My 4 1/2 year old niece - we call her Little T - recently reminded me of an important writing lesson.
While at her pre-school, she wanted me to pick out which crayoned self-portrait hanging on the wall was hers. So, like a good aunt, I studied the information on each page and focused on all the girls who had this on their paper:
My hair is: BLACK
My eyes are: BROWN
It still took me three tries to guess the right one. But when I did, I couldn't help but smile at the rest of what was written there:
My favorite color is: PINK
My favorite activity is: WRESTLING
It's those unexpected and unique aspects that we need to develop in our characters and also, hopefully, in ourselves.
So, whenever I'm concerned that my characters - or I! - might be flat or boring, I'll think back to my niece - perky pigtails, sparkly t-shirt, cute little face scrunched up in a one-eyed squint and a sneer full of baby teeth that would make even the meanest pirate shudder.
Little T is already a character in her own right.
Awesome post! You're right: it's our quirks that make us (and our characters) interesting and memorable. Thanks for the reminder. :)
ReplyDeleteYour niece sounds like a real cutie. ☺
We like interesting people in real life so why wouldn't our readers like to spend some time with interesting characters, right?
DeleteI'm a bit biased, but she really is a cutie. :)
Characters are everything!! They make an ordinary story extraordinary :)
ReplyDeleteI'll keep reading a book with a so-so plot and amazing characters, but I'll stop reading a story if it's the characters that are so-so.
DeleteThat's right. She needs to be her own person Madeline. She'll do well by not following the pack.
ReplyDeleteI hope she keeps it up. :)
DeleteI'm sure the boys are scared of her if she likes to wrestle.
ReplyDeleteShe's a cutie pie, but she can also be a tough cookie. :)
DeleteHow sweet. Love the contrast between her favorite color and activity.
ReplyDeleteShe really is funny. :)
DeleteThere are so many quirks we can give our characters. Your niece sounds adorable.
ReplyDeleteI think quirks are what make us and our characters interesting. Of course, if we dislike someone's quirks on the page, we can close the book. In real life, well.... :)
DeleteHahaha those interesting quirks are awesome both in characters and real people. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo true! :)
DeleteShe sounds like such a fun little girl. And of course quite a character. :)
ReplyDeleteShe really is a lot of fun. :)
DeleteLittle T + Mr. & Mrs. Larry = a spectacular story, methinks!
ReplyDeleteThe ideas never stop for us writers, do they? :)
DeleteYour niece sounds adorable. Yay for girls who wrestle!
ReplyDeleteIn fiction writing, I think unexpected details about a character can quickly transform a predictable character into an interesting one. I like how you used your real-life example to demonstrate this point.
For me, it's those unexpected details that make a character come alive and jump off the page.
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