#Character descriptions

[loveandleases]

Rereading character descriptions from last year while writing a scene...No, I didn't forget that I gave Isaac arm tats and piercings.

[fictionstudent]

How to pull off descriptions

New authors always describe the scene and place every object on the stage before they press the play button of their novels. And I feel that it happens because we live in a world filled with visual media like comics and films, which heavily influence our prose.

In visual media, it’s really easy to set the scene—you just show where every object is, doesn’t matter if they’re a part of the action about to come or not. But prose is quite different from comics and films. You can’t just set the scene and expect the reader to wait for you to start action of the novel. You just begin the scene with action, making sure your reader is glued to the page.

And now that begs the question—if not at the beginning, where do you describe the scene? Am I saying you should not use descriptions and details at all? Hell naw! I’m just saying the way you’re doing it is wrong—there’s a smarter way to pull off descriptions. And I’m here to teach that to you.

***

#01 - What are descriptions?

Let’s start with the basics—what are descriptions? How do you define descriptions? Or details, for that matter? And what do the words include?

Descriptions refer to… descriptions. It’s that part of your prose where you’re not describing something—the appearance of an object, perhaps. Mostly, we mean scene-descriptions when we use the term, but descriptions are more than just scene-descriptions.

Descriptions include appearances of characters too. Let’s call that character-descriptions.

Both scene-descriptions and character-descriptions are forms of descriptions that we regularly use in our prose. We mostly use them at the beginning of the scene—just out of habit.

Authors, especially the newer ones, feel that they need to describe each and every nook and cranny of the place or character so they can be visualized clearly by their readers, right as the authors themselves visualized them. And they do that at the start of the scene because how can you visualize a scene when you don’t know how the scene looks first.

And that’s why your prose is filled with how the clouds look or what lights are on the room before you even start with the dialogues and action. But the first paragraph doesn’t need to be a simple scene-description—it makes your prose formulaic and predictable. And boring. Let me help you with this.

***

#02 - Get in your narrator’s head

The prose may have many MCs, but a piece of prose only has a single narrator. And these days, that’s mostly one of the characters of your story. Who uses third-person omniscient narrator these days anyway? If that’s you, change your habits.

Anyway, know your narrator. Flesh out their character. And then internalize them—their speech and stuff like that. Internalize your narrator to such an extent that you can write prose from their point-of-view.

Now, I don’t mean to say that only your narrator should be at the center of the scene—far from it. What I mean is you should get into your narrator’s head.

You do not describe a scene from the eyes of the author—you—but from the eyes of the narrator. You see from their eyes, and understand what they’re noticing. And then you write that.

Start your scene with what the narrator is looking at.

For example,

The dark clouds had covered the sky that day. The whole classroom was in shades of gray—quite unusual for someone like Sara who was used to the sun. She felt the gloom the day had brought with it—the gloom that no one else in her class knew of.

She never had happy times under the clouds like that. Rain made her sad. Rain made her yearn for something she couldn’t put into words. What was it that she was living for? Money? Happiness?

As she stared at the sky through the window, she was lost in her own quiet little corner. Both money and happiness—and even everything else—were temporary. All of it would leave her one day, then come back, then leave, then come back, like the waves of an ocean far away from any human civilization in sight.

All of it would come and go—like rain, it’d fall on her, like rain, it’d evaporate without proof.

And suddenly, drops of water began hitting the window.

You know it was a cloudy day, where it could rain anytime soon. You know that for other students, it didn’t really matter, but Sara felt really depressed because of the weather that day. You know Sara was at the corner, dealing with her emotions alone.

It’s far better than this,

The dark clouds covered the sky that day. It could rain anytime soon.

From her seat at the corner of the room, Sara stared at the sky that made everything gray that day. She…

The main reason it doesn’t work is that you describe the scene in the first paragraph, but it’s devoid of any emotions. Of any flavor. It’s like a factual weather report of the day. That’s what you don’t want to do—write descriptions in a factual tone.

