Last week we discussed the importance of investing time in your persona’s history and background. Now that we have a stronger foundation for our character, it is time to add the finishing touches.
What really makes the difference between one person to the next? While some would say appearance or how they sound, it really boils down to are the special little quirks they each have. Think about it.
When you think of Star Wars,not Steampunk but go with it, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me, hands down it is Darth Vader. So what made Darth Vader so iconic? It’s the quirks. The raspy ventilator sound, his uniform, and his voice, those all made the character. Not just the tone of James Earl Jones but how he spoke made the difference too. Vader was eloquent and well spoken, rarely did we ever hear him use slang or vulgar terminology. The way he spoke gave him that personal gravity that just drew you in. Think back to Empire Strikes Back in the end sequence between Luke and Vader. Did you see Vader running after Luke? No, you didn’t and you weren’t surprised because all the while he carried that reserved fury. He spoke and carried himself like he was a bad ass, because he knew he was a bad ass.
Another example comes from Geek culture that we may be familiar with; Buffy Summers from Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer is obsessed by the Ice Capades. This is something totally random from her childhood and opposite from her character’s mission to fight vampires. However, it helps to add more depth to make her more dimensional and not a stereotype.
Even the smallest quirks will add that unforgettable flavor. Another more recent example of someone with a LOT of quirks would be Adrian Monk from USA Network’s Monk. This guy had so many phobia and compulsions they almost were a character unto themselves. However, these quirks also added depth without a lot of time spent on back-story. Episode one, you saw that this guy was really messed up, but he was functional and a brilliant detective. In that you understand that he must have went through some serious stuff to be this messed up even though he was so good at being a detective.
Instantly, you’re intrigued and want to know more, probably why Monk lasted for eight seasons and the series finale holds the record for the most watched scripted drama episode in cable television history. Something I’ve always believed, people will tune in for the first episode because of special effects or gimmicks. They will stick around for good story and great characters.
You may be asking, “How do I pick a quirk that fits my character? Can I pick anything?”
For these answers, we will look at; you guessed it, our character’s history. While you can certainly pick quirks at random and it would not damage your persona, tying them back into your character’s history not only makes them more meaningful but it makes your character interesting because you can play into the quirk so much easier. Let’s look back at our example from last week.
With our character Arrow, let’s take a look at what quirks we could add to her that would give her some depth. We’ve established that she had a rough time growing up. She’s withdrawn from getting close to, well anyone. What if she had a fascination with something completely off base, like sock monkeys for instance? She actively collects them, as many different kinds that she can get, she has a shrine of them in her apartment she has that many.
Pretty quirky, huh?
Now if you were hanging out with her and saw her get all excited about finding a rare sock monkey you would be pretty curious as to what the hell is going on, right? Well I know I would. What if her sister had a favorite sock monkey doll that she carried around with her everywhere? Maybe Arrow still has it, her sister was buried with it, or it was lost somehow as the years went by, anything but for some reason Arrow keeps her sister’s memory alive by connecting with these sock monkeys. Her passion for these dolls traces back to her past and boom, instant depth to your character that makes them unique.
I remember watching a movie a while ago where one of the main characters went into every used book store to look for a specific book. She would open the book, look at the first page, and then put the book back. This intrigued not only the viewers but also one of the other main characters until they finally asked the question we had been wondering the entire time, “what’s with the books?” Then we find out that her dad had given her that book as a child before he died and wrote in the cover a note to her, but she lost the book. Now she tries to find it every time she sees a used book store. She knows the likelihood of finding it is small, near impossible but she still looks every time.
By imbuing your Persona with these little quirks or habits you give them that spark of life that take them from being something or someone you created or imagined to something that is real, that has different levels that someone experiencing your character can explore and discover on their own instead of just giving them a info dump on your history.
If you think about it, of all the characters in literature, TV, and movies you love, the ones you love the most are probably the ones that you had the chance to fall in love with their little quirks, habits, and obsessions as you discovered more about who they are and where they came from.
Next week we will talk about putting everything into practice and actually take your Persona out for a test drive by stepping into the role and becoming them.
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