This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group (click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking out. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers.
This month’s optional question – What personal traits have you written into your character(s)?
Like most writers, I do spice up my story with traits I’m familiar with because I have them. Here are a few:
- addiction to coffee
- love of dogs
- suffering from migraines
- Energizer Bunny attitude
- binary choices
- the 10-second rule (if you drop something and you’re older, you get more time)
- often have more enthusiasm than expertise (for minor characters)
- drinking Red Bull
- loving tech
But, I’ve learned stuff from my characters too, been inspired to try things I didn’t know about until my characters introduced them. Here are a few of those:
- drink coffee in the shower
- eat a spoon of instant coffee when I don’t have hot water
- read Peter O’Brien’s amazing nautical historical series, Aubrey-Maturin
- use a Mobius Strip to make decisions
- how life (sometimes) goes better with body armor
Here’s an article with more on what I learned from my characters.
Now, I’m off to check out what pieces of you-all have slipped into your books!
More IWSG articles:
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for TeachHUB and NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, The Quest for Home, Fall 2019. You can find her tech ed books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning
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I love the 10 second rule 😀 I enjoy coffee but not enough to have a teaspoon of dry coffee!! LOL
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These crazy characters! My next thriller features a woman I again could learn a lot from!
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I agree. Perhaps we need to take a ‘page’ from their lives 😀
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Great list, Jacqui! Love the 10 second rule! And instant coffee “raw”? I can hardly tolerate it dissolved in hot water (no matter what Nescafe says). I think we end up incorporating parts of ourselves in every character, and I never thought about how a character’s quirks could rub off on the writer. I’ll have to pay attention! 😀
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I often add a peppermint stick to my instant coffee. That helps a lot!
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Ha! I love your 10-second rule! And eating a spoonful of instant coffee cracks me up–makes me curious how someone doesn’t have hot water and won’t wait to get to the nearest Aroma Joe’s or Dunkin’ Donuts…my wheels are turning with that one!
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Zeke does that. He’s always in a hurry! Couldn’t wait to microwave the water!
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I share a lot of characteristics with you, Jacqui. Can you really eat dry coffee? I think that would make me sick.
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I did try the coffee but not more than once. I’ll leave that for my tough crazy former-SEAL
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My ten second rule depends less upon the time involved and a lot more on how much the cats have been plodding around in that area of the floor beforehand. Hmmm, I never thought of picking up traits from my characters before. I’ll have to consider that.
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Good about the cats. That could be Ashley’s no-second rule instead!
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The ten second rule is amazing :’) I have a 0 second rule, if something touches the floor it’s dead to me. I really like the thought of characters teaching us things, and it’s totally true. They’re like our own little social experiments, things we’ve perhaps never thought to do until we know how it works out for them. On a weird side note, dry gravy granules are also nice, I used to sneak them as a child.
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Oooh, I never heard of dry gravy granules. Are they a snack, or dessert? You know you can’t tell authors anything personal because it’ll end up in their next book??? Well, not my next…
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Amusing and inspiring list, Jacqui. I used to drink herbal tea – like my MC’s boss/Detective Inspector – but my wife got me hooked on coffee, which my Goth MC drinks as black as her biking leathers.
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That’s the only way to drink coffee–black. Then you never have to wonder if the cream is curdled.
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I’ve definitely picked up on the techie piece, which I love. I’ll be on the look out for more of your characteristics as I continue to read your wonderful novels.
Happy 4th.
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Thanks, Sandra. I am excited to soon get your next novel. Publication date is approaching!
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A Mobius Strip to make decisions? Wow, how does that work? All the characters in Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure are based on people I know. My life has had many evil people like the Countess who was based on a worman I worked for. Writing Einstein’s Compass was cathartic as it gave me the opportunity to see to it the evil was dealt with on my terms, Be careful if you have a writer in your life you might end up in their novel and find yourself used in a way you never dreamed.
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I really like that attitude, Grace–to face off with evil and resolve it on your own terms. You’ve got me thinking.
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I’m so with you on the coffee. I’ve even done the “mouthful of instant granules” thing in desperation. (It’s not pretty.) But (how’s this for coincidence?) I only did that because my migraine medicine was not working. Sometimes caffeine helps me kick the headache and I didn’t have the strength to brew a pot.
Loved this, Jacqui.
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You are like a sister, Staci–coffee and migraines. Been there. Sometimes works. Did it work when you ate the spoonful of coffee? What is it about migraines??? Aimovig has made a huge difference, the first in a long time.
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It did not work. Just had to ride that one out. I did manage to blindly brush my teeth, though. (The granules were really unappetizing.)
Glad moving has helped you with yours.
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“drink coffee in the shower” So funny.
Our characters always have something to teach us 😉
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You need to be much tougher than I am to drink coffee in the shower. I kept getting soap in it!
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I’ve written about an alcoholic, bullies, compassionate people, a pious hypocrite to name a few.
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Well, compassionate sounds like you, Bette. Don’t know about the rest.
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Hugs & Happy Fourth, Jacqui! ❤ xx
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I remember those migraine scenes in your book and how the character had to keep a supply of her remedy at hand. Great idea and great way to show ancient practices for ailments. I know you did a masterly job of research on Survival.
