Eyes

[Svrtnsse]

How important is the color of a person's eyes when describing how they look?

In my day to day life I almost never look someone in the eyes for long enough to determine what color they are. If I look at a picture I have the time to look and I pay more attention to it and I guess a written description works the same way.

I realize there's no right or wrong answer here, but I'm curious what you guys may think about it - the importance of eye color that is.

 

[Cronus]

I personally do not see it as important, unless it is somehow related to the plot.

I generally do not describe something unless there is a reason to do so. Style / colour of clothing, hair length / colour are about all I describe to get a visual idea of the character. Eye colour is too specific a trait for me.

I would note, however, if the character had missing or additional eyes - but again, unless the colour is something unusual, I do not see its import.

 

[Tevaras]

Good evening Svrtnsse,

I think that depends on what you are going to do with the character and what reaction you are trying to get from the readers. If they are a 'scenery' character (here this scene, never to be seen again) that will not do anything hugely significant or be remembered by other characters then I think not all that important, though I do not think it would detract from the story I you do add eye colour.

But if they are going be a more active part of the plot then the eye colour would help build a picture to the readers, particularly if the eyes are something other characters are going to notice about the character.

E.g. '... the stare from those piercing eyes ...' could be changed to: '... the stare from those piercing blue eyes...', or 'a swarthy man with deep set eyes...' could become '... a swarthy man with deep set brown eyes ...'.

You could also use eye colour to give the readers a subtle clue about the character's parentage or relations, by detailing eye colour that matches a parent.

If the eyes are a defining feature of the character, then I think the colour is part of the visual image.

Really depends on what you are trying to achieve I think.

Without specific examples it is hard to get the feel and hence know if detailing eye colour enhances or does little to enhance.

 

[Ophiucha]

I pretty much never mention it unless it is, like, a plot point. For instance, Harry Potter having green eyes like his mother. Like eight characters bring this up, one character even dies saying it. It's important enough to take note of. I neither know nor care what colour Ron or Hermione's eyes are, and as an author I likely wouldn't have mentioned it at all during the seven long books they were main characters. Just doesn't matter to me.

Could depend on who is narrating the story, too. My mother is the sort who memorizes details about people. She knows everyone's birthday, including people like old friends of mine from high school who she drove me to the birthday party of once, years ago, and she does know most people's eye colour. I, on the other hand, hesitate to say what colour my husband's eyes are. Blue, I think? Not green, but I wouldn't bet against brown... If you were making the poor choice of writing a book with me as the narrator, absolutely no character's eye colours would ever be stated because I just erase that information from memory milliseconds after looking at somebody's eyes.

Generally, unless they're quite striking/weird, I tend to think there's a more worthwhile physical trait to point out about most characters. Their hair colour is generally more noticeable, even if it isn't interesting. Height, weight, scars, musculature... something must be more interesting than their 'chocolate brown orbs' or whathaveyou.

 

[Devor]

It's as important as you make it.

 

[Sia]

I tend to mention it once or twice briefly and then move on. For example, in the Q and A thread I have, Thomas is following people with his eyes as they come in so I typed something like 'His blue eyes track people as they enter'. and then I move onto the next sentence. No fanfare at all and I certainly don't keep going on about it - I just mention it quickly and move on.

 

[Justin Cary]

I don't think it is important at all unless you are using eye color to single a person out. Eye bias. If you are going to put a detail in your story you should consider how you are going to use that detail. It you aren't going to use that detail, why have it?

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

Opiucha got one part of importance...plot points.

Another aspect is the POV character. For example, would a grizzled warrior notice the color of someone's eyes? Or, would they notice scars on the knuckles? Maybe the POV character is wrapped up in appearance. In that case, that character probably would notice every physical detail.

It's important to pause and think about details like this, how your POV characters view the world, what they notice or gloss over, how they think, etc. Details they focus on (with elements such as appearance) can also tell us a lot about who the POV character is. Are they vain or jealous? Are physical details unimportant? Do they admire beauty? Are they distrusting of certain appearances or bear prejudices? Further, differences in details like these help to differentiate one character from another, making them seem like distinct, unique living beings.

It's good you're thinking like this. I'd encourage you to build upon this type of thinking.

