Ep. 248 CREATE QUIRKY CHARACTERS?
Every time you introduce a character in your story, you have an opportunity for humor. Quirky characters are familiar, engaging, and create memorable moments in presentations. Darren is joined by Television Writer & Producer Chris McGuire to discuss the people in our stories and how to make them unforgettable. SNIPPETS: • Use quirky characters to create memorable moments that enhance speaker relatability with the audience. • Character traits are the qualities that make a character memorable. (Brave, smart, loyal) Quirks are exaggerated, unusual or unexpected qualities that add humor or intrigue to stories. • Base your characters in reality and avoid making logical jumps that lead the audience to “crazytown.” • Use the following quirks to make your characters memorable: Distinctive habits, ususual interests, eccentric speech patterns, exaggerated fashion and physical traits. • Good joke formats for explaining quirks include “They were so [QUALITY]m that BLANK.” Or, “They’re the type of person who [GIVE EXAMPLE OF QUIRK] • Use comedic twists to introduce quirks • Quirks usually involve something the characters in your stories don’t know about each other. • When using twists, you set expectations and then subvert them. • Use sparingly or risk the audience noticing the “magic trick.”