Uncommon characteristics count

As writers, we sometimes get hung up on height and weight and color of eyes and hair when describing our characters, real or fictional. Those are characteristics common to all of us. If you want to make a character interesting, focus on the uncommon things about the person. Even the most trivial deviation can bring a human quality to the character.
Sinclair Lewis once described one of his characters as a middle-aged, bald real estate broker who was Presbyterian, Rotarian and whose digestive system didn't handle corn very well.
Jack McKeon is a real-life baseball personality. At age 80, he was recently brought out of retirement to manage the Florida Marlins. A sportswriter who has known McKeon for years described his unique way of fascinating people with his old baseball stories. The writer said, "The key to really appreciating a good McKeon anecdote is to sit or stand as close as possible. When he's in full storytelling mode, he'll tap whoever is adjacent to him right before delivering the punch line. Although it can be somewhat unnerving if he's tapping you with the hand that's holding the cigar..."