Character Stereotypes: The Neat-Freak

Main Entry: neat•freak
Pronunciation: \ˈneet freek\
Function: noun

1 : a person who exhibits a pattern of behavior characterized by obsessive cleaning and ordering

If your character color-codes his sock drawer or lines up all her DVDs in alphabetical order, they qualify as neat-freaks.

Some out there in the world of psychology believe that Obsessive-Compulsive disorder operates on a continuum of sorts. On one end, you’ve got the germophobes, counters, and checkers (and double and triple checkers). They can’t function because their minds just won’t quit.

On the other end, you’ve got people who hand dry their pots and pans to avoid all trace evidence of watermarks, and those who have to iron their wrinkle-free shirts. These behaviors don’t interfere with their ability to function, but they do make them officially Type-A, for anal-retentive.

Kinda anomalous. Kinda admirable. Kinda aggravating.

How can you make your neat-freak pop on the page, larger than life? Read on for four insights that should help here.