Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.

Do any of your characters smoke cigarettes? Is this outdated? Should they be vaping if they are going to be smokers? Sometimes I make my characters smoke, probably when I'm craving one myself, but I have found myself less and less creating smoking characters. Do you think this is a character trait that should just be dropped altogether? Or does it possibly add anything to character development when the said character is a smoker? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

 

Smoking is a character trait, just like all the others. It can be used to reveal something about your character. In one of my flash fictions, the narrator is having an anxious moment, and thinks, Smoke. I need a smoke. The meaning is clear.

Apparently, studies have been done to determine the psychological traits of smokers:

Psychological characteristics associated with tobacco smoking behavior

 

I allow some of my characters to be non-smokers. A few might even be reformed ex-smokers, as long as they don't get too prissy about it.

If you removed the extrovert part, the anxious part, a bit more chill, recognise that there's a time and place for impulsivity, more grounded than neurotic with no history of psychosis, schizophrenia or depression, then it's like they climbed inside my head (I've used a smiley. I don't speak that language and hope it's not entirely inappropriate).

In answer to the OP, I have smokers in my stories, though no vapers. Not averse to either and neither.

 

Habits add depth to a character. The professor with his pipe, the hard bitten detective that smokes heavily. The more accurate question I think is does the habit in question fit the character, and their personality? If a reader gets their panties in a bunch over something like that, they aren't my target audience.

 

The student with her rollie.

Where I live that's hardly changed over the years. My guess is less people graduate to straights now and most rollie smokers wean themselves off it in mid 20s. So it's far from ready to be edged out as a character trait in novels.

 

I shared a hospital room with a guy that was in there to get stints put in his arteries, 7 of them to be exact. He said he was a pack a day smoker, he loved to smoke and talked about having one in the morning, on the way to work in the car and how it gave him time to think whenever someone asked a question an he wanted time to roll over in his mind his answer. He loved to smoke, his words. Now I got to know Chris without seeing him, he was behind the curtain that separated us. We talked through the curtain, it was 4 am and we got to know each other without seeing each other. We talked about what we did, where we lived and about things that were important to us. Without seeing him, but only listening to his words and how he described himself, I could easily visualize what he looked like. The fact that he was a smoker, a carpenter, a guy my age let me picture what the voice behind the curtain looked like. There is something about a hospital room in the wee hours of the morning with dim lights, the hustle and continuous noise and interruptions that let two strangers in discomfort, bond and become friends in a very short time. I started out the conversation with, "What are you in for." it sounded like a line from a cheap prison movie, but it opened the door.

I say any subtle hint that speaks volumes about a person in just a single sentence is the essence of good writing

 

Incessantly, but the story also takes place in the 1970s when like...everyone smoked, pretty much everywhere, back in the days when cars not only still had cigarette lighters but ash trays. If my characters DIDN'T smoke it would probably be very unusual. Not everyone did obviously, but it would be out of place for mine if they did not. My Brit's "fag" of choice is Lark and my Brooklyn guy is a New-P (Newport) guy. They both smoke joints, my Brooklyn guy all the time, who also smokes cherry cigarillos. I am not 100% honestly how long ago, in reality, a street guy might be smoking a blunt in NYC (basically a cigar with cannabis in it) but either way if it would be historically inaccurate to have him smoking these in the 1970s, he's still smoking cherry tobacco.

For the record, if it helps any for the purpose of this conversation, I am NOT a smoker and never have been and have not smoked in any portion, ever. I exclude the brief period where I bought and smoked a portion of a pack of herbal cigarettes just for the novelty of it...

Just reading over other comments and the fact that we are having this conversation speaks volumes perhaps on how much the times have changed and how old I am getting that people are apparently putting this much thought into cigarette smoking! (the articles and stuff cited and research about people who smoke and why). I never thought that much of it let alone analyze the psychology of it lol Many people throughout my life are or were smokers, it's just something they did. My mom was a smoker through most of my childhood and i was AMAZED that she actually really did quit, on her own, cold turkey, after a hospital stay when they warned she was in danger of getting emphysema. I really never believed she would or could and stick t it. But she did although after our entire life of her never eating sweets or deserts she became a junk food addict but I guess it was a trade off lol.