If you want to pull off the prior one, get to your narrator’s head. See from their eyes, think from their brain. Understand what they’re experiencing, and then write that experience from their POV.

Sara didn’t care what everyone was wearing—they were all probably in their school uniforms, obviously, so I didn’t describe that. Sara didn’t focus on how big the classroom was, or how filled, or what everybody was doing. Sara was just looking at the clouds and the clouds alone, hearing everybody just living their normal days, so I mentioned just those things.

As the author, you need to understand that only you, the author are the know-it-all about the scene, not your narrator. And that you’re different from your narrator.

Write as a narrator, not as an author.

***

#03 - Filler Words

This brings me to filler words. Now, hearing my advice, you might start writing something like this,

Sarah noticed the dark clouds through the window. She saw that they’d saturated the place gray.

Fillers words like “see”, “notice”, “stare”, “hear” should be ignored. But many authors who begin writing from the POV of the characters start using these verbs to describe what the character is experiencing.

But remember, the character is not cognizant of the fact that they’re seeing a dark cloud, just that it’s a dark cloud. You don’t need these filler words—straight up describe what the character is seeing, instead of describing that the character is seeing.

Just write,

There were dark clouds on the other end of the window, which saturated the place gray.

Sarah is still seeing the clouds, yeah. But we’re looking from her eyes, and her eyes ain’t noticing that she’s noticing the clouds.

It’s kinda confusing, but it’s an important mistake to avoid. Filler words can really make your writing sound more amateurish than before and take away the experience of the reader, because the reader wants to see through the narrator’s eyes, not that the narrator is seeing.

***

#04 - Characters

Character-descriptions are a lot harder to pull off than scene-descriptions. Because it’s really confusing to know when to describe them, their clothing, their appearances, and what to tell and what not to.

For characters, you can give a full description of their looks. Keep it concise and clear, so that your readers can get a pretty good idea of the character with so few words that they don’t notice you’ve stopped action for a while.

Or can show your narrator scanning the character, and what they noticed about them.

Both these two tricks only work when a character is shown first time to the readers. After that, you don’t really talk about their clothing or face anymore.

Until there’s something out of the ordinary about your character.

What do I mean by that? See, you’ve described the face and clothes of the character, and the next time they appear, the reader is gonna imagine the character in a similar set of clothes, with the same face and appearance that they had the first time. Therefore, any time other than the first, you don’t go into detail about the character again. But, if something about your character is out of ordinary—there are bruises on their face, scars, or a change in the way they dress—describe it to the reader. That’s because your narrator may notice these little changes.

***

#05 - Clothing

Clothing is a special case. Some new authors describe the clothes of the characters when they’re describing the character every time the reader sees them. So, I wanna help you with this.

Clothing can be a way to show something about your character—a character with a well-ironed business suit is gonna be different from a character with tight jeans and baggy t-shirt. Therefore, only use clothing to tell something unique about the character.

Refrain from describing the clothing of characters that dress like most others. Like, in a school, it’s obvious that all characters are wearing school uniforms. Also, a normal teenage boy may wear t-shirts and denim jeans. If your character is this, no need to describe their clothing—anything the reader would be imagining is fine.

Refrain from describing the clothing of one-dimensional side-characters—there’s a high chance you’ve not really created them well enough that they have clothing that differs from the expectations of the readers. We all know what waiters wear, or what a college guy who was just passing by in the scene would be wearing.

You may describe the clothing of the important character in the story, but only in the first appearance. After that, describe their clothes only if the clothes seem really, really different from the first time. And stop describing their clothes if you’ve set your character well enough in the story that your readers know what to expect from them in normal circumstances—then, describe clothes only when they’re really, really different from their usual forms of clothing.

***

#06 - Conclusion

I think there was so much I had to say in this article, but I didn’t do a good job. However, I said all that I wanted to say. I hope you guys liked the article and it helps you in one way or the other.

And please subscribe if you want more articles like this straight in your inbox!

