A hobby is an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time
for pleasure, such as reading and gardening.
Giving your character a hobby is something fun you can do.
Whenever your character needs a break from the craziness of your plot, let
him/her sink into their hobby for comfort (for a short scene). This can also be
fun for readers as well.
Here are some hobbies your character could have:
Belly Dancing
Boating
Cake Decorating
Coin Collecting
Fishing
Gardening
Golf
Hiking
Jewelry Making
Juggling
Knitting
Origami
Painting
Piano Playing
Pottery
Quilting
Reading
Running
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Soap Making
Wine Tasting
Wood Working
Writing
Yoga
Zumba
Describe your character enjoying a hobby or two in your
book. Use vivid details and try to include facts or steps to what they're doing. Adding a hobbies may make readers smile if they enjoy the hobby you describe. You might also
attract new people to that hobby.
QUESTION: What are your hobbies?
I LOVE the idea of giving my current MC a cake decorating hobby - he's a viking :'). Great post, with some really good hobby ideas! Personally, my hobby is baking - I love doing it and it really relaxes me if I'm getting stressed out :) (plus, I can then eat everything I've made, which is a bonus!)
ReplyDeleteLOL! Now that would be a different kind of viking. ;)
DeleteBaking is a fun hobby. I like to bake bread.
Byron's hobby was playing gravball.
ReplyDeletePlaying guitar began as a hobby, but now that I'm in a band, it's more than that.
Gravball sounds like a lot of fun.
DeleteHobbies can add so many dimensions to your characters. I love to play games of any type, though I don't get a chance often. Have a terrific week! :)
ReplyDeleteBoard games or field games? :)
DeleteI've been making things for just about as long as I can remember. Mostly now, I tat, which is an old form of lace making made on my hands using a shuttle.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of tat, but I think it's neat that you make lace. That's a neat hobby.
DeleteHobbies sure add to characters indeed. Writing would be a hobby, right? Takes money to make it a job lol
ReplyDeleteWriting is definitely a hobby. It's one of mine. :)
DeleteHobbies and interests give characters depth.
ReplyDeleteI hobby I wish I could do more often is roller coaster riding.
I am scared to go on roller coasters. lol I don't like heights,and I don't want to go upside down.
DeleteMy hobbies are numismatism (coin-collecting), philatelism (stamp-collecting), marble-collecting, vinyl records, cross-stitch, and drawing. My dream hobby is collecting, repairing, and showing antique cars, particularly Brass Age (1896-1915) and Vintage (1919-30). My favorite is the Duesenberg, but they go for at least two million dollars in the modern era. Probably the most affordable starter car for that hobby is the cheap Model T.
ReplyDeleteMy brother collects coins. When I was little, I had a time when I collected stamps. My collections are weird...nutcrackers, ceramic pumpkins, bats (Beanie babies/stuffed animals), And J.D. Robb books.
DeleteGreat post Chrys. As I read your post, I immediately went back to my notes to make sure I didn’t leave out my MCs hobbies. Although, I didn’t list them as hobbies, I’m glad I had the sense to note down that my MC likes to collect shot glasses even though she only drinks wine. And loves to do yoga. Whew.
ReplyDeleteAs for my own hobbies, of course it’s reading. And not just books but manga and manhwa (graphic novels) too. And watching anime.
Interesting that your MC collects shot glasses but only drinks wine. That is a neat tidbit for your readers to know.
DeleteHow about a belly dancer who quilts after a pinot tasting? I'm thinking how that character could be made believable. Thanks for the hobby list!
ReplyDeleteI iike the sound of her!
DeleteMy hobbies are writing, photography, poetry, beer brewing and collecting.
ReplyDeleteWhen I create my characters, I try to give them at least one hobby in the bio I create for them. Four of my main characters have the following hobbies, Writing, Fashion Design, Muscle Cars & Criminology. At one point or another, I try to include some reference to each at one point or another.
I don't like beer, but I find that you brew it pretty cool. You should write a post about brewing beer. :)
DeleteGreat idea. I'll have to do that this winter.
DeleteI'm looking forward to it. :)
DeleteI've never given one of my characters a hobby. I have so many. Cross-stitch, baking, jigsaw puzzles and of course, reading.
ReplyDeleteNo hobbies for your characters? They must be busy without them. :)
DeleteI'm so glad you included juggling. That could be very useful to a character.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a very active stamp collector in my pre-college days. I still collect stamps to a degree, but I'm not real serious about it. I guess I do it out of habit.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Of course I had tyo add juggling to my list. ;)
DeleteWell, you know I would have my character create cards. Cards, tags, scrap booking. You name it...it's so nice to sit and relax....although I often stand when creating.
ReplyDeleteA card-making character would be perfect. :)
DeleteChess and stamp collection used to be my hobbies when I was a kid. Now the kids don't even know what a stamp is >:)
ReplyDeleteCold As Heaven
I know some basics of chess but have always wanted to learn to really play.
DeleteI don't know, but I always tend to give my characters gaming as a hobby.
ReplyDeleteGaming is an awesome hobby.
