I’ve been brainstorming bad habits and traits to make my characters more messy, more real. In my writing group, we talked about smoking as a bad habit that is, unfortunately, such a great affectation to write. You move both your fingers, your mouth, it affects the way to take in air, and let it out. It makes them seem gritty, a little rough around the edges, but not in a way that makes them dislikable.
As I was about to write in a secret smoking habit for one of my characters, I thought I’d try to brainstorm for something a little more original. I worked my way down a huuuuugggee list of bad habits, and, unfortunately, I’m come back to report I have more bad habits than any of my characters.
Most of these are social habits, brought on by anxiety: I touch my face, pop my knuckles, pick at my cuticles, look at my phone too much, and altogether anything I can do with my hands, I probably do it.
Our habits can be extremely telling. I was disappointed in myself when I first saw a lot of myself in a list of bad habits, but I have to remember that most of these all lead back to one thing. My anxiety. My nervous energy doesn’t know where to go, so it tries to keep my fingers moving. (Is that why I’m a fast typist? Good at twirling a pen? Have quick reflexes? Is this a superpower?!?)
Anyway.
The point is that our habits say a lot about what’s going on under the surface, even if we don’t consciously pick up on them. This list is not to minimize the real-life effects these habits have on real people, but to explore them as writing tools to better understand people, and by extension, our characters.
What are some bad habits that you’ve seen or read with a character and loved?
Here are a few of my favorite bad character habits:
- Gambling/compulsive spending
- OCD (easy to show and descriptive)
- Waking up late/being constantly late to work
- Distractable (having a hard time paying attention/daydreamer)
- Performative activist (does it to feel better than others/better about themselves)
- Braggart (similar, but more narcissistic)
- Alcoholic (it’s fun writing about their hazy state or trying to figure out what happened the day before – also self-destructive and causes dynamic conflict)
- Fitness addict (like OCD, also very physical descriptions; might also impose lifestyle *or disappointment* on those around them)
- Addicted to social media (often concerned about image and how others see them)
- Blaming others for everything/unable to take responsibility for actions
- Social anxiety (also close to home, but can vary in scope, like not liking to talk on the phone or giving an order to a waiter, versus being a recluse and despising others)
- Escapist (uses various methods of escapism like video games, porn, books, movies, naps, etc.)
- Bad conversationalist (perhaps quiet, awkward, grasping for straws of conversation)
- Bad listener (similar, but always looks at the conversation as it relates to them, not as the other person)
What sort of toxic traits do you love in characters?
