Lesson 4, Discussion

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Lesson Four, Discussion

          My overall goal for signing up for this class was to develop more believable characters (more rounded and not flat.) Tina Morgan offers one great technique to do this. “Give your characters mannerisms." Learning by her examples as: tapping a foot, biting fingernails, a toss of the head, running fingers through hair.
          I will make sure that my characters show a few mannerisms, but as unnoticeable as possible. I’ve learned a few techniques in depicting the physical appearance of characters. Now by giving them various mannerisms or traits, my characters will be far more interesting than without them.
          I’ve been considering creating traits in Danny Ko, my side kick to my protagonist, Nick Novak. One: Grinds his teeth slightly when irritated, Two: He reveals his friendly disposition to everyone until they display a negative attitude, then he becomes silent and brushes downward on the arm of his coat sleeve with his hand.
          Nick’s traits will be as: One: Nick puts hand in pocket to jingle his change. Two: He pulls on his shaved face as one may pull on their beard. Three: Taps pen on his desk to enhance his thinking.

Frankly, the imagination, if unleashed, could write a hundred physical mannerisms people have. When I think back on people who I've seen, several arise immediately:

1 Pulling on one's coat sleeve
2. Pulling on one's ear.
3. Pulling on one's tie.
Pulling the wool over one's eyes. (heh, heh,--just a joke. Don’t get mad.
4 Really, though, I've used pounding ones' fist into the other hands' palm. (This would work when some highly emotional news had been received.)
5. The cracking of knuckles.
6. Spitting on the sidewalk (Maybe when a person considers what he had just learned was not agreeable to him.

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A little light talk

Besides using these physical traits and mannerisms, I'm going to check in with the teacher, Ms. Katz, and the class about vocal or oral idiosyncrasies as: What if a character repeats regularly certain sayings as: (That's Life,) or (Fake it till you make it) or (Good as gold?) Should these sayings or clichés be removed or changed? Maybe a few of these would color a character's language. There have been lessons on obliterating clichés, but what if a character uses them; is that good?