In Fine Detail
If someone asked you to describe your main character - or any character really - how well would you be able to accomplish this? There are, of course, the major details - hair and eye color, height, weight, etc. But what if you go deeper? What about the shape of their nose (if your character does not have a bulbous nose then you may not have thought much about this), the length of their fingers, or the complexion of their face?
I used to worry that my readers would not imagine my characters the same way I did, so I would try to describe them in a very detailed manner. I realized however that my readers will probably imagine my characters' exact minor features however they want. No matter how hard I try, transferring my exact image from my brain to theirs is near to impossible...but, that's okay.
What does he look like again?
There are pros to NOT describing your character in minute narratives - your reader will be able to imagine her / him the way they want. For example, if you want them to think that a character is extremely beautiful, they might put in their mind their version of an extremely beautiful person, which would be stronger and more meaningful to them than your version of the word. "Beauty" is relative and it's a word whose meaning varies from person to person.
You yourself
Although our outside appearances are only the covering for our real selves, our inner thoughts, desires and dreams, it still might be important to really know what your character looks like. I think it's important that an author knows every detail about their main character, even though the outward shell called appearance might end up being the least of their worries. (Characters can be huge problems sometimes... sometimes they just aren't working out. In that case, appearance is generally not the issue).
When it is important
Becoming skilled in describing people might be helpful in your fiction writing, or even nonfiction writing - say, if you were going to write about George Washington's appearance, you'd better get it right, because people can access photos of him on the internet!
Assignment: A little practice
Next time you watch a movie, pick out a couple characters you would like to describe. If your main character is a brunette with short, straight hair, next time you see one on a movie, pause the movie (or find a picture online) and try and describe her. Or, just pick anyone - a guy with a funny beard, a handsome gentleman, a little girl, an elderly person, a young woman, etc.
How to use your description
If you're introducing a character in a book, the reader may or may not be interested in a lengthy paragraph concerning them. If the character is a side character or it is an inopportune moment to spend in depiction, you can try and intertwine their physical appearance in with the action. For example, you could describe the way their ____ (color) eyes dart around the room in fear, or how they sweep a piece of ____ hair from their face in a moment of battle (cliche! Cliche alert!). Do they stand on their tiptoes when in the presence of tall people, because they are short? Are they self-conscious of a physical fault on their face, or a wart on their hand? These things can be revealed as the story continues on, adding quirks to the characters that might make them seem endearing.
Occasionally, a long description is acceptable, especially when the book is narrated in the first person. When you see someone, you take in most of their physical characteristics in a couple seconds. If the first person narrator has just met someone, she will most likely look them over - and in doing so, will describe him / her to the reader. But in general, you shouldn't make them too long, or your reader will fall asleep and start drooling on your novel. (And you're shouting, "TMI!" at me now, aren't you?)
Conclusion
So, the next time someone says, "Hey, what about that character...uhhh...what'shisface?" you can surprise them by offering a long description of your character... just kidding!
Klara C.
Assignment: A little practice
Next time you watch a movie, pick out a couple characters you would like to describe. If your main character is a brunette with short, straight hair, next time you see one on a movie, pause the movie (or find a picture online) and try and describe her. Or, just pick anyone - a guy with a funny beard, a handsome gentleman, a little girl, an elderly person, a young woman, etc.
How to use your description
If you're introducing a character in a book, the reader may or may not be interested in a lengthy paragraph concerning them. If the character is a side character or it is an inopportune moment to spend in depiction, you can try and intertwine their physical appearance in with the action. For example, you could describe the way their ____ (color) eyes dart around the room in fear, or how they sweep a piece of ____ hair from their face in a moment of battle (cliche! Cliche alert!). Do they stand on their tiptoes when in the presence of tall people, because they are short? Are they self-conscious of a physical fault on their face, or a wart on their hand? These things can be revealed as the story continues on, adding quirks to the characters that might make them seem endearing.
Occasionally, a long description is acceptable, especially when the book is narrated in the first person. When you see someone, you take in most of their physical characteristics in a couple seconds. If the first person narrator has just met someone, she will most likely look them over - and in doing so, will describe him / her to the reader. But in general, you shouldn't make them too long, or your reader will fall asleep and start drooling on your novel. (And you're shouting, "TMI!" at me now, aren't you?)
Conclusion
So, the next time someone says, "Hey, what about that character...uhhh...what'shisface?" you can surprise them by offering a long description of your character... just kidding!
Klara C.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hey, thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment, it will make me smile! Feel free to ask questions, agree or disagree, write me a poem, or whatever...just keep it kind. :)