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How do you describe characters?

When you describe your characters do you do it really subtly, more blunt, or kind of a mixture of both?

What I mean by this is, say you are describing someone's hair length. Are you more subtle and less descriptive using other ways to imply someone has long hair without directly saying that the person's hair is long? "Rita's hair tickled her back."

Are you more blunt, taking a direct approach on how you let the reader know how long her hair is? "Rita had long, brown hair that reached down to her back."

Are you kind of a mixture of both, remaining a bit subtle but not afraid to be a bit blunt and possibly more descriptive? "Rita's brown hair reached the center of her back."

The you have other ways you like to describe a character's description? Are you very descriptive? Less descriptive?

I don't think either way is the "correct" way. I'm just interested in everyone's way of describing their characters. What's your way of doing it and do you have a particular reason you use that style?
 
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Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
Generally speaking, I don't find the need to be blunt too often. I weave the physical characteristics of my characters into the way they interact with the environment and people, in addition to the way they speak. I give a feel for the character rather than a stats sheet on them.

To me, saying something like Bob rose on to his toes to look Barbara in the eyes. Gives a concrete image and makes the scene, characters, and character physicality come alive when compared to something like Bob was shorter than Barbra.
 
To me, saying something like Bob rose on to his toes to look Barbara in the eyes. Gives a concrete image and makes the scene, characters, and character physicality come alive when compared to something like Bob was shorter than Barbra.

I prefer that type of description. There are cases where a POV character may focus on some points of description, either viewing herself or others, and include blunt descriptions; this can be useful to the character development, plot, etc.; but otherwise, the more indirect method is often more immersive.

The oddest thing about character description: When it comes to physical characteristics, I find myself forgetting most features when I'm reading. I can come to the end of a book and in hindsight define how I read the character, but my memory of always seeing a blond or brunette, with very short or medium-length hair, and blue or green eyes, may not actually match whatever the author gave for that character at some point in the novel. Physical characteristics that are particularly odd or significant to a story–say, grey eyes that always turn black when magic is used by a character, or a particularly short character whose shortness plays a significant role in various scenes–are much easier to remember.
 
C

Chessie

Guest
I briefly describe them when they first come on scene, then reinforce their image with a detail or two later on in the story. The way I do this depends on several factors, mainly the vibe of the story and whether I'm feeling poetic or not. :)
 

Tom

Istar
Usually I weave description into the narrative, unless a character has an unusual trait that deserves immediate description, or if the description is involved in the plot. I like to use the comparative method when describing characters--the POV character comparing their own features to another person's. It's an easy, straightforward method, and the way the comparison is phrased can also be used to characterize the POV character.
 

Adalind

Dreamer
I also weave the description of my characters into the narrative.

I might have one of my characters complain that he usually has to look up at other men because he’s so short, another character might tie her long hair into a ponytail before she fights so that it doesn’t get in her way and so on.

I dislike stories where the writer feels the need to describe a character’s appearance in detail before things start happening. In my opinion it breaks the flow of the story.
 

goldhawk

Troubadour
Don't describe your characters. Don't describe the scenery. Only add details if they're part of the story. Give your readers every chance to use their imaginations. As Andrew Stanton of Pixar says, "Don't give your audience 4. Give them 2+2. They want to work of their enjoyment. They just don't want to know that they are doing so."
 

SM-Dreamer

Troubadour
I also prefer to weave it into the narrative, usually as the POV character notices it. I also only include the details that character notices, as they notice it or as it becomes relevant in some way. I dont usually like when a character is introduced purely by their physical description. I want to get a visual of them as they are doing or saying something that characterizes them, defines them; I want them to me shown in their element in some way.

That goes for setting, too, since goldhawk mentioned it. I want to see it as the characters see it, when it becomes relevant to them.
 

K.S. Crooks

Maester
Are you kind of a mixture of both, remaining a bit subtle but not afraid to be a bit blunt and possibly more descriptive? "Rita's brown hair reached the center of her back."

I tend to use this method because I want to provide enough detail that the reader knows the characters look different, but leave room for then to still use their imagination for the fine details. I mention skin tone hair colour and length (shoulder, mid back, etc.) body shape. I knew very early into my first novel that One of my main characters was a medium-large physique girl and I wanted the reader to have that in mind more than thinking of her with a slender build.
 

Warrioress

Scribe
With me it depends on the character, if my main pov character meets a new character and she's really taking notice of them for one reason or another to do with the story I am generally a but blunt as well as adding what she thinks of one feature of another.
My secondary character who I tell from a third person point of view I often say the likes of " the dark haired girl". But I generally try to weave them with the narration.
 

Warrioress

Scribe
I also prefer to weave it into the narrative, usually as the POV character notices it. I also only include the details that character notices, as they notice it or as it becomes relevant in some way. I want to see it as the characters see it, when it becomes relevant to them.

Yes! This is what I was trying to say, this is what I do!
 

JCFarnham

Auror
I've always been very sparse with descriptive passages. Some of my past betas/editors would say too sparse. I'm more of a dialogue guy.

Either I:

1) Don't describe the character much if at all, leaving it up to the reader to fill in the blanks (and hopefully, where first person is concerned, better allow them to walk in the characters shoes for a bit).

2) Or use a couple of at least vaguely mood-setting descriptors. E.g., calling a pair of mafia-type demon thugs in my novel "Potato-headed", until we learn their names.