[mysterygrl20]

"Ray is a very red flag guy. Wayward, throws money, but it's lonely. So he uses liquor as a dependency. Accused of being a burden, my dearest friend pushes the bastard to snatch it again. When he meets Sand, he sees Sand as someone he can control. P'Khao plays this role with layers far more than a really troubled rich kid." - P'Jojo

[witch128chick]

Pilot Lumity!!!!

I haven't watched the whole thing yet but i am sooo excited!! I love how the internet blew up and the toh fandom collectively rose from its ashes as if the show was still running

I love to see that omg-

But i try to keep myself away from spoilers, tho twitter isn't helping 😆 but i just feel so hyped rn!!! Ah i can't tell you how good this feels

[theimaginatrix27]

To anyone in the position to edit future non-fandom wikis, from a blind fan

I have run up against this issue on the Star Trek Fandom wiki (I know Fandom is bad, if there's an alternative wiki for the Star Trek franchise please please point me to it), but I hope anyone else who edits/will edit any wikis for (particularly live-action) fandoms will hear my plea.

On behalf of all blind fans, I implore you:

When creating/editing a character's page, provide a physical description of them.

Yes, even if there are pictures. Blind people can't see those. Alt text for those pictures would also be nice because screen-readers can read alt text, and it's not always visible to a sighted person who just wants to check a thing real quick.

Yes, even if they basically look like the actor playing them. We also cannot see what actors look like, funnily enough.

Yes, even if you think some things are obvious. You never know what someone might have missed when watching the show/movie or playing the game/watching a let's play. Especially if they're blind/low-vision viewers.

Yes, even if you personally find it annoying. Wikis are an excellent reference if done well, and can be very helpful for reminding people of stuff, and for helping blind fans like myself know what something looks like, so long as the description is there. We find it annoying when there isn't all the information on a wiki page there could be.

Sincerely, a blind Treky who has looked up the pages for several characters on the Star Trek wiki this past week to try and find out for suresies what those characters looked like, only to find there was no physical description section. The races get them, which is great and mostly helpful (but why do they talk about Cardassians having grey skin most of the time instead of scales? I got tripped up by that—though not in anything I've posted yet thankfully!). But that only gets you so far for specific characters! I can't keep relying on fanfics and the kindness of sighted friends with lives who can't always be reached when I need the information to find out for certain what colour Miles O'Brien's eyes are, or Kira Nerys's hair, and sometimes fanfics aren't accurate about descriptions, and I could be basing my entire perception of a character on something I read in a fic once! And I won't know if I can't look it up!

[mikajihiko]

'Given' Volume 9 Promotional Character Descriptions

"Everything will be all right. Come on"

(Violin) Ugetsu Murata

Birthday: June 6

Zodiac: Gemini

Blood type: O

Height: 175cm

- Loved by music Genius violinist

- A person whose smile confuses people (?)

- Unexpectedly appears in places all over the world

"Im glad I got to see Mafuyu's face"

(Guitar) Ritsuka Uenoyama

Birthday: August 1

Zodiac: Leo

Blood type: B

Height: 175cm

- Has guitar skills far from high school students

- Although strong, is gentle at heart

- Tends to be handled around by Mafuyu

"I want to play music with you, I want to sing for the rest of my life"

(Guitar & Vocals) Mafuyu Sato

Birthday: February 28

Zodiac: Pisces

Blood type: AB

Height: 173cm

- Unique vocalist with a singing voice that sticks and never falters

- Does things in own pace

- Never not seizing

"Keep making good music, enough to take it back from me"

(Bassist & Vocalist) Hiiragi Kashima

Birthday: May 8

Zodiac: Taurus

Blood type: A

Height: 175cm

- Flower-like person which fascinates people

- Different type of vocalist compared to Mafuyu

- Cheerful character x2

"Let me stay by your side until I die"

(Drummer) Shizusumi Yagi

Birthday: November 22

Zodiac: Sagittarius

Blood type: B

Height: 180cm

- Hiiragi's band member

- Has intense feelings for Hiiragi

[cb-writes-stuff]

Hey! If you’re interested in Project Opal, please read this!

