The Ultimate Guide To Distinctive Character Mannerisms

When you have an ensemble novel filled with myriad characters, all fighting their own battles and embarking on their own journeys of inner growth, strong characterization is essential. Each figure walking along the stage of your story should have their own inherent voice, movements, and behavior. If they don’t, there’s a good chance they’ll get lost in the dialogue tag scuffle.

One of the most foolproof ways to distinguish your characters is through mannerisms—the minute details that make up each unique human being. Let’s dive into what this term means, and how writing character mannerisms can help elevate your story, character development, and worldbuilding.

Some examples of character mannerisms might be things like someone using emphatic hand gestures when they speak, running a hand through their hair when they’re nervous, or unconsciously rubbing their nose when they’re lying. Mannerisms can be used to help differentiate characters so they don’t get lost in a crowded narrative, or to hint at what’s going on beneath the surface of a scene.

We’ll give you some helpful character mannerism ideas below!

Types of character mannerisms

Character mannerisms fall into three broad categories: the way characters talk, the way they move, and the way they behave. Here’s a closer look at each one.

1. Speech mannerisms

Speech mannerisms refer to the way a character speaks. This can be things like stuttering, mumbling, raising one’s voice at the end of a sentence, overusing certain words, using old-fashioned expressions, or incorporating regional dialect.

2. Physical mannerisms

Physical mannerisms are personality traits that are expressed through movement. This could be the way a character plays with their hair, shifts their balance from one foot to the other, tilts their head to one side, or takes broad, sweeping steps.

3. Behavioral mannerisms

Behavioral mannerisms refer to the unique character traits which people use to express themselves. This could be things like making eye contact or avoiding eye contact, laughing loud and often, singing or dancing, checking their appearance in every reflective surface, swearing, or reciting bits of trivia.

These mannerisms can overlap with speech mannerisms and physical body mannerisms. However, speech and body language mannerisms are completely unconscious, and solely about body language and voice. Behavioral mannerisms can be conscious or unconscious, and they have to do with the character’s personality. This is a great way to let readers understand your characters on a deeper level.

Examples of character mannerisms in literature and film

Want to see how this literary technique looks in practice? Here are some examples of characters that have been enhanced by well-placed mannerisms.

Grahame Coates from Anansi Boys

The villain of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys is a fantastically drawn character. He’s as cheerful as he is sadistic, and loves to engage in clichés at every opportunity: “‘Co-operate and you will both be released unharmed. Co-operate and nobody gets hurt. That means,’ he said, delighted to find himself able to deploy an entire battalion of clichés hitherto off limits, ‘no funny business.’” Grahame’s reliance on cinematic clichés shows how much he sees himself as the hero of his own story.

Samantha Stevens from Bewitched

Perhaps the most famous character mannerism of our age is the magical nose twitch that actress Elizabeth Montgomery adopted for her role in the TV series Bewitched. Every time she needs to make a problem go away, she twitches her nose from side to side and shenanigans ensue. Even though the mannerism is fictionalized, it actually stemmed from Montgomery’s own nervous habit. Now, the nose twitch is recognized worldwide.

Mia Thermopolis from The Princess Diaries

The awkward heroine of Meg Cabot’s YA series, and later film adaption, embodies the growing pains of teenhood. Mia’s grandmother can always tell when she’s lying, and eventually confesses that Mia’s nostrils flare every time she lies. Mia is naturally horrified at such a blatant unconscious tell. This is a good example of a mannerism that’s used to convey something very specific about a character’s experience, and the way it can be used as an exchange between characters to further the plot.

How to find the right mannerisms for your characters

Not every character is built exactly the same way, and developing the right mannerisms for your unique character will take some exploration. Try out at least a few of these methods to help define your character’s mannerisms.

1. Build a character template

Working with a character template can be a great way to understand what makes your character who they are. A biographical template will help you explore your character’s background, physical features, relationships, and the way they interact with the world around them. Cultivating this in-depth knowledge of your characters will make their mannerisms feel authentic and natural.

And! You’re in luck—we have a detailed character bio template to get you going!

2. Explore how your character sees themselves

Mannerisms can be a good way to communicate your character’s self perception. For instance, if a character always laughs at their own jokes, they may think they’re the life of the party. Someone who’s always moving out of other people’s way might see themselves as being less valuable, or of a lower status.

Sometimes, these self perceptions might be at odds with how the character is perceived by those around them. This can be a useful way to convey the external vs. internal self.