My older sister was a chain smoker. My dad had smoked and drank previously but had quit by the time I was born. Many if not all of my friends were smokers. Its just funny how it has become "a thing" and from my generation just something pretty normal.

 

I agree with this and also an element of reality. Our characters aren't always going to share the same values as we do in real life, depending what type of character yours may be. There are examples of characters out there who break the stereotypes... wasn't Monk about a detective who is really OCD or easily grossed out or something?? LOL Sometimes I guess stereotypical traits are useful although I can see how it may also make for a more unique character to have a trait that "breaks the mould". I picture the gangster or biker who is very health conscious and refuses to smoke or do drugs because they value their body so much (but break no sweat about killing or roughing up someone else's).

 

In the late 60's and early 70's, cigarillos were popular due to spaghetti westerns. At least in the southwest.

 

When I was writing my book where most of the characters were chefs, I knew I had to throw a bunch of smokers in there. Having 12 chefs living and working together for weeks, on a stressful reality TV show, having no one smoke would be really stretching credulity. There's even a scene where the 3 guys who don't smoke talk about how unusual it is that they don't (and bond over the reasons for each of them), and then decide to room together.

I don't smoke myself and never have - my parents smoked like chimneys and my dad died from lung cancer at 54 (only 2 years older than I am now). I'm pretty grossed out by it, honestly, and it's not really something I include unless like in the above situation, where the character's lifestyles or jobs would make it unrealistic if they didn't. If I was writing a book with 20-something characters vaping might fall into that category as well. My daughter is 25, and she and her girlfriend and pretty much everyone in their social circle vapes.

 

There are still tons of smokers out there, but a lot has to do with age. The younger the character, the more likely they are to have switched to or started on vaping. To my knowledge, most kids start out on vapes these days. This has been true for several years now, so if your character is Gen Z, they're far more likely to vape than smoke. Many, if not most, Millennials (currently 27ish to 42ish) have switched over too. I'm 43, and I started vaping in 2016 after smoking for about 20 years. My brother is 37, and he does both. He's transitioning slowly, like I did. It's much less stressful that way. (Hmm. It occurs to me while typing this that an interesting character trait might be someone who's trying to switch to vaping all at once but keeps breaking down in times of stress and buying cigarettes. That would be very authentic. You get to where love them, but switching from real tobacco to candy flavors is hard at first. Plus, cigarettes have a dozen other addictive chemicals on top of the nicotine.)

I don't feel like looking up statistics at the moment, but I believe there's a socioeconomic factor as well. I'm pretty sure people with money vape more often than those without. Although, this might be a lot less true now that disposables have become so cheap. Tribes and countercultures matter for sure though. A man-bun wearing hipster character, for instance, wouldn't be caught dead smoking a cigarette now, whereas an old cowboy stereotype is going to smoke tobacco like a "real man." Although, I would love to read a scene in which two old cowboys talk about their favorite vape flavors and let each other try their vape. "Shoot, Wayne. You were right. The cotton candy's pretty dang good, but I think I'll stick to my watermelon daydream."

I think it's adds, but it's far from vital. I guess it's like any other trait. You figure out if this character would be a smoker/vaper, and write them accordingly.

Like @JBean, my current WIP takes place in the 70's when most people smoked (and you could smoke in schools and hospitals!) I apparently chose to ignore this fact. I didn't even realize until I was up to about 80K and put a cigarette in a character's mouth that he was the first one. I may add some in on my second draft. I haven't decided yet. It sure does add physicality to a scene though. It gives a character something to do constantly.

 

My MC smokes. I can pretend it says something about him, but the plain truth is that I made him a smoker solely to piss off anti-smokers. It's a direct response to what feels like plain bullying of smokers.
I swear, I'm liable to punch the next person who dares do a fake cough.

Err, yes, I'm a smoker, why do you ask?

 

The hypocrisy of an anti-smoker:

"Fancy. Sophisticated man."

"Ew, gross."

