Be honest, how ‘beautiful’ is your protagonist?

[Queshire]

those two traits are not mutually exclusive

Tell that to Rowling. She has a habit of letting us know that the characters we're supposed to dislike are ugly.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I am absolutely guilty of designing my own character's appearances to appearances I would like them to have.
But I also try to balance that factor out with giving them quirks I may or may not like. Whatever is generally better for their role in the story.

Like with Meiji, I gave her some personality quirks I like, but I also gave her flaws that'd (probably) drive me up the wall.

I think the only writer's sin in terms of characters I haven't committed in a long time (Since High school I think?) is you know, the classic 'idealist version of me protagonist'

I have done that like, once. And after I finished the project I went 'yeah...not sharing this with anyone =-=' ' lol

 

[Mad Swede]

I don't write "beautiful" characters. I write characters who vary in appearance and personality. What get described to the reader is appropriate to the scene, by which I mean that what one character sees first in another character depends on context. I've never seen a need to focus on beauty and I guess that's partly because I'm old enough to have realised that a successful relationship needs a lot more than just two attractive people.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Tell that to Rowling. She has a habit of letting us know that the characters we're supposed to dislike are ugly.

Not to show support to Rowling, herself, (though I do support the people who poured their hearts into that franchise) but it's my impression that sort of thing is a YA genre convention and not just her being gross. But to be fair, I also don't read much YA.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

And then we have me.

 

[Finchbearer]

I think the only writer's sin in terms of characters I haven't committed in a long time (Since High school I think?) is you know, the classic 'idealist version of me protagonist'

I have done that like, once. And after I finished the project I went 'yeah...not sharing this with anyone =-=' ' lol

I think that would be a Mary Sue, or a Gary Stu I don’t think I’ve done that…yet!

 

[Finchbearer]

And then we have me.

View attachment 3616

I can’t be the only one who think Smaug is kinda hot? And not just because he breathes fire

 

[Finchbearer]

Tell that to Rowling. She has a habit of letting us know that the characters we're supposed to dislike are ugly.

I think she got it wrong with Rita. And a lot of things. But wow that also dredged up a memory from reading HP many years ago now.

It’s a common thing in writing that if beauty means good and pure then ugly must mean bad and evil. Nowadays that would just be bad writing.

 

[pmmg]

Meh. Smaug is okay, but his scales are dull and he thinks gold is the real treasure. What can you do?

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I think that would be a Mary Sue, or a Gary Stu I don’t think I’ve done that…yet!

Hmm, I've absolutely written a Mary/Gary Stu (protagonist who wins and is amazing at everything cause they're the protagonist) once or twice, probably more if I actually look at all my projects. But as far as my personal memory goes, I think I have only one where I've done the 'he's exactly like me but without my flaws and has a 12 pack, and all the characters think they're amazing' version is like once, and that was in high school when I first started writing. When I finished the project I realized how silly that was and into the bin it went lol

These days when I base a character on myself to that extreme, especially male characters, I like to add some kind of twist to it.
Like ok, this male character is a similar kind of introvert that I am, but what can I do to make him interesting to read and be well written, while still making it apparent that he's kind of me to family members.

 

[pmmg]

(Secretly, I think all MC's are Mary Sues )

<--Will support Mrs Rowling. Keep writing.

I dont know that ugly bad guys is a just a young adult thing. Making the bad guys ugly and monstrous has a long long history. Even including Humbaba from Gilgamesh, and must now include Thanos from pretty close to today. I suspect such depictions occurred even before stuff was written down. The fall of the angels includes their fall from beauty into worms and monsters, and characters like Medusa and Calibus. Why are both Vader and Palpatine ugly? Its just a thing that happens a lot in fiction. I think we like our monsters to look like monsters.

 

[Plinto]

I intentionally write characters with less desirable physical traits because that's what has been true for me. So many of my greatest friends, and the most interesting people I've ever met, have been kind of weird looking. Most of my favorite writers have very unique faces that you probably wouldn't call beautiful. Many of the military guys and gang members I've known were total goons. Those are the people whose stories I want to tell. "Beautiful" people get enough attention already dang it.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I can’t be the only one who think Smaug is kinda hot? And not just because he breathes fire

Breathes fire and talks like Benedict Cumberbatch... yeah, maybe. Dragon who breathes fire, sounds like Tom Hiddleston, and drives a barely street-legal McLeran? Now we're talking the Books of Binding.