 

[saellys]

It depends on your POV character, and whether they're the type to notice eyes when they meet someone. Eyes are one of the first things I notice when I meet someone in the real world, but I'm usually focusing on whether that person is looking me in the eyes and actually listening to our conversation. I don't pay attention to eye color unless someone has especially gorgeous or mismatched eyes.

On the other hand, one of the two main characters in The Stone Front notes eye color in detail, along with all his other immediate physical observations about anyone he meets. He and all his siblings inherited icy blue eyes from their mother's side of the family, and he's later able to identify a relative in part by that trait.

If your POV character doesn't have time for that junk, skip the eyes.

EDIT: Ninja'd by T.Allen!

 

[Tom]

To me, the eyes are the most engaging part of a person's appearance. If describing the color of someone's eyes is important to the plot (for example, my MC has brown eyes and is traveling through a land of people with blue eyes, so he's nervous about being easily identified as a foreigner).

In my WIP, eye color is important because after working magic for a few years, a person's eye color will change. So in my descriptions I concentrate on eye color, as it's my MC's main way of identifying wizards and other magic-workers.

Hope I've been helpful!

 

[A. E. Lowan]

This brings up an interesting point about regional behaviors. I'm American, born and raised in several different parts of the country. Raised primarily on the West Coast, I was taught that meeting a stranger's eyes was a form a aggression, therefore I never did it. So, in my early reading and writing I never understood the emphasis placed on eye color (I was also reading a lot of my mother's romance novels at the time). But then we moved to the Midwest, where I would grow into adulthood, where casual eye contact is not only common but expected, and people who do not engage in it are considered to be untrustworthy. Suddenly eye color was thrust to the fore. I noticed it a great deal, and it became a much more important part of my writing.

So, as far as writing goes, it think it depends a lot on who you are writing for. I've noticed that the romance market is HUGE on details like that, but in fantasy it's pretty much just need-to-know. I like mixing things up a little, if I want to emphasize someone's attractiveness or if their eyes are particularly striking.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Thanks for sharing everyone. I was thinking of the saying "they eyes are a window to the soul" (or however it goes). At first I considered that this was mainly important for the visual arts, but as I ponder it I'm thinking it can still be useful in writing as well. With the right words you might be able to give your reader an idea of a character's appearance as well as their personality by describing their eyes.

Mind you, this is just theorizing, I haven't tried it out, but I might give it a go.

 

[teacup]

"they eyes are a window to the soul"
Wait that's a saying? ._.
I've been doing that for a while in my wip.

It's fun to do, I think ^^

 

[Alexandra]

The colour of the eyes is at least as important as the number of 'em. Eg. the electric blue eyes of the white walkers; the three-eyed raven.

 

[Deleted member 2173]

In our daily course of events, eye color stands out only when the color or the situation is remarkable. Or if a display of emotion takes them out of the norm. When I think back to the books I have read over the years, I find that when eye color was part of the situation, as lovers looking into each other's eyes, or magic causing eyes to glow, it worked. When it was listed like a police description of a criminal, it ground the narrative to a halt.

 

[Alexandra]

... When it was listed like a police description of a criminal, it ground the narrative to a halt.

When anything in a work of fiction is listed like a police description of a criminal, the narrative grinds to a halt. :eek2:

 

[Ireth]

When anything in a work of fiction is listed like a police description of a criminal, the narrative grinds to a halt. :eek2:

What if it IS a police description of a criminal, in a murder mystery for example? XD

 

[Devor]

What if it IS a police description of a criminal, in a murder mystery for example? XD

More importantly, what if the character has been trained to notice people with an eye towards being able to relay an identifiable description. Many people are.

 

[Alexandra]

What if it IS a police description of a criminal, in a murder mystery for example? XD

I don't read murder mysteries, particularly those with grinding narratives. My partner is the mystery reader ... she is an avid mystery reader.

 

[Tom]

To Aelowan:

(because I couldn't figure out how to reply to your post directly)

Maybe this is the reason I think of eye color as important. I live in the northeastern US (Great Lakes area), where it is considered impolite (or even cause for mistrust) not to look someone in the eyes when first meeting them. Because of this I'm free to study other people's eye color, so it naturally shows up in my writing.

In fact, where I'm from, if you can't remember your friends' eye color, you're not a very good friend!