Tag Archives: character descriptions

Today’s Writing Tip

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It’s not always easy to keep your characters’s  physical and personality traits straight. This is particularly true for minor characters who show up several times, but aren’t ingrained in your mind like your protagonist should be.

One way to keep them straight is to keep a file or spreadsheet handy for reference if they’re not vivid enough in your mind without it. This also applies to certain scene locales. I remember reading a book one time where the color of the couch changed. Yes, weird, I know, but I’m the kind of reader who will notice such a thing. I don’t think I’m entirely alone with that, either. Alert readers will notice if your hero’s eyes are blue on one page and green on another.

If you’re writing a short story, this is usually not a problem. But if you’re writing a novel, especially a long one, this can become a problem. Consistency is important and this is one way to be sure you are without having to go back and find where you stated what the person looked like. Another help is making them so unique, as noted the other day, that you can remember.

Think about that for a moment, too. If you can’t remember, how will your readers? The one major difference there, of course, if that you may have taken months to write your book while a reader blows through it in a few days, making it easier for them to remember.

Whatever works for you if you don’t have a steel-trap memory, do it. This is another thing that can throw readers out of the story, a fairly major faux pas.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Describing your main character can be a challenge. However, having your protagonist assess himself in the mirror is one of the most unoriginal ways to describe his or her appearance. If you must use the mirror, at least throw some action in. For example, “She caught a glimpse of herself in the hallway mirror and realized her blond was in desperate need of [whatever].” Another common but generally effective way, at least for hair color, is “She tossed her chestnut hair over her shoulder.” In other words, this is another example of “show, don’t tell.”

Be more creative. Note how other authors do it and when you encounter a great description, study and emulate it. It’s a challenge, but important. If you absolutely can’t do so in an original way, that’s better than not having it at all. How many books have you read where at some point you realized you had absolutely no idea what the characters looked like? I like to be told, though some authors believe the reader wants to imagine them as they will.

They’re my characters, so I prefer to convey that to the reader.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Have you ever read a scene in a book and realized you had no idea what that character looked like? I really appreciate it when the author provides that information. However, I’ve heard some say that they think the reader would prefer to imagine him or her as they like. Personally, I think that is the author’s right and responsibility. If I want to invent a character, I’ll write my own story.

There’s also the matter that some descriptions need to be repeated as reader reminders. This is especially true of minor characters who may have been described several pages or chapters previously. It never hurts to drop a hint every now and then. Another great identifier is a gesture or some other habit that is linked to a given character. For example, maybe she tosses her hair or he plays with his mustache.

This same advice goes for certain settings and locations in your story. If you do a good job the first time, you can minimize them later. Imagery makes a story come alive. If you want your reader to visualize the story as you did, you need to provide this information.

Today’s Writing Tip

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How many books have you read where you had no idea what the characters looked like? Maybe the author neglected to mention it at all, or perhaps only once in passing, when the person was introduced.

Imagery is important in a story. Thus, it doesn’t hurt to remind readers what characters look like occasionally. One way to do so without being redundant is through action, such as “he raked his hand through his dark hair” or “her green eyes burned with passion.”  That hits the “refresh” button in your reader’s mind without slowing down the story and is one example of “showing” as opposed to “telling.”

Another trick is to give your characters some outstanding trait. Do some people watching the next time you’re shopping or at an event for ideas. It’s been said that people who are too perfect looking are the least memorable. This applies to fictitious characters as well.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Make it a habit to “people watch” when you’re in places like the grocery store, the mall, waiting in the doctor’s or dentist’s office, or Walmart. When you see someone who catches your eye, think of how you would describe that person if s/he were in one of your stories. (Try not to stare, it could get you in trouble.)

As they say, truth is stranger than fiction, and you can often see characters far beyond anything you could imagine, unless you’re deep into fantasy writing and this sort of thing comes naturally. Even then, it can fuel your already-fertile imagination. This is also one way to put your time to good use while doing routine errands that can sometimes feel like a nuisance when you’d rather be writing.