When I’m developing a new character I often throw a monkey wrench into the works to create internal tension. I give this person a trait (an obsession, a habit, a fixation, a physical peculiarity or mannerism) that seems to cut against the grain of his or her personality. I find that these contradictions usually add depth and dimension, and stimulate me to think about my character in new ways.
See 
ooh, this is a nice idea. example? definitely deserves another blog post — would love to hear about a particular thing you do like that for THIS book. and hey, can nameberry be over there with your favorite sites???
What a coincidence — I just wrote a follow-up post. It’ll be up tomorrow!
[...] 1, 2009 by bakerkline A writer friend, Cindy Handler, asks: “A few posts back [Writing Tip #3: Use a Monkeywrench] you mentioned that you like to give your characters a trait that goes counter to their basic [...]