I'm gonna get out of this thread now. Even for me there are subjects that get my panties in a bunch. ;o)

(For the record: Not a personal attack on you, this, Mr. Bogart.)

 

I love your reply!! Can relate to so many of your points, even though I have never been a smoker or vaped, we just seem to meet eye to eye on a lot of concepts, from the real world or familiarity with age groups.

LOL@ cowboys talking about flavours. I laughed out loud reading this.

Curious to know your 70s story... I am not 100% sure that it was OK in hospitals though, at least not all or for the entire decade.

[/QUOTE]It gives a character something to do constantly.[/QUOTE]

Ab-so-friggin-lutely! Which is why people often tend to smoke, I feel. My characters and their interactions in many scenes are non-verbal. Their smoking is a thing, I try to curb how often to reference them smoking because I am sensitive to the fact that we are now in a different era and I worry my including it is because of some fetish or novelty. I have seen that it has become sort of a fetishy type thing in an age where it seems to be less the status quo socially and that has turned it into this weird thing. I don't know how to explain it but whatever, it just is. My characters are smoking.. all the time.. especially my character from Brooklyn who is a chain smoker. When they have just had a spat or it is a moment of tension or whatever and they aren't talking... he's smoking. He's angry, annoyed, stressed... he smokes. When he's having an anxiety attack because bad stuff is going down and he doesn't realize it and that it is his spidey senses (intuition)... he's reaching for a joint.

There is a definite element of self identity to the way one smokes, also. Especially in that era, old style glamour of the 30s and 40s is often harkened back to in fashion so just as people did, characters in my story are doing their coquettish attitudey sh@t being glamorous standing around posing and holding their cigarettes in that way- one of my main characters is one of these. He's a gay male but he's holding his cigarettes in a way stereotype might create a clear vision of in your mind without being shown, in a very posh glamourous way like a Hollywood

think like:



or



I didn't feel like looking for a good example of other stuff but like... the act of smoking can be used in many ways to express nonverbals. In his case, he's very flirty. He isn't as big a smoker so the act for him is more a social one. He uses cigarette holders. He's very extra and so he often uses an antique sterling silver match safe worn on a bracelet chain and he uses a cigarette case, also. For the 1970s, that he does this is an added unique detail that lends itself to this character's specific background.

For the other character, as another example, he's very dominant and moments of displeasure or confrontation are made clear if he's smoking and he's not happy, he's making direct eye contact with the other one and he's blowing that smoke in his direction, not turning his head away as he typically does to not be rude and blow it in anyone's face or falling under maintaining good "cigaretiquette" If they're nervous or stressed they may be "buttf*cking" -- and I don't pretend to know the scope or longevity in which this term is/has been used LOL but my sister used to say it- when you light a new cigarette with the one you were already smoking.

Just in the way someone holds their cigarette or smokes is huge in personality. Like you said about cowboys vs. millennials.

They're hanging out on the street waiting for something interesting... smoking! They're bumming a light and/or smokes off each other. Given these probably useless examples, smoking can be used well in writing to convey a lot of things because there are so many behaviours that are attached to smoking. My characters do most of their communication non-verbally because that is how they are, they're just in that kind of state of connection and one of them is very introverted.

I liked your idea about an older character trying to quit, too, and trying vaping. Like when my mom quit, she used to say how whenever she would gamble in the smoking section at the casino she would start having cravings. Also piggybacking off that idea, could say a lot about a character's age. Not realizing they can't smoke somewhere, or others showing annoyance by their smoking whereas they are from a generation that is accepting of it. I stole the casino idea in one scene my Brooklyn character is gathering with family in Atlantic City at a point in the story when he's middle aged. He's a chain smoker in the 1970s portion of the story when he's a young adult, so as he's nearing 50 he's tried and trying to quit but he gives in to temptation and demands his sister give him a cigarette as they're sitting together playing slots. He's trying to be good but it's another way to reveal the character's growth and how times change and time changes people.

 

Didn't take it that way at all. The second example I gave, I was thinking of Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese falcon.

An interesting bit of trivia on this topic, John Wayne would take exactly two puffs on a cigarette before putting it out. Trivia from the quiet man. Excellent classic movie if you haven't seen it.

