Things Your English Teacher Won't Tell You

Or, How To Make Your Characters Stand Out

What is a hook? To a fisherman it is a tool to catch a fish. To a guitar player it’s that catchy opening riff of a great song. But to a writer, a hook is something to hang your character from, or more specifically, something to hang attributes off of your characters.

So, what does that mean?

It means that the characters you create – every character – needs some quirky little bits of description that make them seem like realistic individuals. A hook can be anything, from physical appearance to the way the speak or move or what they wear. It can be a hobby or a particular talent they have, or maybe something they really hate, or…

Well, hooks are just those little bits and pieces that make a person whole. All of us, every single person on this planet we share, has hooks. We just don’t notice them.

Maybe you are writing about a teenage boy who desperately wants to be an athlete, but unfortunately is so uncoordinated he can’t walk and talk and chew bubblegum at the same time. Showing him stumbling up a set of steps or dropping his lunch tray before he can set down to eat is all part of the hook. Or perhaps it’s a girl who is just a touch on the vain side and simply can’t pass a mirror or window without checking her appearance. Conversely, they might be someone who absolutely hates seeing themselves in a mirror and will go to great lengths to avoid their reflection, and heaven help us if someone happens to snap a picture of them.

Physical appearance can be used as hooks, too, but, you need to be specific. It isn’t enough for your character to be attractive, you have to show what it is that makes them attractive. If, for instance, they have stunning blue eyes, let another character comment on them.

“That sweater really makes your eyes stand out. I’ve never seen them look so blue, before.”

Or, maybe your character is bald and self-conscious about it.

“You remember Murphy, right? The guy with the bad comb-over.”

Mannerisms also make great hooks. The key is to be consistent with them. If you have a character who constantly lies, give them a ‘tell,’ a little tic they do every time they stretch the truth. “You can tell when Bob is lying. He always does that stupid little laugh at the end of every sentence.” Just make sure they do this whenever they are caught lying.

Maybe it’s an unusual hobby they have, or something they eat that’s a little out of the norm. If they like spicy food, show them putting Siracha on everything, whether it belongs there or not. Or they could have an allergy to something or a religious conviction that keeps them from eating the things their friends take for granted. Anything that sets a character apart gives them depth. And the more you use a character, the more hooks you will find. Some of them are by design, things you need them to do to advance the story, while other hooks happen organically, little throw away bits you drop in as you are writing that suddenly make the character pop out in your mind. Some of the very bets character attributes are ones that just seem to arrive out of nowhere as you are writing.

Which brings up the question, what is the best way to introduce a hook? As we have already seen, one of the easiest ways is for another character to bring it up.

“There is no way in hell that I am getting on that bike with you. That thing is a death trap!”

Or, your character can point it out. “Come on, don’t be such a wuss, get on! I haven’t tipped the old Red Rocket over all week.”

Another way to weave in a bit of character description is to just come out and say it. Arididus was a tall gaunt man, whose years of bending over ancient parchments had left him with a permanent squint. Just remember that whenever Arididus speaks to someone or looks at something to mention that he squints.

The sky is the limit when it comes to hooks. Take a good look at the people around you – yourself included – and think about what little quirks you would use to describe them if you had to do it with only a single paragraph. Now, take those observations and think about how they could be woven into the fabric of the characters you create.