Writing good characters means creating story personalities that not only capture readers’ attention but feel real, like us. Cardboard cutout characters won’t stand out or win fans. One way to make characters resonate with readers is to give them something we all understand–creature comforts.
The idiom “creature comforts” has been around for ages and means all those small things in life that make us cozy and happy. For the anxiety-prone, like me, creature comforts aren’t just nice but are often required to alleviate stress. They offer security and ease tensions thanks to whatever mental importance we give to them. And even the darkest, most villainous characters have them. So, when writing good characters, knowing their creature comforts adds depth and realism.
Security blankets are a great example. One of my siblings *identity withheld for obvious reasons* carried a security blanket for more years than even Linus on Charlie Brown. Eventually, the blanket simply disintegrated from overuse, breaking into shreds until disappearing altogether. Now an adult, blankets still feature in his décor and comfort. And the perfect host, he often hands them out to guests when they’re chilly–truly a creature comfort.
My mom’s comfort thing was flashlights. She bought them in bulk. Every drawer, tabletop, purse, car, and bedside had one, and she could whip one out quicker than a gun out of a holster.
We all have our things, don’t we? Things we carry. Items we check. Things we feel lost without. And when writing good characters, it adds a quirky layer of realism to give them such things, too.
Phones are an obvious creature comfort these days–we can’t put them down. Other obvious ones are warm baths, glasses of wine, fuzzy slippers, or afternoon naps.
But when it comes to writing good characters, it’s more useful to go with unique creature comforts or security blankets–things that truly make them at ease because if the writer does her job, they will need them in the story.
Here are some writing ideas to get you started on thinking about character comforts:
- Pets—a popular but appropriate choice and, bonus, it seems like you can take them practically everywhere these days, support animal or not. What pet identifies well with your character?
- Planners, address books, schedules, itineraries.
- Plants—I talk to mine, don’t you?
- CBD Oil, gummies, teas—very trendy nowadays
- Luck charms—rabbit’s feet, dreamcatchers, religious symbols, jewelry
- Essential oils—sprays, candles, infused jewelry, lotions, plug-ins, diffusers
- Notebooks & pens–I carry them everywhere.
- Chewing gum, Chewing tobacco, toothpicks
- Wallet, purse, backpack, fanny pack, messenger bag
- Favorite sweatshirt, ratty college t-shirt, bathrobe, PJs, fuzzy bunny slippers
- Chocolate or any comfort foods (see list below)
- Music—Alexa, play a Post Malone station
- Lip balm, Strawberry Chapstick, fire engine red lip stain
- Umbrella—a la Father Brown
- Teddy bears, dolls, puppets, ventriloquist dummy
- BOOKS! Particularly, a well-rated mystery series by an up-and-comer in self-publishing… hint, hint.
What could your character rely on for peace of mind? And what could that thing reveal about him?
You could also go villainous with the question–what’s your killer’s creature comfort–something that would make the rest of us cringe. Oh, and don’t forget to read my Best Ways to Get Murdered in a Mystery Series.
Now, think comfort foods–another form of creature comfort. A character’s comfort foods tell us something unique, often memorable, about them. And writers use them all the time to add flavor to their characters (ha, pun). Maybe your character has a weakness for…
- Shoney’s Hot Fudge Cake (pictured)
- Carnival food–funnel cakes, candy apples, pretzels, hot dogs
- Double Stuffed Oreos
- Chicken Noodle Soup–it’s not just for when you’re feeling sick anymore
- Snickers Bars
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches dipped in tomato soup
- Chocolate Chip Cookies dipped in milk
- Nachos–the cheesier, the better; the spicier, the better
- Girl Scout Cookies (Thin Mints are my fav)
- Sardines on crackers
- Twinkies (Remember Al Powell in Die Hard?)
- Ants on a Log
- McDonald’s Fries with a chocolate shake (A pregnancy fav)
- Peanut M&M’s
- Pizza, pizza dipped in Ranch
- Baklava (I freakin’ love that stuff)
- Fried Frog Legs (They taste like chicken)
- Pot Brownies
- Cream Puffs (You can buy ‘em in bulk at Sam’s, not that I do *wink*)
- Chocolate-covered coffee beans
- Mac-n-cheese, mac-n-cheese, mac-n-cheese. Yum.
Hungry? Yeah, me too. But no time for food—get writing! Share your best creature comforts for writing good characters below. Also, share any ideas for future creature comfort lists… this may only be the beginning.
A few of mine are… crime and mystery shows, like Poirot, Law and Order, and Murder, She Wrote (She taught me so much!), hot tea in the evenings, good books (of course!), our pets Brownie and Jimothy, and anything chocolate.
For more writing prompts and ideas, check out my blog.