 

[Penpilot]

For me, I'm usually pretty sparse with character descriptions, so I don't really think of my characters as beautiful in a physical sense. I think of them in terms of how other characters feel about them, about how attractive they are to them, if that's an aspect of the story, or how they feel about themselves. And generally, overall physical features don't play a huge part in it. It's about the chemistry of the characters interacting with one another.

Like I said, I'm generally sparse with the character descriptions. I like to create and feel or--I'm not sure if this is the best phrase for it--an aura of their presence as the move through the story. If a character is physically big, they'll move through the environment differently than someone who's small, and I express that through the word choices I use. I supposed that would be true too with someone who is beautiful in the physical sense. But, the room isn't screeching to a halt when one of my characters enters it because of their physical beauty.

The only time where I think physical beauty plays into one of my stories is with a secondary character that's supposed to be the "Golden Boy" of the village. But yeah, unless physical beauty plays a roll in the story, I don't think of my characters as beautiful.

 

[Fyri]

I think she got it wrong with Rita. And a lot of things. But wow that also dredged up a memory from reading HP many years ago now.

It’s a common thing in writing that if beauty means good and pure then ugly must mean bad and evil. Nowadays that would just be bad writing.

I hate Rowling, but I actually disagree with this!

Leaning back on to the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is ugly.

Life example!

In high school, I had zero real crushes on anyone. I saw this as a problem because girls were supposed to have crushes on guys by this point, and I was in a very populous high school. Then, I see a random guy, whom I know nothing about, who fits some psychical tropes from fictional guys that have personalities and moralities that I love. I tell myself to have a crush on that guy and actually start to find him attractive.

Months later, I actually get to see his personality and character when he's not just walking to class or sitting in a class. Not at all like I imagined. His personality rewrites the traits that stick out to me and their quality. In less than five seconds, he became annoying, obnoxious, and childish to me, and the pretty things got overshadowed by unattractive physical traits. He didn't have soft, brave eyes anymore, he had a big nose. He didn't have pretty hair anymore, he had a loud, ignorant voice that matched the boisterous way he moved.

From then on, he was actually somewhat disgusting to me in appearance. Beautiful to ugly just because of the perceived inner traits.

Maybe it's just a personal thing, but this happens to every person I meet on a subconscious level. I have a feeling it actually happens subconsciously in everyone, though! Beauty does mean good, and ugly does mean bad, but this depends on what you personally (or what society has taught you to) see as good or bad.

On their own, I can find beauty and attractive qualities in everyone. But seeing who they are changes what I see and feel about their appearance. Potential beauty can be ugly if the person is distasteful. Villains can be hot because they have attractive non-physical qualities that compliment that physical judgement (Confidence, intelligence, secret innocent longing for kindness and innocence).

Ugly is bad and evil, because ugly is subjective. A disfigured image can be seen as beautiful if you like the person. I think it is only bad writing if it is done without creativity or with laziness—without depth to the reasons.

On the other hand, I may not understand physical attraction at all. XD Aesthetically pleasing could probably be substituted here.

Still, this may bring up new questions to ask when you write these kinds of characters.

1) Why are you writing them to be perceived as beautiful or ugly?

2) What about them makes these traits stand out as such?

3) Or even, what are you trying to say about or to society if you juxtapose or twist these things?

 

[Guy]

Mine are drop dead gorgeous.

 

[pmmg]

Ah...Hate is such a strong and ugly word. I hope that is not true.

<--Has love for Mrs Rowling. She can stay in my cave, even though I suspect we wont agree on much

I think it is definitely true that the way we perceive the attractiveness of others can be strongly influenced by how we perceive other aspects of them. I see this in the political world all the time. Its like, once we decide we don't agree, they just become a monster we can say nothing nice about. I think its funny, cause in saying such things which are meant to demonize or belittle them, we think we are saying something about them, but really, we are saying something about ourselves instead. But I do have friends who cannot say one kind word about some people in the news.

