Character Mannerisms

John walked up to the porch were she was sitting. He stood on his toes and touched the tin roof with his fingertips. Cocking an eyebrow, he asked, "Hey Kasy, do you want to go to Razor Burgers and eat lunch with me?"

John walked up to the front porch, turning his hat over and over in his hand. "Hey, Kasy, do you want to go eat lunch with me? I've heard the burger joint downtown is good."

John's boots dragged across the driveway as he moved toward the porch. He carelessly tossed his hat onto the swing and asked, "Hey Kasy, wanna go eat lunch with me at Razor Burgers?" 

Which ones show John to be more comfortable with Kasy and which one shows him as a bit more nervous or self-conscious? 

Which John would you be more at ease with? Which one would you be more likely to say 'yes' to?

Mannerisms are important to the story. In fact, a character's actions are what makes the story. Think about it; if you were to read a story where every character just walks to wherever he's going and just says what he wants to say and then does exactly what he aims to do and then goes home, how boring would that be?
I can tell you this: I ain't gonna be finishin' that one.
So, rather than just stating the facts: John walked up to Kasy and said, "Hey wanna get some lunch with me?", let's work with something more lively: John sprinted up to the porch, "Hey Kasy!" Swinging his arms, he gestured toward his pickup, "You want to go grab some lunch with me?"

This shows a bit more of who John is. He seems to be in a hurry. He's energetic, whether it's because of his hurry, or because of his personality. The energy is clear from the fact taht he sprinted instead of ran. But look at this: swinging his arms, he gestured toward the pickup. That should clue us in to the idea that he is fairly comfortable and loose. He's open, rather than nervous and tight.

Mannerisms make the character, not the other way around.
A character may be easy with one person and not so much with another.
Kasy's dad walked out on the porch, "Howdy, John."
John grinned, "Hey Mr. George," he said, reaching out to shake hands.
A moment later, Mrs. George also came out, "Hello, John."
John swallowed, then replied, "Good morning, Mrs. George," and he pushed his hands into his jeans pockets.

When Mr. George came out, John was relaxed, but when Mrs. George came, John grew tense, as we see from his physical actions.
So, different actions can give clues to the character's personality and emotion.
Emotions, action, personality. Often, but not always, the three are connected, and that is also a very important thing to be aware of.

A character may be emotionally devastated, but have a very outgoing personality. His actions are going to reflect both.
On the flip side, he may be emotionally excited, but generally a very quiet person; his actions will likely not be as visible; rather, it is what is going on in his mind that matters. It would also be a good idea to take into note the fact that his facial expressions will be more prominent and important here than his words.

I suppose that's a bit of a lot to chew on, so I'm going to leave you to it!
I'm glad I've finally finished this post; it's taken me about a month to complete. :)
If you have any opinions, I'd love to hear them! Comment below; I'd love to hear from you.