We all have personality quirks. These are part of our charm.
Some people may think that the fact I have named my three houseplants is a personality quirk. But what other modern living beings would put up with the monikers Perpetua, Magnifica, and Scholastica? When I ask my husband, “Did you water Perpetua?” he knows what I mean.
We inherited a large peace lily from one daughter’s college days, called Lord Ellington. Our daughter still living at home renamed him (I’m going with the male designation since he was a lord). The new name? Jade.
Your turn:
What personality quirks do you give your characters to make them come more to life?
Do those quirks reflect your own personality?
Which plant do you think is pictured? Perpetua, Magnifica, or Scholastica?
Author Platforms 101 – Part One – Message Platform
Perpetua?
I never considered naming my house plants, but I have memories attached to them. The ones I nurture the most have came from my Uncle Gifford’s funeral and my father-in-law’s funeral. In a way it keeps them on my mind.
In my next story the heroine is raised by her football coach father and three older brothers. She knows all about sports and watches ESPN all the time. She even listens to it on the radio. The hero is into country music and is surprised to discover she not only knows more about sports than he does, but she’s a better golfer than he is. In a restaurant while waiting for a table, she gravitates to the bar to catch sports updates.
I enjoyed your post today, Tamela. Thanks for sharing.
Jackie, I love the sounds of your heroine and hero! What a great way to add in a quirk that fits with her upbringing. 🙂
Scholastica
I name my vehicles. My current Ford F-150 is named Frosty. I get very attached to them because I drive them a long, long time. Frosty is a 2002 and I expect to keep him up and running for another 2 – 3 years. If we didn’t pull trailers, I could probably keep him longer.
One of my characters talks to a goat. 🙂
Perpetua. She looks so serene – a quiet moment in what might be a very active household. Perpetual serenity – a much desired quality.
Having the world’s largest gangrene thumb, I never name houseplants. I can even kill mother-in-law’s tongue and philodendron.
Perpetua, I think. That’s a great quirk, Tamela. I have a character who counts the silverware. I made a list of quirks to pull from for characters. Love using those. 🙂
I also think she looks like a Perpetua.
Ane, I love your idea of making a list of quirks to pull from!
Magnifica. ‘Cause that’s the only name not yet guessed.
My protagonist in “Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart” doesn’t have any quirks, really. He is a reclusive combat veteran with twenty-three rescued dogs (including one with three legs), and he drinks beer with his best buddy, a Blue Heeler.
Nothing at all like me. I have twenty-five dogs, and drink WINE with my RED Heeler.
In “Emerald Isle”, some of the characters share something that goes beyond a quirk…more a disorder.
– He looked around to make sure no one was listening, and said in hushed tomes…”They’re Catholic.” –
It is a bit difficult to write a story populated by Irish and Irish-American characters…some with IRA connections…who aren’t Catholic.
EI was judged too religious for mainstream, and too Catholic for CBA, so I wrote a revised version that turned some of the main characters into Evangelicals. It was the hardest writing job I ever had to do.
(And I sort of promised Mr. Laube, in a comment on Monday’s post, that I would send him a proposal for EI…via snail mail, on paper, just to be different. So maybe y’all will at least get a laugh out of it.)
It looks like Perpetua to me.
Definitely Scholastica–reaching out her limbs as she strains sunward for knowledge!
One of my characters silently chants to ten when she stirs soup or taps her pen or chews a bagel–and she has no idea why, though she’s been doing it since she was not quite four.
I’ll guess the plant pictured is Scholastica. 🙂
I am not real creative on coming up with quirks. What I’ve seen that can work well in crafting a quirk is for the behavior to be an action that came from an event in younger years. Or a response to a certain emotion.
One of my heroines hides from every camera . . . for good reason. I’m trying to develop a list of quirks to spur my creativity when I’m creating characters.
Great topic, Tamela.
Wow – what a great idea for a post and how very creative you all are!!! I need more focus in quirk land and am now inspired.
Congrats Andrew – an. Pegg – I love the vehicle naming. Ane – my favorite quirk of the day – silverware counting.
Definitely Scholastica. I’ve never named my houseplants, but perhaps, thanks to your example, I will. But I have a black thumb instead of a green one so my ivy isn’t in the same league as yours.
Ooops! In answer to your question I should have written about my character’s personality traits instead of my own, or those of my house plants.
The main character in my newest book, A Shadow of Fear, is afraid of many things and quarrels with his brother, but is also determined.
I just saw this relevant post by a friend:
http://jeanettehanscome.com/no-excuses
I guessed scholastica for about the same reason as Deb. Looks like it is researching to me, which I have been doing a lot of lately.
My hero likes to play act with the children, which I guess is a little like me. I love doing that.
I haven’t named my plants but I name just about everything else.
Have a dozen goofy names for my husband. Last one being my Pup because when I ask him if he wants to go for a ride, he says,”Can I hang my head out the window?” lol
The plant looks like Perpetua to me.
As far as quirks go, it is our quirkiness that make the mundane story of daily life more interesting. It is what gives everyday characters depth and personality. If all of us were exactly the same, the story would quickly become dull.
Besides, if it is “quirkiness” that makes us stand apart from everyone else, how is that a bad thing? I mean the Lord has called us all to be sanctified, set apart. Not like everyone else.
That’s my story… and I am sticking to it!
Okay, Tamela, when will you reveal the secret to us? What is that plant’s name?
LOL — Okay, the big reveal. I absolutely love all the answers, by the way. And in hindsight, I should have shown all three to be fair.
Ta daa! She’s Magnifica.
YESSSS!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the answer, Tamela. Do you have another ivy plant named Scholastica after the Ivy League?
I love that you name your houseplants, Tamela. 🙂
Now I don’t feel so “quirky” about talking to my African Violets. 😉
My heroines always love children—and genuinely enjoy spending time with little ones (which is definitely moi!).