150+ Useful Character Quirks (Plus a Few Clichés to Avoid)

150+ Useful Character Quirks (Plus a Few Clichà ©s to Avoid) 150+ Useful Character Quirks (Plus a Few Clichà ©s to Avoid) Writing great characters is a constant balancing act - you want each one to have certain quirks and flaws, but you don’t want them to be SO zany that they’re off-putting to readers. So how can you come up with realistic traits that humanize your characters, without falling into clichà ©?Luckily, this post offers a list of over 150 unique character quirks and traits that avoid clichà © and can help make the people in your story much more relatable! But before we get into that, here are a few notes on what character quirks are in stories and how to use them. Check out this list of over 150 character quirks (that you can steal for your book). What are character quirks? Making sourdough - so quirky! (Photo by  Nathan Dumlao)This section contains suggestions for unique strengths and talents, as well as weaknesses or negative traits one might possess.Strengths/talents:Fantastic cook or bakerSkilled musician (piano, guitar, violin, etc.)Artistic talent (drawing, painting, sculpting, etc.)Model athlete (football, hockey, swimming, etc.)Great at voices/ventriloquyCan do sleight-of-hand - may be a pickpocketSpeaks multiple languages, even obscure onesKnows everything about historyMathematical or scientific geniusBrilliant coder and can hack into any databaseSkilled mechanical inventorCan build or put together anythingSuper-quick logical reasoningExceptional memory/genius IQ (several of the above might fall under this one)Special connection with animalsSuper empathetic and understanding of other peopleExtremely fast runnerContortionist (can twist their body into any shape)Psychic talent (can predict the future)Amazing mechanicSuper strength, flying, in visibility or other superpowersUnusually high tolerance for painSurvival skills like hunting and fishingQuick reflexes, acts fast in a crisisBrave and fearless, not scared of anythingAble to talk their way out of any trouble/invent stories on the flyWeaknesses/negative traits:Awful driverAlways running lateIllegible handwritingTerrible at public speakingSocially awkward - hard for them to make friendsHas tons of credit card debt from online shoppingSelf-destructive and always wants what’s worst for themGets blackout drunk every time they go outExtremely conceited or arrogantCompulsive liarManipulative of friendsGets jealous over nothingOften mean for no reasonUnbelievably self-centeredExtremely passive-aggressiveArachnophobia (irrational fear of spiders)Coulrophobia (irrational fear of clowns)Agoraphobia (irrational fear of leaving the house)Pantophobia (fear of everything)Be careful how you incorporate these strengths and weaknesses, as you don’t want their inclusion to seem unnatural. After all, personality traits tend to reveal themselves on a daily basis, but this may not be true for their special talents and fears.Indeed, sometimes the best way to use quirks like these is to surprise your reader with it at the right moment. Maybe it’s the eleventh hour, and your MC has nowhere else to turn, only for their friend’s special skill to save the day!Also, as you can tell from both lists, there’s quite a range of strengths and weaknesses you can give your characters. Some of those talents require more practice than others, and some of the weaknesses are greater flaws than others - for instance, being a mean or manipulative person is obviously much worse than having bad handwriting. However, it’s good to be familiar with a wide range of both major and minor quirks so you can create more well-rounded characters.MiscellaneousThese are idiosyncrasies that don’t really fit into any of the above categories, but could still be of good use in your story.Dresses all in one colorBedroom is decorated exactly like a Pinterest pictureWon’t drink still water, only sparklingRefuses to use headphones and blasts their music in publicAlways dresses too nicely for the occasionWalks around barefoot, even in stores and other public placesHates being inside, sleeps and goes to the bathroom outdoorsCan’t help but look in every mirror they passWears a small plastic backpack everywherePreps their meals three weeks in advanceDrinks shots of espresso all day longSings opera in the showerMakes their own (terrible) abstract art and hangs it on their wallsGets super excited about Christmas and then really depressed in JanuaryRefuses to wear glasses even though they need themCarries around a secret teddy bearHas been wearing the same friendship bracelet for three yearsFastidiously lint-rolls all their clothingWill a shop or restaurant if someone walks in with a babyExtremely superstitious (knocks on wood, avoids the number 13, etc.)Drops everything other people ask them to holdLikes to go out dancing by themselvesPrefers to have the lights off or dimmed at all timesOnly reads books written before 1900Only watches movies that get really bad reviewsAlways wears multiple sweaters on top of each otherWon’t eat anything that doesn’t have bread (at least on the side)Thinks they’re a time-traveler from the medieval eraGives friends and family excellent homemade presentsLeaves the office last every day so they can push all the chairs inHates jagged numbers (always fills their gas tank to the dollar, sends emails on the hour, etc.)Has an imaginary friend they still talk to, even in adulthoodOwns a lizard that they try and use as a guard dogListens exclusively to Britney SpearsLeaves little notes in library books for future readersUses tissues to hold onto poles on public transportationWears their hair in Princess Leia bunsNever goes a day without talking to their momHums â€Å"In the Hall of the Mountain King† when they get stressedClucks their tongue while walking, so they sound like a horseQuotes Pulp Fiction all the timeLoves hanging out in completely empty placesConvinced they’re going to die in a freak accidentGrows all their own food in their vegetable gardenNever pays for train or bus ticketsCan recite Shakespearean sonnetsRecycles and eats vegetarian, but only out of guiltHas a â€Å"vision board† posted on their ceilingLoves the beach but hates swimmingFlicks people in the forehead when they get annoyedLaughs at everything, even bad jokesCurates a great Instagram feed of street art Sings opera, owns a lizard, plus 50 more original quirks to use in your story 🎠¶Ã°Å¸ ¦Å½ Clichà ©d â€Å"quirks† to avoidGiving your characters interesting tics can cross-over into ham-fisted writing if your quirks are used way too much, like the following:Pale skinCrooked smileâ€Å"Intense† stareRelentless clumsinessArtificial hair colors that are supposedly naturalCharacters thinking they’re unattractive when everyone else thinks they’re beautifulBasically, any archetype that hasn’t been developed enoughWhen readers see these traits on the page, they roll their eyes and think, â€Å"Ugh, not again.† Many of these aren’t even quirks, but fairly common traits that the writer attempts to romanticize. Traits like these signify to the reader that the author has barely put any thought into developing their characters - they’ve just chosen ostensibly quirky features that are actually overused and ineffective. So stay away from them at all costs!As we said, the business of selecting and integrating quirks is more compl icated than it seems. But after reading through this guide, you should have a much better understanding of what they are and how to use them†¦ not to mention a tremendous variety of quirks from which to choose! So will your character be a gum-chewing code genius or a short-tempered contortionist? From here on out, it’s all up to you.What are some of your characters' quirks? Tell us in the comments below!