We're talking about the human body... sort of. We're talking about physical descriptions. Now, physical descriptions are probably the only descriptions that I really enjoy writing. Well, that and violence. I do enjoy describing violence, but let's pretend I'm not that crazy for just a second, alright? My favorite part of writing is creating characters, and that includes painting a picture of what they look like, and over the years, I've learned a thing or two about what descriptions makes a good character description and what makes a crappy character description, and I'm here to share the knowledge.
by Jenna Moreci
Do write physical descriptions. This piece of advice is open to debate. Some writers think that physical descriptions are completely unnecessary. They'd rather let the audience create their own image of the character in their mind, and to some agree I understand this mentality. People tend to envision a character the way they want to envision them; they see them in a way that's familiar and comfortable to them, but still as a reader, I like to be told what the character looks like. If I'm reading, and I don't get a physical description, imma be pissed. Until I get a physical description, that character is just an invisible blob in my mind. I am waiting for that description, and it's really hard to connect with a character that you can't even visualize. So while this piece of advice is a judgment call, I say do it. Describe your dang characters. I personally like to give my most important characters a very detailed description, and then the supporting characters get maybe a couple of sentences. I also think it's good to describe the characters as soon as possible. For the protagonist, the description should be somewhere in the first chapter, and for the supporting characters, it should be somewhere in their introduction.
Don't overload the reader with metaphors. Look, an analogy or metaphor is fine here and there, but keep it under control, okay because this crap can get real cheesy real fast. Just remember that metaphors in large doses are a recipe for eye rolls and face palmage.
Do focus on important features. Most readers are going to forget half the descriptions you layout for them, so make sure you focus on the important stuff.
Things to potentially think about:
- eye color and shape
- hair color, length, and texture
- lips
- facial structure, including, jaw, chin, and cheekbones
- nose shape
- skin color, texture, and abnormalities
- general body type
- height
- physical quirks (defining features)
Don't compare them to a celebrity. This is cheating. It's cheap, and it's cheating. You want the character to stand on their own, and comparing your character to celebrity immediately dates the book.
Do pay attention to your protagonist's relationship with the character. The way the protagonist interacts with the character also determines how they're going to be described.
Don't say they're hot. It's okay if the protagonist thinks they're hot, but you can't just say, "He had green eyes, blonde hair, and was drop-dead gorgeous." This is a cop-out. More importantly, it tells the reader that you don't trust your own ability to describe a person correctly. You don't think you can make it clear to the description alone that your character is hot, so you're just going to flat out say it. Trust me, you can do it. Describe the hotness you see in your mind. And really, what's going to make them hot to the reader is how they behave, the things they say, the way they interact with their love interest; that's what sells the hotness.
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writing 4 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: WRITING ADVICE TO MAKE YOU A BETTER WRITER
Non-FictionWriting is hard. Being a writer is even harder. But with "Writing 4 Writers," you CAN become a better writer. Every time I sit down to write, I reference this collection of writing advice from a variety of blogs, writers, and YouTubers: Jenna Moreci...
