As writers, we want to make our characters as unique and interesting as possible. One way to do this is to give your character a special skill or talent that sets him apart from other people. This might be something small, like having a green thumb or being good with animals, to a larger and more competitive talent like stock car racing or being an award-winning film producer.
When choosing a talent or skill, think about the personality of your character, his range of experiences and who his role models might have been. Some talents might be genetically imparted while others are created through exposure (such as a character talented at fixing watches from growing up in his father’s watch shop) or grow out of interest (archery, wakeboarding, or magic). Don’t be afraid to be creative and make sure the skill or talent is something that works with the scope of the story.
MECHANICALLY INCLINED
Description: Mechanically inclined people are able to intuitively see how things work. Good with tools and machinery, they’re adept at fixing things and are often able to take unfamiliar items apart and…
Beneficial Strengths or Abilities: dexterity, being able to think non-linearly (seeing pieces of a set and identifying what’s missing…
Character Traits Suited For This Skill Or Talent: patience, being observant, being somewhat visionary in nature (able to look at pieces and see the whole picture)…
Associated Stereotypes and Perceptions: mechanics, inventors, geeky computer types, men
Scenarios Where This Skill Might Be Useful: in a dystopian society where broken items must be reused and repurposed rather than replaced; when a wealthy family wants to retain a handy person to do odd jobs around the property; a scenario in which…
Resources for Further Information:
The Handyman Club (info on DIY projects, including a list of helpful blogs)
Jobs for The Mechanically Minded
Just for fun: Take the How Mechanically Inclined Are You? Quiz
Talents and skills not only make our characters stand out, they often help them attain their goals. So choosing them strategically can greatly enhance both the character and the story.
If this is something you’d like to learn more about, you can find the entries in their entirety at One Stop For Writers, where all our thesauruses are cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you’re interested in seeing a free sampling of the Talent and Skill Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.
helpful
i am a lady who enjoy fixing anything right from when i was lilltle…i think i am mechanically minded but i just dont know how to develop this talent.
This is so important for characterization as well as plot. I love it when a skill is set up and integrated into the character, so when s/he uses that skill, it’s totally believable.
Holy heck, my hubby is mechanically minded and you’ve described him perfectly. He’s nick-named “MacGyver” at the fire station. Excellent work.
This is my dad to a T, so it was an easy one to write. Also, I went to college with a guy that we called MacGuyver. The lock on my car door broke, and he said he could fix it. Next thing I knew, my door was laying on the ground, he’d removed the lock and was holding all the little tumbler pieces in his hand. I asked him where he’d learned how to do this, and he said—-I’m not kidding you—-that he saw it on TV. As I had a heart attack. But he put everything back together, and sure enough, it worked great despite him never actually having done it before. This is one area I think it would be nice to be gifted in :).
This is my son. He was barely hatched when he started taking things apart and putting them back together.
This is great. I especially like “able to think non-linearly.” That is such a great skill and could be so useful in so many scenarios. Thanks for another great post.
They would come in handy like you said in and end-of-the-world scenario.
You ladies make me happy 🙂 ‘Nuf said 😀
P.S. Now that my checking acct. is no longer “empty”—buying the “traits” books! (Already have “Emotion”) Can’t wait! 😀 😀 😀
Yay! Let us know what you think, good or bad :).