July: Character Quirks

Can you believe I almost dedicated July's posts to career research??

Thud. Heavy stuff. Too heavy for July! We'll save it for a later month, a serious month.

So what are we talking about instead? Character quirks. Don't yawn. It'll be fun and light and silly because it's summer--easy-breezy time!

We all have favorite parts of writing. Some love to describe details, others love to come up with a killer plot, or an original hook. But I'm guessing we all love developing our characters. I know I do.

My current manuscript features a hot-headed hero (aka: kind of jerky). How can I describe the joy I had in creating this character? Chocolate-fountain good. I rubbed my hands together in glee as he revealed his cluelessness. I laughed as the heroine put him in his place. My heart squeezed when he decided he wasn't worthy, and it rejoiced when he realized he wanted to be a man of integrity. I fell in love with him, even with all his faults. He became the man my heroine deserved.

One thing I wrestle with in my books is how to reveal less-than-likable traits in a character the reader needs to root for? I haven't always succeeded. It's tough to balance likable with needs-to-grow. I've learned a few things along the way and I'm hoping you can share your techniques and tips this month too.

So join me this month as we look at ways we can develop our characters and make them relatable and likable without sacrificing their faults.

Enjoy your weekend!

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