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How do you make your characters believable? Whether you write plot-driven novels or character-driven ones, your characters need to seem natural and human. They are the foundation of any great novel. You already know how to build your characters, starting with a tiny spark and fanning that spark until you have a well-formulated character with a personality, motivation, backstory, and voice. But that may not be enough to truly bring your character to life. If you want your character to resonate with your readers, make them quirky.

What are character quirks, and how can you make them work for you?

Dictionary.com defines quirks as “distinguishing characteristics or qualities, especially of one’s personal nature.” What, exactly, does that mean? It means that quirks are unique, unusual, peculiar, and surprising and define character idiosyncrasies. Quirks are things that your character has no conscious control over.

To make your character stand out in your reader’s mind and associate that quirk with that character, the quirk should be unique. Most quirks in novels come from a physical feature or behavior that is part of the character’s personality. It could be an unusual talent, an irrational fear, or some strength or weakness.

Let’s look at a character quirk of one of the most well-known villains in literature and cinema: Darth Vader. One of the most recognizable quirks of Darth Vader is his heavy, mechanical breathing. After fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi and losing to him on the planet Mustafar, Anakin Skywalker is rescued by Emperor Palpatine and put into a mechanical suit to survive, becoming Darth Vader. This physical quirk – that deep, heavy breathing that undoubtedly caused nightmares in a few moviegoers the first time we met him in 1977 – made his character memorable, even 47 years later.

While Darth Vader’s breathing is a quirk, his skills with the Force are not. Yes, Anakin Skywalker had some innate ability to use the Force as a child – he is the only human to win the Boonta Eve Podrace – he still had to train and learn how to utilize them properly. This is not a quirk. Any ability a character attains through study, skill, and knowledge is not a quirk, no matter how good they are. Remember, Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Jedi of some renown and just as skilled in the Force as Anakin. The quirk you give your character should be unique, or as unique as you can get it, to that character and no one else in your book. And if the quirk seems odd, even better.

Make sure you use your quirk correctly so that it is strong and makes your reader recognize the character right away. Otherwise, it could turn your readers away because it adds nothing to the characters and could make them boring.

Why should I make my characters quirky?

Here are four reasons why making your characters quirky strengthens them and makes them memorable:

Quirks help your character seem more real, like someone you may know. They give you a glimpse inside your character and let the reader know who this character could be.

Quicks give your readers a reason to care about them.

Quicks help make your characters relatable, allowing them to be charming or annoying, beautiful or ugly, and so on.

Quirks make your character memorable and recognizable.

How do you incorporate quirks into your character's personality?

It’s not hard to incorporate quirks into your story. It’s easy if you consider these five tips.

Grab a notebook and do some people-watching. Whether at the mall, your favorite restaurant, or just watching a movie or television, you can get some ideas of quirks to add to your characters. Just make sure you don’t copy the quirk from another character. Make it unique.

Use your quirks sparingly throughout your story and make sure they are believable. Making them “over-the-top” is unnecessary, and only a main character or two needs them. Plus, you only need to use one quirk per character. You don’t want to overload the reader or make the quirks seem unbelievable.

Make your quirk significant to the character and the story. Just like Darth Vader and his mechanical breathing are relevant to his backstory, the quirk you give your character should be significant to theirs.

Avoid cliches and quirks that have been used too much in literature. Take a chance. Do something different and mix it up.

Finally, let your characters break free from their quirks occasionally. There is a scene in The Empire Strikes Back where we see Darth Vader without his helmet. It helps make your character more believable, especially when the break in character is unexpected.

By giving your character a quirk, you help make them more human and easily remembered by your readers. Be careful not to overuse the quirk, and make sure the quick is unique and not cliched. Once you have decided on your character's quirk, write it into your story and watch your character come alive.

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Are you looking for help with your novel? Do you need a compassionate editor to guide you toward improving your book with developmental editing, proofreading, and more? If you answered yes, then we need to talk. I provide professional editing services to fellow authors and help you improve your writing without being harsh or critical. Contact me at info@themusesfunhouse.com or bethafreely@gmail.com for more information. Let’s talk!

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COVER REVEAL!!! (I know, I made you wait all day!)

COMING SOON!

Taming The Rancher’s Daughter

Charlotte “Charlie” Saxon returns to Whispering Willow Horse Ranch in Jackson, Wyoming, to take over the ranch from her later father. She’s met with a neighbor hell-bent on taking the ranch from her, convinced that “a woman like you is too soft to handle these boys” and can’t run the ranch. Little does the neighbor know that Charlie is not one to back down from a fight. Besides, she has the best ranch foreman a woman in her position ever needed, Jake McAuley, a man fifteen years her senior who also happens to be her former lover.

When Jake hears that Charlie is home for good, he makes it his mission to pick up where they left off when she left for college. And she’s going to need all the help she can get if she’s going to keep the ranch going. When a winter blizzard overcomes the ranch, it’s all Jake can do to get the wranglers and Charlie through the worst of it. Throw into the mix a stallion that’s a rare breed in the barn, a mare that is about to foal, and no electricity, and Jake has his hands full.

Brought together again by tragedy, Jake and Charlie must work together to keep the Whispering Willow Horse Ranch afloat through obstacles determined to get in their way. The only way Jake knows how to get through it is by Taming the Rancher’s Daughter.

Pre-order your copy today: https://forms.gle/k8UNuGhk3oem92XQ6

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Can you believe it’s the last day of January already? This month has flown by. Time for a check in! How are you all doing? Me? I’m a little frazzled but getting a lot done with two new books on the way!

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In my case, that would be writing the book.

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In celebration of Puzzle Day, let’s have a little fun. Click on the link below and solve the puzzle to see the cover of my forthcoming novel. Don’t spoil the surprise for others!

Puzzle: https://puzzel.org/en/jigsaw/play?p=-NojptP2_gil5XBeeCc5

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Get ready, New Orleans! I will be in the Big Easy for the Bella Nola Author Event on March 9, 2024. This will be the last Bella Nola event so let’s make it a blast! Click to get your tickets today!

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Hope this little teaser tempts you! You can still pre-order “Sculpting Love” here: https://forms.gle/UGRrtcR5gPv7xtfW7

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Apparently I have my marching orders from Lord Juriath for book 2 of the Prophecies of Fate series. facepalm

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Here’s a little bit about me for those new followers!

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I haven’t introduced you to Jake McAuley yet, but you’ll meet him soon enough. Check out this song if you haven’t heard it.

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How about a little teaser for my upcoming novel “Sculpting Love?” You can still preorder it here: https://forms.gle/UGRrtcR5gPv7xtfW7

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Winter is in full swing here in the southwest. What are some of your winter essentials?

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This review came in on 01/04/2024. A nice way to kick off the year!

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I’m a sucker for a good Star Wars novel, and thanks to one of my Book Besties, I was gifted the Kindle version last night. I’m going to make a nice hot cuppa and settle in for some good old-fashioned Star Wars adventure! What are you reading?

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I was about 5 when I was first introduced to The Hobbit thanks to the original cartoon version of the movie. That was when my life long love of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing was born.

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Today is National Science Fiction Day. These 8 books are my favorite all-time sci-fi books. What are some of yours?

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Happy New Year! 2023 was a weird year for me, but I managed to get a few novellas out. For 2024, I have about 6 books planned to write. How about you? What are your reading and writing goals for 2024?