But all that inward stuff, I cant put that on the book cover, and if Hollywood was to cast them, I would like them to get the physical appearances right. Some are attractive, and some are not, and their appearance does matter. Its not like I didn't put any thought into it at all. And attractive people dont really hurt the effort to get sales

I think there are many stories that lend themselves to those types of additional questions. But...you know... many stories don't. The characters in my stories are attractive enough that I don't mind following them, and keeping the image in my minds eye. But none of them were set out to be supermodels. I dont believe I was trying to make commentary about appearances in the story. But the bad guys do tend to be more monstrous in appearance, and physical changes for those succumbing do tend to move one away from a healthy appearance.

I tend to think of my characters as average in appearance, with a few notable exceptions.

 

[NellyParker]

I think of all of my characters as beautiful in some way, but that doesn't mean I make them beautiful according to widespread standards of beauty. The thing is, I don't think I've ever looked at someone and thought they were ugly. I find beauty in the small details that make a person unique. As such I don't describe my characters in a way that implies that they are either beautiful or ugly. I simply point out their unique characteristics, the small things that make them distinctly themselves. I bring attention to their quirks and to the things that other characters notice about them. Whether the reader finds them as beautiful as I do is up to them.

 

[Fyri]

But all that inward stuff, I cant put that on the book cover, and if Hollywood was to cast them, I would like them to get the physical appearances right. Some are attractive, and some are not, and their appearance does matter. Its not like I didn't put any thought into it at all. And attractive people dont really hurt the effort to get sales

I think there are many stories that lend themselves to those types of additional questions. But...you know... many stories don't. The characters in my stories are attractive enough that I don't mind following them, and keeping the image in my minds eye. But none of them were set out to be supermodels. I dont believe I was trying to make commentary about appearances in the story. But the bad guys do tend to be more monstrous in appearance, and physical changes for those succumbing do tend to move one away from a healthy appearance.

Ah! You may not be trying to create commentary about appearances, but in doing this, you certainly are! It is a trope, to make those falling from "the good side" to appear less healthy. Perhaps it reflects the fact that the decisions or new habits are unhealthy/ugly themselves. And even if the writer writes a room to be yellow just because they liked the color yellow, English teachers everywhere will ask "But what did the yellow mean?" XD ;P

On the contrary! I think these questions can be asked about any story. Rhetoric spares no victims! Politics have always been in everything!

But, yes. XD In all seriousness, of course, your characters may not fit in to the "these types of characters" part of the usefulness of those writing questions. However, if a character is written to be average-looking, it may be useful to examine the reasons behind that too. Or it may not. To each their own!

As the discussion was started with the role of beauty in stories and how it affects the narrative, I'm not sure how cover art or future actors is useful for writing purposes. Marketing purposes, for sure! Certainly, it can help sales later. Aaaaand there are also problems with that for a different discussion.

My main antagonist is unhealthily skinny because he'd rather focus on his magical prowess and goals than eat. This (unintentionally at first) works to dehumanize him (until we learn more later), which has its own commentary potential for audiences. I also have an antagonist who is meant to be seen as Very Attractive, and this (probably intentionally) works in tandem with his dangerous skill and confidence. Oddly enough, I focus less on the beauty or ugliness of my protagonists. They aren't meant to stand out, though they probably lean more attractive than not.

 

[JBCrowson]

(Secretly, I think all MC's are Mary Sues )

<--Will support Mrs Rowling. Keep writing.

I dont know that ugly bad guys is a just a young adult thing. Making the bad guys ugly and monstrous has a long long history. Even including Humbaba from Gilgamesh, and must now include Thanos from pretty close to today. I suspect such depictions occurred even before stuff was written down. The fall of the angels includes their fall from beauty into worms and monsters, and characters like Medusa and Calibus. Why are both Vader and Palpatine ugly? Its just a thing that happens a lot in fiction. I think we like our monsters to look like monsters.

I think we like our monsters to look like monsters.

I think this may an echo of childhood - if monsters look horrible then as kids we can recognise them instantly and by inverse we don't need to be scared of pretty, smiley nice things.

Of course most of us grow up to learn that people are scarier than monsters, and appearance is a poor guide to how likely a person is to harm you, but the nursery casts many shadows on the inside of the adult skull.