Habits and Quirks / Character ER + Question of the Month

This is my 500th blog post! YAY!!!! :D

A simple way to give a character more depth is to give your character a habit or quirk…or two. I eat salad and eggs at night for a snack, randomly sing “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”, and wear socks every day even in the summer and even then my toenails are always painted pretty colors. Those are a few of my habits and quirks. I bet you have some, too.

Habit – a regular tendency or practice that is hard to give up.

Examples: smoking with a cup of coffee or after sex, flossing your teeth twice a day, cleaning when stressed, waking up early to exercise, binge watching TV shows or checking social media when bored, biting nails, comfort shopping, cracking knuckles, speaking with a full mouth, talking to yourself (aloud), and humming to yourself.

Quirk – a peculiar behavioral habit, a characteristic that makes someone special.

Examples: dots I’s with smiley faces or hearts, needs ice in every cold drink, quotes movies or books, always has a particular item wherever they go, replaces curse words with silly words, only eats specific candy colors (red M&Ms), sprouts off a lot of useless trivia, always sings the wrong words to songs, wears sunglasses even indoors, doesn’t step on cracks in sidewalks, and sighs while sleeping.

Giving your main character and a couple of the most important minor characters a couple good and bad habits and strange/funny quirks is a great way to make them realistic, fun, and memorable.

QUESTION: What are a few of your habits and quirks?

I always drink green tea in the morning and decaf coffee in the afternoon, and I put my feet on the coffee table.

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To join this monthly blog hop visit MichaelG D'Agostino's blog.

QUESTION: What kind of music best speaks to you?

This is a tricky question. All kinds of music speak to me. I listen to it all. Even rap and country, although I will admit those two I listen to less than the rest. On the top of the list of musical genres I enjoy is rock music and all of its variations, especially what is termed "gothic rock opera." Bands like Within Temptation kill this genre. I listen to their music and get tingles. Yes, tingles. I even listen to a band called Hollywood Undead, which blends heavy metal and rap music. Certain Christian music is great, too, but Christian Rock is my favorite. See? Rock music always pulls out on top. 

But...*pumps brakes*...that doesn't mean it "speaks to me" the best. I love rock music and listen to it the most when I write action/suspense, but the genre of music that speaks the most to me is from the '90s. 

Yes, '90s music. When I listen to '90s music, memories flood in and an instant smile lights my face. If I'm not listening to rock in one form or another, or one of my current obsessions (this has been Sia, Demi Lovato, and Lana Del Rey), I can be found listening to '90s music. I have a playlist on Spotify full of my favorite '90s songs. The first song is "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal and the last song is "Zombie" by The Cranberries. (I'm always adding to it.)