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• 1 2015-12-01T22:54:24-08:00 How Do I Write a Noir Character? 12 plain 2015-12-03T08:06:36-08:00 Since noir is character driven, one of the key focus points of your writing should be to accurately portray characters, both through their dialogues and interactions. 
  
  The way your character dresses is very important. 
  
  During noir's heyday, men were men.  They dressed snappy and talked snappy. Much like these sentences here. Make 'em choppy, short and sweet. Full of smart remarks and quick thinking, see? This will additionally strengthen the contrast from their longer dialogues. Aside from quick wit and rambling spiels, your character will speak in a lot of metaphors. "She was lookin' like a spider. A venomous body held up by long legs." Your main character is usually the most moral fella in his amoral world. He will use harsh and sometimes obscene language, but only sparingly, to generate a certain feeling or punctuate a strong statement. His dimwitted counterparts and lowly degenerates will use curse words more often than he. Your main character will be smart, able to persevere, and willing to do anything to reach their goal. A good cop will never think twice about bending the law, and will find ways to get it done by the book. Every other cop or detective won't show any hesitation or consideration when they go outside the lines. 
  
  The same is also true with broads. The way they present themselves is very important.
  
  Women will always appear seductive. Even if their bodies are almost completely covered by their clothing, they're scarcely seen without makeup and their hair will never be unkempt or unclean. Women will speak in a similar matter to men, in short, cut and dry sentences. However, the women characters in noir are of two types. There are femme fatales, who present themselves as desperate and vulnerable, but in reality, they are cunning, manipulative, and usually drive the main character to destruction. The other kind of female character is loyal, helpful, and loving without any sort of ulterior motives. Unfortunately, since noir exclusively features bad endings, this woman may inadvertently ruin the main character just like the femme fatales. 
  
  Your characters will reside in big American cities. Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Boston. It's almost always dark rainy, and full of crime. Their side of town is seedy, full of whores, drugs, and other vices. This will only add to the cynical nature of your characters.