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My new book also has a character with headaches. And a dog. Sigh.
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I call that consistency! Glad for the dog. I did an article on the first domestic dogs, and I love to see them come into early man’s camp.
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I don’t think I’ve ever thought about what traits of me appear in my characters.
I will say that when I was reading To Hunt A Sub, I cringed every time Zeke ate a spoonful of coffee crystals. As much as I enjoy a cup of coffee, I can’t see myself doing that, LOL!
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After I tried it, I cringed too. It as acidic!
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If you’re older you get more time with the 10 second rule. Love that one! 🙂
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You won’t qualify for a few more years, Betsy!
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Great traits. You had me snickering. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
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They make me laugh at times, too, but not to my character’s face. They might want to get even!
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the 10-second rule (if you drop something and you’re older, you get more time), lol I need a LOT more time 🙂
And eating instant coffee? Ew!!
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Well, Neil mentioned at 15-second rule. I’m looking forward to that.
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I’ve written about a couple of coffee-addicted characters, but none of them have drunk coffee in the shower. Interesting. lol
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My former-SEAL character always finds ways to save time. That one didn’t work too well for me, though.
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I love the part about what you learned from your characters. Now to go read the article. Happy IWSG Day.
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Yeah, it surprises me when they become so real, they can mentor me. Or maybe it should worry me.
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Thanks for the article! In my current book, one of the little boys has a speech impediment. I dealt with this as a child, so it hit close to home.
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That provides wonderful authenticity. My migraines–of course–they add lots of organic reality to what those do to us!
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Ha, I didn’t know about the 10 second rule. And I’d never try eating a spoon of coffee, not even if I didn’t have water, hot or otherwise!
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I believe you don’t qualify, Jina. Too young! You’re stuck with the 5-second rule.
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Interesting! Character creator has to pick traits from people around him and the best traits must be inspiring. I wonder from where do the rogue characters come!
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Good thought! I find rogue character traits in the despicable sort around me. They take some explaining at times but work quite well.
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The 10 second rule for when we’re older–ha ha! But a spoon of instant coffee? 😮
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I tried the dry coffee once and decided it must be a SEAL thing, not for me!
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I don’t like coffee and the bit about eating a spoonful of instant – the horror!
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That’s funny. It would wake you up though, wouldn’t it? As you can see from my comment about Red Bull, that’s important to me!
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Love your 10 second rule – best ever!
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You and me, girlfriend. As Neil says, we will someday qualify for the 15-second rule.
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My 12-year-old character certainly has some of my characteristics. LIke getting overly excited, worrying, loving animals and being a loyal friend. She has taught me to be more inquisitive, daring and willing to step out of my comfort zone. Tell me, have you ever got soap in your coffee while in the shower?
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Good point–about learning from your characters.
Yes, I do get soap in my coffee, which is what discouraged me from drinking it there anymore.
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Hi, Jacqui! I enjoyed this post so much. I love the character traits you’ve used. And, I never thought to try dry coffee. haha
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It’s very bitter but some people think coffee is too!
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“life goes better with body armor”. LOL. Great post 🙂
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Maybe that’s why my characters are always so tough.
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Nicely done! I’m here via the IWSG as well.
https://sharonecathcart.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/frequently-asked-question-what-personal-traits-have-you-written-into-your-characters/
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Thanks for visiting, Sharon. I’ll drop by your post!
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I’m a coffee addict too. My current main character is a teen, but she likes coffee too and sneaks in more cups when she can.
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Nice twist–coffee and teens. I do have a lot of traits that revolve around caffeine, don’t I?
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Hi Jacqui. I like your 10 second rule. For myself, I am going to expand it to a 15 second rule, because I’m older than you!
Neil
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Another year, I’m going to claim the 15 seconds, too. That bending over is more challenging than it used to be.
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Ground coffee is delicious on ice cream! I enjoyed your list of traits!
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Really? I’ve never tried that. The spoonful was enough to make me almost gag.
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I don’t drink coffee, but could totally do that with milo (no idea if you have the equivalent of that in the US, but if you don’t you’re missing out).
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I have no idea what milo is. I’m off to Google it.
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Is quirkier the better?
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When creating characters, yes. It does make them interesting, doesn’t it?
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Hi Jacqui, I enjoyed this post. I’m going to adopt your 10-second rule because I’m older too. I might even extend mine to 20. 🙂 I was intrigued by using a Mobius Strip to make decisions. Sounds like a great way of agreeing with yourself since it’s only got one side.
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You got it, Norah. Any decision matrix comes up with the same conclusion–done right, it’s what you think. Aren’t you clever to figure that out.
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I’ve always been intrigued by the Mobius Strip but never thought to use it in this way before.
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Ok
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Thanks for visiting.
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Your characters have very interesting traits, Jacqui 🙂 Dry coffee – why not if you desperately need that caffeine.
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I thought so too–until I tasted it. Of course, Zeke (the character who does this) is a former SEAL. He doesn’t care about taste.
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Yes, the purpose is more important than the form 🙂
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