Don't think it matters whether you're sparse or purple with it in all honesty. What a description should be is vivid, and I think that goes double for any tags you attach to characters. If you get a chance check out Rayne Hall's how-to on vivid descriptions. Lots of good tools to sprinkle about your writing.

Just as long as it's not just "x hair with y eyes", it's all good.
 
I love describing my characters in action. Here's a passage in which I used a chase to describe a character's clothing.

Catching the roof, Vinecci swung and twisted, rolling onto the roof and to his feet, not wanting to miss a moment. The brown vest he wore over his plain white undershirt was open and flapping in the wind as he made a speedy pursuit. The figure hopped to another roof, stumbling and continuing on toward the gates to the poorer districts. Legs pumping, Vinecci made the jump, his soft-soled boots catching the shingles of the higher-class house perfectly, sacrificing no speed or time. His plain, brown trousers made little noise as his legs churned, watching his assailant leap onto the wall that separated the districts. Taking a deep breath, he ran up the wall, catching the edge of the parapet and pulling himself up just in time to see the hood disappear over the other side. Rushing over, he peered down. The thief was already on the street, darting away.

I like to draw descriptions out over entire scenes where things are happening. As a reader, I enjoy this more than reading over an entire paragraph of nothing but description that tempts me to skim down to the dialogue. Less of a chance of the reader skipping it this way, because it's sprinkled in with events that make the reader want every word.

That's my opinion and my method. Others likely have done it better, but this is what I use.
 

JCFarnham

Auror
That's a good way of putting it HylianShield. I'm trying to put a bit more description into my writing (for a number of reasons) and that's a nice tip for those in a similar situation to myself.

I can't stand awkward stagnant description, so bringing action into it is always a good idea in my eyes!
 

Nimue

Auror
I usually write in third-person limited, and my rule is to never describe someone or something that my POV character would not notice. This does mean that the POV character doesn't get a lot of description him/herself, but it's not that difficult to slip things in there. I'll mention eye color only if they have reason to mention their own eyes--in comparison to someone else's eyes, for instance. I describe clothing only if they are choosing or changing their clothing. I describe their body only if it has changed or if they've become self-conscious. Another simple trick is to have the character speculate about how someone else sees them--but this needs to be brief and it cannot be poetic or indulgent unless you want the character to come across as massively vain.

Same thing goes for describing other characters--only what the POV would notice. A straight male blacksmith probably wouldn't wax poetic about a guy's hair and handsomeness, and the average milkmaid probably wouldn't recognize what kind of sword he carries and its significance. You may want to get all that information across, but you can't simply throw it all at the reader regardless of POV. And if you stick to limited description, having characters notice unexpected things leads to further characterization--might make us wonder how straight that blacksmith really is, or why that milkmaid's so familiar with a blade. Description is a little less tedious if there's something to be learned about the characters or the world within it.

I think that this method feels a little more natural, and to be honest, eye color or clothing is not immediately necessary information for the reader. It doesn't need to be on the first page or even in the first chapter. If this character sticks around, then you have the length of the story to build a complete picture of that character in the reader's mind.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I tend to put in a short and blunt description of a character when they're introduced and often leave it at that. If something about a character could have been included within the first description, I do NOT include it later.
If I didn't include it, and it could have been, it means the reader might have made up their own opinion about it. This means that if I then add my own description later, I run the risk of going against the reader's imagination - which is bad.

I wrote a rather more detailed example of this for my guide on writing descriptions, here: A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Descriptions – Part 1
Check out the parts about blank spaces and the following example (near the end).

In my most recent story the character Trula wears her hair in a long braid. My main character Emma is a little bit envious of the braid and would like one too. The braid becomes something of a hook/identifier for the character and it's mentioned several times throughout the story.
I never mention what colour Trula's eyes are, or the size of her mouth. I do not tell whether she braids the fur on her legs or not. Wait, what, fur on legs, where did that come from? (see what I did there?)

I very strongly believe that the images the reader creates in their own mind is much better and much more real than any image I can describe in my text. What I try to do instead of giving a description of how someone looks is give my reader enough cues for them to create their own image.

EDIT: Example:
Here, we meet a young woman, a few years of age, yet still not married. There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s strong, healthy, and sensible – and she’ll run a quality burrow one day. Easy on the eye she is too. Curly brown hair falls down her shoulders and her cheeks are round as apples. The brown fur that covers her feet and legs below the knee is soft and thick. Quick to smile she is too. It makes her eyes sparkle.

EDIT2: This is the introduction of Trula:
Around the tables, people lifted their heads to look at her, but soon turned their attention back to their conversations. A few of them glanced over to a small counter in the right wall, and to a young woman standing behind it.

Shorter than Emma, and a little less round of face, she wore her black hair in a thick braid. She’d pulled it forward over her shoulder and the tip reached almost to her waist. Her hands were busy wiping down a mug with a dish rag, but like everyone else, she’d turned to look at Emma in the doorway. When their eyes met, the woman smiled and nodded in greeting.

It's really sparse, but it's enough. By this stage of the story, the reader will have a decent enough connection to the setting that they will be able to imagine how an average inhabitant of the world will look. I don't need to add any details about how Trula is dressed (and it wouldn't surprise me overly much if many readers here imagined her with an apron).
 
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