3. Examine your character’s backstory

The way a character develops certain mannerisms can be an indication of things that have happened in their past. For example, a character that acts anxious around crowds might be processing something that happened to them in a crowded environment. Or, a character that hides at loud noises might have developed the habit through a negative past experience, like a war.

Consider how your character has been shaped by their upbringing, their family, their early careers, or the challenges of their natural environment. These experiences will inevitably manifest into mannerisms.

4. Draw from your own experiences

We all have mannerisms. Some, we may not even be aware of. Consider how you act when you’re nervous, self-conscious, excited, or annoyed. How do you behave when you want to remove yourself from a situation? What about when you’re crushing on someone? How do you deal with stress?

It may help to ask family and friends what they’ve noticed, as many of these mannerisms may be unconscious. Once you’re aware of them, you can begin incorporating them into your characterization.

5. Try “method writing”

Method writing draws from the method acting technique, and it means going out and embodying your characters in real life for a little while. By experiencing the physical and tactile sensations of your characters, and imagining how they would behave in believable situations, you can discover mannerisms that feel authentic to those characters.

(Probably best not to “method write” if you’re creating a devious villain, though!)

How to use a character’s mannerisms effectively

Once you’ve uncovered your character’s unique traits, it’s time to bring them to life. Here are a few fun ways you can do that throughout your story.

1. Have fun with dialogue

Dialogue is one of the most challenging tools for a writer to master, especially when it comes to giving distinct voices to a range of characters. To showcase your characters’ mannerisms, introduce conversations and interactions in which these mannerisms come to the forefront.

This is a great way to juxtapose contrasting foil characters, as we’ll look at below. It’s also a useful tool for giving readers a “show, don’t tell” insight into your characters.

2. Juxtapose foil characters

Creating character foils is a useful way to highlight contrasting character traits, particularly if you have an expansive cast. To juxtapose foil characters, put them in a situation where they display contrasting mannerisms.

For example, how do two friends behave when they’re at a party? Maybe one shakes hands with everyone they meet, while the other looks at the floor and avoids being touched. Or maybe one constantly touches their hair, while the other heads straight for the food.

You can also juxtapose foil characters through their voices or the way they speak. For instance, one character might use more reserved, formal language while the other uses more contractions and colloquial slang.

3. Illustrate your character’s dynamic arc

One of the most powerful ways to use your characters’ mannerisms is to show how they change across the course of the novel. A simple shift in speech patterns or body language can communicate broad character arcs. For instance, a character who begins by pacing nervously or exhibiting anxious movements might then turn into someone with a calm, grounded presence. Or, someone who’s constantly checking their makeup might then embrace being a human, relatable mess.

In real life, character traits ebb and flow depending on how we evolve as people. This makes them one of the best tools to “show, not tell” your character development.

4. Study mannerisms in the wild

To better understand mannerisms in your character building, see how they manifest in real people! Watch the way that people interact, whether it’s a group of friends you go out on the town with or a family you stealthily observe at a neighborhood café.

Which member of the group is the most confident? The most reserved? The most intelligent? Do any of them draw from other cultures? What can you learn about them through their body language, actions, and ways of speaking? Observe their movements and facial expressions, and how they work with language to voice their ideas. Write it all down for future use.

Pitfalls to avoid when developing character mannerisms

When used incorrectly, character mannerisms can be more distracting than useful. Here are some pitfalls to keep in mind when creating mannerisms that heighten your story.

1. Overusing your character mannerisms

When you find just the right mannerism to characterize a figure in your story, it can be tempting to splash it all over the page at every chance you get. Realistically, people don’t exhibit their own mannerisms constantly (see next step); these character traits arise in certain tense moments and when confronted with certain situations.

2. Using mannerisms inconsistently

Be mindful of mixing conflicting character mannerisms. For instance, someone who stutters or avoids eye contact while talking probably wouldn’t exhibit confident mannerisms like talk loudly or move to the front of a crowd.

Mannerisms aren’t just decorative; they reveal important information about a character’s personality. This means that every mannerisms needs to remain in character.

3. Relying too heavily on cliché

Certain character mannerisms have become so imbued in our collective consciousness that they’ve slid into cliché. For instance, how often do dastardly villains really stroke their hipster beards in thought? Do teenagers really roll their eyes five times in a single sentence? Or stuffy librarians clean their glasses and remark, “I say!”?

While clichéd mannerisms do have some root in truth, be sure that your mannerisms come from the development work you’ve done on your unique human character, rather than just a broad idea of what this type of person should be.

The ultimate list of character mannerisms

Ready to start incorporating mannerisms into your characters? There are limitless ways a character can physically and verbally express themselves, but this list will give you a comprehensive place to start.

