I was over reading R.L. LaFevers blog post, Quirks and Foibles, and I thought it was interesting what she believes can contribute to the seeds of a writer:

“It seems to me that the best writers, the ones whose books really stay with me, are connoisseurs of human nature. Being proficient at craft, or excelling at it, is good, but not enough, nor is a crackerjack plot. I relish learning things about the human condition and people.”

This may be true for me as well. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by people and their choices (and consequences). I lived a very full childhood, with adventures, kooky relatives, and a rich Southern tradition of storytelling.

People watching is definitely something I did (and still do) — but mostly I was known as a “meddler” — always searching for unusual things in places I wasn’t supposed to be looking. I found a LOT of things little girls probably shouldn’t have stumbled upon. Hee, hee.

Through these experiences, I learned about the contradictions of people. You can learn a lot from the objects people hold dear to their hearts — or better yet what they hide. It reveals a part of them that the outside world may never see.

When creating characters, I always tend think in contradictions. For instance in my WIP novel, Luke is a tough guy with a sordid past who loves to bake and wants to be a pastry chef. Another character, Alexis, is a beautiful 17-year old with a fashionista bent but loves mathematics. And so it goes in real life — people can be a list of contradictions — even if you never see it.

But maybe I should also delve deeper and think about my character’s quirks and foibles. Instead of just randomly assigning them — I need to think about why they have them. It can’t do anything but make a more authentic character as a result.

Definitely go over and read the post. LaFevers also gives some great examples.