Characterization - Giving Each Character Unique Mannerisms

As writers, one of the most important aspects of our story writing is to present the reader with real life, three-dimensional characters. One way of doing that is to give each one a unique mannerism which sets them apart from the rest and helps to fill out their personality. There are, however, some pitfalls which you need to be aware of.

One of the bonuses in giving a character their own mannerism is that these generally involve movement. For instance: "John pulled at his lower lip as he thought about what Denise had said." This is only a small movement but it does two things. First it puts that action into the mind's eye of the reader adding interest to the scene whilst keeping them focussed on what is happening. Second, it establishes that John has this particular mannerism, which you can repeat at suitable points within the story.

As for Denise we could say: "Denise twisted her wedding ring nervously waiting for John's answer".

The secret is that when you decide on a mannerism you also decide when and why they use them.

In the examples above, John pulls his lip when he is thoughtful or considering a difficult decision for instance, and Denise twists her ring when she is nervous or anxious. In this way mannersims fill out, in a subtle way, the personality of the character. We now know John is thoughtful and perhaps doesn't make snap decisions, and Denise may be of a nervous disposition and needs reassurance and support.

All these simple mannerisms are part of the writer's arsenal when build believable people to populate a story.

When deciding what mannerism to use for a character, make sure it is appropriate for the person you have in mind. For instance, it may not be a good idea to give Major Dreadnaught a limp wrist, but he could have a habit of smoothing his moustache.

Watch out, however, for these two important points: Don't overuse the mannerism. We can't have John pulling his lower lip every five minutes for no reason. It will simply turn the reader off. Second: Be careful not to give any character too many mannerisms. We don't want them jiggling about like puppets on strings, do we?

In a short story it's probably best to give mannerisms to just the main characters. Minor characters can remain on the bland side. For a novel, more characters can be fleshed out in this way, although again, it's best not to overdo it.

So, apart from pulling lips and twisting rings, what can we have our characters doing to indicate who they are and what they're made of. The list is virtually endless but will involve a movement, no matter how small, of some kind, and will often, but not always, give an indication of what is going on in their head or their heart. From a simple sniff to the angry beating a fist against a wall, they can be used to reveal thoughts and emotions.

Readers long for characters with personality, and by using these, sometimes quite small, mannerisms you are on your way to showing readers what makes them tick.