DeleteI suppose it's easier if your character has your hobby, though you can give your character a different hobby and learn about something new. I like to embroider, but I don't have much time for it. I love movies, especially documentaries, and I love to read. If I made my character's hobby belly dancing, though, no matter how much I learned about it, I don't think I could make it believable unless she's a chubby, clumsy belly dancer who falls down a lot. Pole dancing? Woe, woe, woe.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Donovan in my Disaster Crimes Series is a monster truck driver. I had to learn about that, and it was a lot of fun.
DeletePole dancing could be a fun (or funny) hobby for a character.
A good hobby could be one that is counter to what we might think the character should enjoy. I know I forget to add these details to my stories.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. It fun to play with different hobbies for characters.
DeleteHi Chrys,
ReplyDeleteI am so sad to note that, yesterday I posted one comment but its not showing, this is the problem with G+ comment option, one need to take a copy of the comment after typing and before pressing the publish button.
Coming to the subject Hobbies, I have a hobby since from my childhood is Philately and thru stamp collection I made a good number of friends from different world, years back at that time there was no internet only via snail mail contact and i made many friends and collected many stamps via mail. And another hobby is letter writing, i mean hand written mail. These are years back story, but the present is my main hobby as well as profession is Blogging! Call it Hobby or Profession!!
Nice post Chrys.
Keep sharing
May you have a wonderful time of sharing and caring ahead
Best
~ Phil
I found this comment in my spam folder, but it was the only one. The one you tried posting yesterday just didn't publish for some reason.
DeleteMy mom has told me about her collecting stamps when she was little. I collected stamps for a short time. I still like to hand write letters. :)
Hi Chrys,
DeleteThanks for your quick response.
Ok fine no worries, good that at least you found the above comment in the spam folder. I think these days if i write one comment with more words or sentence it definitely land on others spam folder. May be Google is thinking that long comments are spams. Anyways, these days what I do is after commenting I take a copy of it and send a notification by mail or by contact form or via mail about the post, to check them to their spam folders. And to my surprise most of my comments will be in sound sleep in others spam folders. Several times i thought of stop writing long comments. But still I am unable to do that LOL
Good to know about your Mom's stamp collections and also about your other hobbies.
Thanks for dropping at my page too.
Hope this comment will find your there in the right place in its good health. LOL :-)
Have a beautiful day.
Keep in touch.
Best
Phil
Sure enough, this comment went into my spam folder, but I did get notification for it. When I didn't see it in the post, I immediately checked the spam folder. I've received long comments before that published with no problem. The only thing I can think of is that people have marked your comments as spam in the past. So now Blogger thinks you post spam. :(
DeleteI think an author could have a lot of fun with this. :-)
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
It is a lot of fun. :)
DeleteThis week's hobby? Sewing animal costumes with fake fur that gets everywhere. Way, way, worse than any real animal. Other hobbies? Reading is number one. Then stuff like biking, jogging, kayaking, rollerblading--all to make me sleep at night. I'd love to learn how to knit someday when I'm allowed to sit still.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to learn to knit, too. :)
DeleteHey, What happened to my comment?
ReplyDeleteSo sad to note this. Only short comments are accepted or what?
Or G+ is playing hide and seek
Would like to know about the fate of my comment!!
I received the mail notification and going on getting about others comments.
This is really amazing
~Phil
I don't know, Philip. This is the only comment that came through. I'll check the spam.
DeleteIt's fun to give your characters a hobby. Myself, I play the piano, work in the flowerbeds, do genealogy and scrapbooking and read. I also spoil my cats.
ReplyDeleteI had always wanted to learn how to play the piano. One of my hobbies is also spoiling my cats. :)
DeleteHobbies? I've got a few. I like to cross-stitch, sew, craft jewelry, tweak computers, cook and knit. I thinks that's the lot. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
You can work with computers? That's a handy hobby to have, especially as a writer.
DeleteDefinitely having a hobby makes a character more rounded. Great ideas, Chrys! I paint, draw and attend yoga class. Although yoga I consider more of a fitness, lifestyle, health activity. Does that make it a hobby? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteFor some, yoga can be a hobby if they love it enough.
DeleteIt's a good way of fleshing out your characters. My hobbies? Writing, art, game design and can you call game playing a hobby? lol.
ReplyDeleteGame playing is definitely a hobby!
DeleteI just simply love music, I used to play the piano but alas have no room for one here. Writing poetry and blogging has become a great interest of mine.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Writing poetry and blogging are great hobbies. :)
DeleteEqually, hobbies are a fantastic way to get to know the character and provide insight into who they are.
ReplyDeleteSide note: Hunting is another possible hobby that has multi-faceted uses for story telling.
Exactly!
DeleteHunting is a good hobby for storytelling. So many things you can do with that.
I'm bad for not doing this with my male protagonists. None of them have a honour, unless you count fishing and hunting. Something to think about. Thanks, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteFishing and hunting are excellent hobbies! :)
DeleteReading, muay thai, traveling (although that's more of a passion), and photography while traveling.
ReplyDeleteIf I had time, I'd love to paint again, or take up sculpture. Or learn to play the violin.
I would love to travel to do photography. If I wasn't writing, I'd be a photographer. :)
Delete