Mannerisms of confident characters

• Moving hair out of the face

• Solid, broad stance

• Pacing back and forth

• Swinging arms while walking

• Humming or singing

• Whistling

• Maintaining steady eye contact

• Gesturing with hands while telling a story

• Dominating a conversation

• Sprawling across a chair or sofa

• Moving ahead of a crowd

• Talking over others in the room

• Regularly interrupting

• Displays of public affection

• Wearing bright, obvious clothing

• Wearing overtly revealing clothing

• Looking straight ahead, rather than downwards

• Smiles easily

• Strong, loud voice

• Snapping fingers

Mannerisms of timid characters

• Raising inflection (ending on a question mark)

• Talking too quickly

• Regularly swallowing or clearing one’s throat

• Overusing buffer words: “Um”, “Like”, “Uh”, “Well”, “Y’know…”

• Biting one’s lower lip

• Playing with jewellery

• Fingernail biting

• Slumped posture

• Shifting weight from one foot to the other

• Avoiding eye contact

• Covering one’s mouth while smiling or laughing

• Letting people go ahead through doorways

• Regularly checking one’s reflection

• Rubbing the back of the neck

• Excessive sweating

• Pacing the room

Mannerisms of volatile characters

• Colorful swearing

• Clenching one’s jaw or grinding teeth

• Digging fingernails into palms

• Clenched fists

• Cracking knuckles

• Stretching fingers

• Drumming fingers in thought

• Tapping toes or feet

• Tensing shoulders

• Sudden changes in voice

• Sharp, erratic movements

• Rocking back and forth on heels

• Unconsciously shredding paper or clothing

• Self harm or indications of self harm

• Hyperfocus on seemingly insignificant details

Mannerisms of characters in love

• Running one’s hand through hair, or twirling hair around a finger

• Fluttering eyelashes

• Regularly checking one’s watch or phone

• Looking towards another character for reassurance or validation

• Constant texting

• Frequent daydreaming

• Heightened awareness of one’s appearance

• A tendency to miss obvious details

• Sudden changes in personality

• Mimicking body language

• Pouting

• Expressing oneself in new vocabulary

Mannerisms of characters managing trauma

• Speaking in a low voice or a whisper, even when unnecessary

• Running fingers over scars

• Standing ramrod straight

• Looking towards another character for reassurance or validation

• Jumping at sudden noises

• A fear of interrupting

• Keeping arms crossed defensively

• Apologizing often

• Managing difficult conversations through humor

• Avoiding physical contact

• Moving to the outer edge of crowds

• Shallow breathing

• Darting eyes

• Binge eating

• Rigid movements

• Covering ears or eyes

• Soundless footsteps

Mannerisms of curious characters

• Raised or furrowed eyebrows

• Over-enunciation

• Tilting one’s head thoughtfully

• Constantly asking questions

• Examining minute details

• Playfulness

• Cycling through new fads and trends

Other distinctive character mannerisms

• A tendency to mumble or slur words

• Lisping

• Meandering conversations; easily distracted

• Stuttering or repeating opening words

• Heavy sighs before starting a sentence

• Repeating entire sentences without noticing

• Using old-fashioned words

• Using regional dialect

• Alternating between multiple languages

• Using trademark words or phrases

• Wrinkling one’s nose

• Clasping hands

• Pursed lips

• Eyes drawn to certain shapes or colors

• Rubbing one’s nose or temple

• Leaning heavily on one side or the other

• Muttering under one’s breath

• Chewing gum

• Smoking

• Chewing a pen or pencil

• Sitting straight at the edge of a seat

• Doodling

• Flossing or using a toothpick between meals

• Playing with a hand device, such as a Rubix cube, puzzle, or fidget spinner

• Fidgeting with nearby distractions, such as labels or fabrics

• Rolling eyes

• Always shows up late, or early

• Falling asleep in irregular locations

• Wearing dark glasses

• Wearing a particular “good luck” item of clothing

• Checking and re-checking locks, schedules, or the news

• Flattery

• Disdain

• Communicating through touch

• Tearing up easily

• Grimacing

• Pressing lips together

There are many more quirks and traits that characterize the way people behave. Take a stroll and watch real people for inspiration!

Creating mannerisms builds complex, lifelike characters

We talk so much about developing rich, nuanced characters, but sometimes having a lot of characters on the page can make it difficult for each individual to really shine. Character mannerisms are a fantastic tool to distinguish the people who populate your story, as well as creating tension and a more vivid world. Now that you know how to write mannerisms, you have the entire breadth of the human experience to explore.