Making Characters Memorable

Think about your friends and relatives, and even the people you don’t care for – maybe even someone you saw on the evening news. Now picture them sitting on chairs in a circle, as a group. Is one of them tapping a foot? Maybe one is looking off into space, bored to tears. Is there a woman sitting up straight, knees held primly together, appearing expectant? Is one of them a killer? (Of course one of them is a killer because I write mysteries.)

Everyone has traits that make them memorable, whether the memories are good or bad. The same goes for fictional characters. Writing them so they’ll be remembered is half the battle. A good storyline is made even better by the individuals who carry the story.

I write two series. In the Sandi Webster Mysteries, Sandi sighs frequently, almost taking it to competitive levels. Her partner, Pete, is overly protective sometimes, and he shrugs things off (literally) a lot, but other than that I haven’t figured out his “tells” yet.

Who can forget Stanley Hawks and Felicity DuBois-Hawks, a couple whose clumsiness endears them to the other characters, and readers. Sandi’s mother, Livvie Brewster is menopausal and has all kinds of quirks.

Are these memorable traits? Readers asked for more of Livvie because they enjoy her menopausal antics and some say they can relate to what she’s going through. Felicity’s little “accidents” are humorous and readers asked to see more. I obliged the requests.

In The Bogey Man Mysteries, Pamela Cross rolls her eyes even though her mother once told her they might get stuck that way. Well, to be honest, Sandi rolls her eyes a lot, too. Chris Cross, The Bogey Man, bears a strong resemblance to Humphrey Bogart. He rolls his upper lip under, tugs on his ear and rolls back on his heels.

What about other peripheral characters? How do people react under stressful circumstances? Their traits will tell you whether they’re nervous or not. Someone picking at a napkin in a restaurant, a twitching eye, or even that tapping foot can tell you how a character is handling a given situation. A woman rapidly tapper her fingernails on a table can be annoying, and yet telling.

Remember the people you had sitting in a circle? Let’s take a look at them. Watch Aunt Ivy. She’s looking everywhere except at the other people. She’s drumming her fingernails on her knee. She puffs air into her cheeks until she looks like a chipmunk, and then releases it slowly. Her right knee begins to bounce. She keeps glancing at the exit. Does she have something better to do than sit with this group of people? Is she annoyed? Or is she avoiding looking at the others because she has a secret? Or maybe she knows a secret. Maybe she wants to leave so there’s no chance she’ll spill the beans.

Fred, the man who lives down the street, keeps swallowing like his mouth is too dry. Is he nervous? He’s pulling on his shirt collar, too. Maybe he just doesn’t interact well in a group. He could be self-conscious. Then he says, “Hey! When are we gonna get this show on the road? I’ve got a football game to watch.” Oh, football. I get it.

Frieda keeps rubbing her arms, like she’s cold. When she’s not rubbing her arms, her fingertips pat a rhythm on her chest. Her eyes dart from fact to face. What’s her story?

Sam is staring at his hands. He’ll look up when someone speaks, but then his attention goes back to his hands. He keeps sniffling, and his eye twitches. Or is he winking at Frieda?

So when writing characters, give them habits and mannerisms. What they do is as important as what they say and where they are. It makes them come to life for the reader. Let them be clumsy or nervous or snooty or funny, or even a little eccentric. Any trait or mannerism you give them can make them memorable.

Uh oh, look out! Fred just made a break for it. He’s out the door and gone. He’s got a football game to watch and nobody’d better get in his way. I sure hope he wasn’t the killer.

Until next time, watch the people around you, but not to the point where they think you’re a little weird. Study their mannerisms. Even if you don’t write books, it can be very entertaining.

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COMING SOON: One Adventure Too Many – A Sandi Webster Mystery (More on this soon)