Character Quirks

Ah, Character Quirks. As important as they are, I don't think they get the attention they deserve, and though I've been writing for several years, I didn't fully realize their importance either until about a year ago. They are what takes the character from a 2-D poster on the wall that no one really cares about, to a leaving, breathing human being.

Well, now that I've made it clear they're important, what are they exactly? They go far beyond hair and eye color or skin tone and height. It's the character's unique body language. The way they hate eggs cooked any way other than hard-boiled or in a cake. Their speech pattern. Allergies, obsessions, beliefs, favorite color(s), how quick they are to get angry or cry, whether they're more prone to a fight or flight response, their mismatched socks, their unique pet peeves, and the list could go on forever.

I'll give you an example through a character profile:
Name: Samuel
Age: 10
Gender: Boy
Hair color: Brown
Skin tone: Pale
Eye Color: Brown

That's alright I suppose, but what if we added a bit more? It would give you, (and the reader), a better idea of what the character's like.
Name: Samuel
Age: 10
Gender: Boy
Hair color: Brown
Skin tone: Pale
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 4'10"
Clothing (at start of story): White and yellow striped T-shirt with blue jeans and tennis shoes.
Favorite thing: Pet bearded dragon
Favorite color: Yellow
Greatest fear: Crashing his bike
Greatest hope: That he'll get to eat ice cream on Sunday like he always does
Pet peeve: Being called "Sam" instead of "Samuel"
Food allergies: Peanuts
Unique body language: When he's nervous he taps his foot, especially while sitting. If standing he holds his hands behind his back and cracks his knuckles.
Best friend: Tommy
Worst injury: Crashing his bike going as fast as he possibly could down a hill in the park. He broke his wrist.
Favorite food: Ice cream
Least favorite food: Asparagus
Birthday: March 16th, 2006
Family: Mother (insert name), Father (insert name), Teenage Sister (insert name)
Hobby: Feeding mealworms to his pet bearded dragon

As you can see, a lot of these probably don't have much to do with anything in the book, but if you (the author) know Samuel inside and out, then he will come off more authentic to the reader, especially if you can take the quirks that do have something to do with the plot and include them. Give Samuel a reason to be nervous and crack his knuckles or tap his foot. Include a Sunday where he doesn't get ice cream, or maybe he crashes his bike again. Maybe his mom even makes him wear a red shirt to school one day instead of his favorite, yellow.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless! If you haven't already, give it a try. Your readers will thank you. :)