forum What are some hobbies and interests I could give my characters?
Started by Kat
tune

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@BrennaKadavsky

If you know what they look like and how they act, you can go off that for some hobbies they would enjoy.
Playing a musical instrument
Reading a certain genre of books contrary to their personality
Watching (Pick an animal) videos

@The-N-U-T-Cracker

Hobbies are probably my favorite part of character building, they really make a character feel human and can be so much fun to write!
I compiled a list of some, which I've organized into two groups.

If you're looking for more unique, creative, or interesting hobbies, then maybe go for one of these:

Eggshell carving
Antique collecting
Calligraphy
Pottery
Gingerbread house making/decorating
Rock collecting
Origami
Metal working
Scrapbooking
Embroidery
Paper quilling
Glass blowing
Trampolines
Birdwatching
Wine tasting
Woodburning
Geocaching
Cobbling
Model railroad building
Scuba diving
Language learning/Ancient language learning
Genealogy
Science experiments
Weapon crafting
Hula hooping
Skydiving

Or if you're looking for something more basic and common, try one of these:

Drawing
Cooking
Painting
Blogging/Vlogging
Gardening
Songwriting
Journaling
Photography
Exercise
Writing
Swimming
Hiking
Knitting/Crochet
Hunting
Dance
Shopping
Poetry
Acting
Sewing
Reading
Chess/Puzzles/Board games
Sports
Biking
Learning
Playing instruments
Running
Traveling
Watching movies/TV
Camping
Gambling
Baking
Video games
Woodworking
Archery

And remember, hobbies don't always have to completely fit the character's personality. Sometimes a childish, innocent, happy-go-lucky character might like to spend their time watching serial killer documentaries, or maybe the shy, anxious, introverted character enjoys traveling the world and seeing new cultures. Often times, hobbies that don't perfectly fit the characters usual personality can be way more interesting and memorable than the common, cookie-cutter "nerdy girl likes books, social girl likes parties" thing, so don't stress too much about which ones you choose. Find some that you think would be fun to write, and write them.
Trust me, it's a lot of fun. :D

@HighPockets group

What's important is balance. A lot of writers try to show that a character is tough by having them be super skilled at fighting, motorcycling, etc. but in real life, hobbies are just things you pick up. Maybe the super tough bad boy is a devoted knitter because his grandma taught him how to. Maybe the happy go lucky nice girl is a crack shot with a bow.
Try not to have a lot of mundane hobbies, but also don't have their hobbies look like the past of a superspy.

@WaffleWizard

I like looking up hobby generators and giving hobbies to random characters because that's what real life does when people are made