, wishing, hoping, dreaming,
- addiction, compulsion, obsession, fascination, fetish,
- collection, hoarded items, stashes stuff, always full pockets, picks up odds and ends, dumpster diver, bag lady,
- routine, habit, stops at the same coffee shop every day,
- has a favourite saying, utterance, dialect, certain greeting, proverb,
- belief, value, words to live by, code, sense of honour, duty,
- mannerism, behavior, jingling keys, shifting ball cap,
- nod, smirk, wink, finger snap, tongue click, whistle,
- deep-seated hatred, burning anger, seething need for revenge,
- dark secret, private thoughts,
- perversion, strangeness, oddity,
- queer thoughts,
- forgotten past, disturbing past, other life, split personality, evil twin,
- fear, phobia, dread,
- nightmares, terrors,
- PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), flashbacks, repressed trauma,
- blank spots in memory, forgotten episodes,
- collection, hoard, piles,
- secret, hidden truth,
- lisp, stutter, slur, mumble,
- mispronunciation of certain words, syllables, phrases,
- accent, dialect,
- burden, penance,
- other life, secret identity, membership in a secret society,
- special ability, psychic powers, alternate perception,
- sensitivity, soft spot, weak spot, weakness,
- always gets expressions wrong, fumbles facts,
- clumsy, butter-fingers, drops things,
- stumbles, shuffles,
- giddy, overly “cute”, babyish, childish, goofy, mook,
- does a little dance, spin, flourish,
- profuse sweat, burps, farts, mouth breather, heavy breather, bad breath, foul body odour, snotty nose, picks nose,
- flamboyant, effervescent, bubbly, effusive,
- hand talker, gesticulator,
- chronic liar, fibber, full of shtuff, spinner,
- overly friendly, pulls your chain, greases your wheels,
- braggart, toots their own horn,
- gossip, slanderer, busybody,
Stuff related to Idiosyncrasies
Sometimes a character’s idiosyncrasies are tied to “stuff.” See if this menu gives you some good ideas…
- childhood toy, teddy bear, pillow, blankie, stuffy,
- family heirloom, antiquity, hand-me-down, willed item,
- saying, tenet, proverb, creed, oath,
- collection, “treasure” pile, hoarding in basement,
- puzzle, riddle, query,
- quest, mission, job, vision, path, journey,
- religious icon, relic, idol, object, prayer beads, prayer rug, holy book,
- emblem, insignia, sigil, glyph, seal, stamp, sign, escutcheon, shield, logo,
- newspaper clippings cross-referenced, bulletin boards, notes on index cards,
- rank, level, echelon, caste, grade, position,
- mark, wound, scar, burn mark, birthmark, discoloration,
- ring, amulet, talisman, warding object, orb,
- crown, throne,
- marker, milestone,
- map, chart, diagram, blueprints,
- bracelet, beads, anklet, pendant, brooch, clasp,
- box, chest, puzzle box, safe, trunk,
Places related to Idiosyncrasies
- a crossroad, path divergence, fork in the road, anywhere that represents choice or change (see notes below),
- family homestead, manor, estate, hovel, hut,
- childhood home, cabin, tree fort,
- retreat, getaway, hideout, private place, sanctuary, safe space,
- temple ring, sanctuary, garden, retreat, church, holy chamber, sacred ground,
- graveyard, cemetery, catacomb, tomb,
- well, fountain, waterfall, spring, river,
- storage facility, attic, shed, basement,
- government compound, secret base,
- hospital, hospice, treatment facility, medical lab, asylum,
- school, training ground, dojo, gym, boxing club, club, group facility,
- library (for researching conspiracy theories), archives, museum,
- guild, hall, center,
- coffee shop, cafe, tea house,
- cave, tunnel,
- fireplace, firepit, hearth, fire,
- battleground, field, trenches, earthworks,
- ancient site, archaeological dig, relic, ruins,
- majestic site, glorious vista, impressive mountains, massive glacier, river confluence,
Notes and Ideas
- developing strong quirks in your characters makes all manner of narrative more fun: storytelling is richer and draws the audience in; roleplaying is deeper and more character-driven; artwork is much more textured with a backstory between the brushstrokes (Mona Lisa smile); songs are more intriguing when they lug a barrel of angst;
- you may find that even more narratives grow out of your characters’ quirks: a collection of trinkets could lead to the finding of a most interesting relic; a deep hatred or jealousy could cause some new conflict; the truth about a distant past could be revealed;
- choose one quirk for a character and really develop it rather than having lots of quirks and never really do anything with them.
- have fun and detail your quirks with a whole history and watch how they add to your characterization.
- a character could be in a witness protection program, secret society,
- places of choice, change, dilemma can lead to lasting resentment, guilt, remorse, wondering what if,
- flashbacks to traumatic experiences can explain or justify character idiosyncrasies. Have your character experience a flashback; even if you don’t use it in your actual story, it will generate some interesting ideas or perspectives for you.