Hocus Pocus and All That
By Maureen L. Bonatch
Memorable, Forgettable & Annoying Character Traits
I love a good pair of socks. I can’t describe exactly what makes them ‘good, but I know when I find them, or when I wear them. So the only person who really knows this about me, is me. Close friends and family probably know that I always have my Blistex and that I can’t get enough water, read as much as I can and/or that I’m rather introverted until it’s time for dancing.
I love music, and my favorite artist as a teen and for years after was Prince (even through his time as a symbol and as the artist formerly known as Prince). I was heartbroken when he died but more shocked at how many people reached out to me on social media from the present, and way-way in the past, because they remembered that I loved his music.
Character Traits
You might say these are things that might be identified as my character traits. These are things that other people might notice and remember more than saying I have brown hair or my height—because I’d bet there are a lot of five-foot seven brunettes walking around and unless someone is standing by a ruler, I’d be hard pressed to narrow down their exact height.
Think about how you might describe yourself, or how others might explain how to identify you. It might be something a little more subtle, or not-so-subtle like my hubby. More than one person who didn’t know his name has referred to him as, ‘that big, loud guy.’
These are also things that help make the characters in a story memorable, whether you’re reading the story, or writing it. Character traits are what bring me back to a series to revisit those characters I love, or what stops me from reading further because I can’t relate to them, or they annoy me.
Memorable Characters
As a reader, I love to find a new favorite character and then discover that they have an ongoing series. Just like hanging with a good friend, I want to visit them again and again.
As a writer, it can be challenging to craft that character that is memorable and that a reader can relate to. In addition, when you’re writing a series, you have to want to stay with that character for a long time so it’s helpful to like them and enjoy their company. I still recall the very first novel I wrote (still in a ‘drawer’, suffering through many edits, but still may never see the light of day). When someone reviewed that story for me they said that my hero sounded like an a$$hole. Umm…not much of a hero, lol.
Sadly, their assessment made sense, but I was grateful that they shared that because it really helped me understand the importance of fleshing out a character—and that sarcasm doesn’t always come across well.
Speaking of characters, let me introduce you to Marissa
I’ve been spending a lot of time with her as the protagonist of my Charmed Cocktail Cozy series. Her pink hair might make her memorable in appearance, but I’m hoping her kind heart, quirky sense of humor and dogged determination to overcome her lackluster spelling abilities make her a character you want to get to know better.
Curses, Cats & Corpses in the first in the Charmed Cocktail Cozy series. Here’s a little bit about it:
Hi, I’m Marissa Hale. I took a summer job at a nightclub in Florida to escape the cold Pennsylvania winter, and to visit Gran. Although staying with Gran at the retirement condo with a bunch of nosey witches becomes the least of my worries when I stumble upon a corpse in the club freezer.
I can only hope to avoid making this a permanent vacation in the slammer by solving this murder mystery with the help of Gran, a talking cat, and a demon with a real devil-doesn’t-care attitude.
What Are Your Character Traits?
*Post originally featured on Paranormal Romantics Blogspot
© 2022 Maureen L. Bonatch All Rights Reserved
Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival.
http://www.maureenbonatch.com/
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