Mannerisms: definition and examples
A mannerism is a habitual gesture, phrase or way of behaving, often unconscious, that marks a particular person.
Mannerisms are what a character does over and over without thinking: a phrase they repeat, a gesture when nervous, a way of standing. Traits say who someone is. Mannerisms show it. Dickens built some of fiction's most memorable people on a single mannerism, from Uriah Heep's umbleness to Mr. Jaggers biting his finger.
Habits that do the characterizing
A trait is an abstract quality: nervous, proud, generous. A mannerism is the concrete behavior a reader can watch, like the nervous man who straightens every pen on the desk. Readers infer the trait from the mannerism, which convinces them more than being told would.
Repetition is what makes it a mannerism. Wiping away a tear once is an action. Biting a knuckle every time tears threaten is a mannerism. The reader learns to read it. Soon they start to anticipate it.
Examples
"I'm a very umble person."
David Copperfield, Chapter 16, Charles Dickens
Uriah Heep's verbal tic advertises humility so hard that the reader smells ambition underneath.
"he frequently ground the palms against each other as if to squeeze them dry and warm"
David Copperfield, Chapter 16, Charles Dickens
The physical match for the verbal one. Heep's clammy hands turn his false humility into something the reader can almost feel.
"biting the side of his great forefinger as he frowned at me"
Great Expectations, Chapter XI, Charles Dickens
Jaggers repeats this gesture through the novel. It becomes his signal of menace, with no dialogue needed.
"Mr. Micawber (whom I will never desert)"
David Copperfield, Chapter 42, Charles Dickens
Mrs. Micawber's refrain. Said often enough, a loyal phrase turns comic, then touching.
Using mannerisms without overusing them
Give each major character one or two, tied to who they are. A mannerism that reveals a trait, like the liar who over-explains, does double work. A random quirk added for color is just noise.
Keep them consistent. If a character taps the table when anxious in chapter two, she should not switch to cracking her knuckles in chapter nine. Note each character's mannerisms in [Story DNA](/features/story-dna), then ask Talk to your book where she last did it, so the habit shows up often enough to register but not so often it grates.
Common mistakes
Confusing mannerism with trait
Brave is a trait. Squaring his shoulders before a fight is a mannerism. Show the second to suggest the first.
Repeating it too often
A tic in every scene stops characterizing and starts irritating. Let it appear at moments of pressure.
Giving everyone one
If every character has a signature gesture, none of them stands out.
Common questions
- What is the difference between a mannerism and a quirk?
- They overlap. A quirk is any odd habit or preference; a mannerism is specifically a repeated way of speaking or moving. Many quirks reach the page as mannerisms.
- How many mannerisms should a character have?
- For most characters, one or two the reader can learn. Main characters can carry a few more, as long as each one says something about them. ---
Related terms
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