 

Re: smoking in hospitals, the one I worked at starting in the late 80's allowed smoking in offices and patient rooms until the mid 90's.

 

I remember my mom telling me how when she was in the hospital after my birth she was not allowed to smoke but would sneak into the bathroom to lol. And perhaps it was because it was a movie but in Georgie Girl which was made in 1967, the scene when he goes to the hospital in London after his wife has a baby the nurse takes his cigar from his mouth because there is no smoking permitted.

Depends on the place, I guess.

 

The first elementary school where my mom taught had a smoking section in the cafeteria, which would have been around '72, the year my WIP takes place.

Germane to the OP though, I don't know if you ever write small towns, but a lot of rural communities still don't have no-smoking ordinances. Most establishments have their own no-smoking policy by now, but up until 2011, when my dad closed his computer store, he still let customers smoke in there. This was in a city of about 14K.

Also in rural communities, there are still a lot of people dipping instead of smoking. I'm pretty sure the majority are in their forties or older

Spoiler: Fair warning: some will find the rest of this paragraph about dipping very gross

Please forgive me, anyone here who dips, but it's so gross. They walk around all day spitting tobacco juice into a fast food or Solo cup with a wadded up paper towel in it, or worse, a clear, plastic Coke bottle so you can see all of it. Sometimes their last wad is in there, and for our final gross visual, it closely resembles grassy dog shit. I'm sorry, but it does.

I can't remember the last time I saw someone chewing tobacco though. It's probably still a thing, but not like dipping, at least not in West Texas.

 

I think it depends on the setting. In certain time periods it was more common but whether a prominent character should smoke, like all character traits and habits should be given a lot of thought. In a modern setting I would be careful not to glamorize it or include it just because it's 'sexy' (this is more common in visual media though). Of course, there are some settings where cigarettes might actual be a form of currency and including it would enhance the setting.

If in doubt, I would personally lean toward not including it much due to the harmful effects which, unlike hard drugs, are usually not portrayed in fiction since they are not as acute. I can't help but include this gif from the 80's though:

 

My WIP is set in modern-day Los Angeles, so I'm going to leave smoking out entirely. While I'd certainly use it in a different time/place setting as a way to flesh out a character, it kinda bugs me when I read/see tobacco in futuristic settings. Like, the first Avatar movie had Giovanni Ribisi's character puffing on a cigarette and I was like "Really? You're going to pay the freight for cigarettes to be shipped from Earth or convince upper management that the provisions farm on Pandora needs to grow tobacco and cure it?

As an expat I think I'm maybe more aware of how distance creates scarcity and everyone has to just make do. As an ex-smoker (pack a day, Marlboro reds, 6-7 years) I really try not to look down on people who smoke, but I also dislike it when I end up seated next to a table that looks like a refinery fire. And yeah, sometimes when I'm out with friends and drunk... but the everyday cravings have long since gone away.

 

Given the setting of what I'm working on, vapes are no longer available, consumer electronics as a whole being hard to come by.

My protagonist smokes a pipe and the occasional cigar, particularly when he needs to clear his head. Tobacco is an expensive luxury, so he does so sparingly. I may be (read 'am certainly') guilty of consciously giving him one of my own traits in this instance. What sort of lawman would I be if I didn't have the odd quiet chat at the docks in a cloud of tobacco smoke? Not the fun kind, that's for certain. The pipe actually dates from my university days; I felt compelled to take it up by some unseen higher power around the time I started a course on Anglo-Saxon poetry. Yes, I do basically live through character archetypes and it is because of this that I shall never write an autobiography; it would just be silly and unrealistic.

A few of my other characters smoke, mostly much cheaper, hand-rolled cigarettes. Very thin 'prison rollies' as a friend calls them, comprised of almost as much paper as tobacco.

 

Oops, double post

 

I remember a few boys who got caught in high school spitting into a cup. Teacher made them drink it

 

Crumb. You've just reminded me. The novel I've got out to beta readers now takes place in 1983 and people should smoke a lot more than they do. I totally forgot to put it in.