As you probably know if you’ve checked the masterpost, there’s going to be some character bios eventually. However, we’re not sure what info to put in them. I mean, there’s basic stuff like name, species, age, height, skin/hair/eye color, and other stuff.

But here’s where you come in. What do you want to see in the bios? What do you want to know about the characters? Leave a comment or reblog with any information you’d like on all the characters. No limit on how much you can ask for (at least for now), since we figure people will probably want to know more than one thing.

So, a little update. I still can’t find CB. Which is weird, because I can tell she still has the reins. I’m very off-put by this.

[lacunafiction]

In honor of Book One’s release, I have updated the long-form physical descriptions of TFS's characters by including more of them and organizing the list by chapter so you can follow along as you read. There will be spoilers ahead, so please keep that in mind. You can find it: here. This will be a great reference for artists and writers, but also for readers who might be curious.😉

The descriptions are in a public GoogleDoc; I’ll update it as needed.

Thank you! 💚

[rf-interactive]

Character Descriptions

Roman Hensley is a politician of the people, for the people. He's put forward an award winning campaign, coupled with some big promises that he's already proved he's able to fulfill means there's an election win well within his reach. He's got a calm, controlled aura to him but despite the air of invisibility that he puts forward there are whispers of a scandal, a plot, an attempt on the man's life. Good thing you're there to protect him... right?

Roman has a structured face and smooth, golden sun kissed skin. His golden brown eyes are downturned and warm, set beneath thick expressive eyebrows. His lips are thin with a prominent cupids bow and he has a straight grecian nose. His soft brown hair is straight and keeps it cut short. He has an athletic body and stands at a height of 190 cm (6'3).

After everything she's seen and done working as the top psychiatrist for I-DIE, Nadia is as jaded they come. She has a tendency to be pessimistic in her views of the world and a bleak outlook on her own personal life, yet the care and compassion shows for her patients never fails to shine through. Her dedication to helping your fellow agents is the only reason she hasn't quit but with you as her number one priority, that dedication is wearing thin.

Nadie has a slim, diamond shaped face and beige skin. Her deep brown eyes are almond shaped and she has naturally long eyelashes. She has full, heart shaped lips and a button nose. Her black hair is long and wavy, reaching down to the middle of her back and she usually wears it a low ponytail. She has an average body type and stands at a height of 178 cm (5'8).

More professionally known as Agent Redback, C was once the only person you could count on. Kind and charming, full of excitement and equipped with an infectious smile, you were drawn to them like a moth to a flame. The exact reason for your drifting apart is lost amongst all other reasons you're careening closer to the edge of the line but they never once stopped caring about you and they'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if that means taking them down with you.

C has an angular face and medium tan skin with olive undertones. They have hooded eyes that are a greenish brown colour that are typically hidden behind glasses. They have full, oval lips and a bumpy roman nose. They have curly dark brown hair that Carina wears at her shoulders and César wears short. They have an athletic body type and stand at a height of 189 cm (6'2).

As the head of I-DIE, they are a constant intimidating presence in your life. Their stoic silence is sharp and intense enough to put even the most fearless of agents on edge and you are no exception. You're not entirely sure why they still put up with you or why you still even have a job but you're not going to start questioning them now. After all, you get the feeling that this your last chance to get back in their good books and if you fail... well, being unemployed will be the least of your worries.

Ailbhe has a slim face and freckled, pale tan skin. They have green almond shaped eyes, a straight nose and thin, wide lips. They have wavy red hair that they keep cut short on the sides and long on the top. They have an athletic body type and stand at a height of 165 cm (5'4).

[the-bunnys-code]

DJ Music Man is just a cool guy. He’s a cool guy that sees a lot and knows a lot, particularly about Fazcade… because he lives there. He has seen every cabinet that has been moved in and out of the arcade. He isn't much for words, more for music, you know? He is also very friendly! He’s such a nice fellow.

[fiddles-ifs]

So i know this was answered long ago(i think so at least), but i can't seem to find it(cause Tumblrs search function freakin s*cks hard), with that said i wanted to ask about the physical Ds of the greenwarden cast, we know the heights cause of the FAQ but anything else is just like, not findable(or i am just stupid/blind).

Hope that doesn't bother you or anything.

Some javascript function in my brain short-circuited because I really did think you were asking for descriptions of the characters' genitals and I would. Not answer that! LOL

Anyways! I know I've put out descriptions somewhere online, but I'll just jot down a refresher real quick since the search function is chronically shot.

Bautista: 6'4" Filipino person in their mid-30s. Jacked to shit, with a layer of soft flab. Coal black hair in a high and tight cut. Marine Corps anchor tattoo on their upper left bicep. Medium brown skin with a warm undertone, black eyes. A few battle scars. Marianna and Marc look functionally the same.

Nazeri: 5'11" Persian person in their mid-30s. Also jacked, but in a wiry, gymnast way. Dark olive skin with a beige undertone. Asad has warm black, curly hair he slicks back and stubble. Amir and Asiyeh are both hijabi -- Amir prefers bright, funky patterns. Asiyeh and Asad both prefer pastels and neutrals. All Nazeris have thick eyelashes and yellow eyes, with cat-like pupils that dilate and contract depending on light or excitement.

Devin: 5'4" Afro-Cuban person in their late-20s. Soft and rounded, with layers of fat mostly around their tummy and hips. Pear shaped. Long, curly, warm black hair they usually keep pulled back into a low ponytail. Medium red-brown skin with a golden undertone. Covered in freckles. Bright, leaf green eyes. Usually has their nails painted.

Trace: 5'8" White person of indeterminate age. Bony as hell. Mostly sharp angles. They turn sideways and disappear. Porcelain white skin with a cool undertone. Very long, platinum blonde, fine hair. Piercing blue-gray eyes. Needle marks between their fingers. They can technically look like anything they've, uhm. Sampled. But this is their preferred form. F! and M! Trace look functionally the same.

[musicaleaves]

Chapter 3 Character desc

As far as chapter 4 is concerned, hopefully it releases this month

[mysterygrl20]

"Nick is a sensitive little boy who isn't very confident in himself. When someone pays attention, they get lost. Try to make an expert that he knows it. But every word he said was believed. Nick reminds me of myself as a young gay boy who fell in love with him just because he took us. But in fact, it's just because it's available for him." - P'Jojo

[mthollowell-writes]

Last Line Tag

I'm catching up on my tag games. Thanks so much to @pertinax--loculos, @ohnomybreadsticks, and @writingbyricochet for the tag. You can find their post here, here, and here respectively (seriously, check them out!).

Gently tagging @wintherlywords, @that-chibi-writer, @kaatiba, @revenantlore, @constellationandcompendium and an open tag for anyone who would like to participate.

Here's the last few lines I wrote for my Festival Project WIP:

Mariela had inherited the sharp jut of his chin and his brown eyes, though he had kept his half-lidded with disinterest more often than not. Other than these features, Mariela had been told all her life that she was the spitting image of her mother. She didn’t believe it until her hips grew in and she topped out at 5’3 at 14. Her older cousins still teased her for being petite but never sweet.

[fardell24b]

Daria Character Descriptions - Daria

Daria Morgendorffer First Appearance: Esteemsters "Did we move?"

Last Appearance: Is It College Yet? "Hmm. That the students are shockingly ignorant, the professors self-centered and corrupt, and the entire system geared soley to the pursuit of funding?"

Parents: Jake, Helen Sister: Quinn Aunts: Rita, Amy

[venillopewrites]

Hi this project looks really interesting!! I was wondering if you could give some physical descriptions of the characters? Thank you!

Hi! Thank you, I think so too toot toot goes the horn of my very own clown car

Here are some physical descriptions, handpicked from the draft, and a quick summary afterwards. I do so wish to spoil you, you see.

CW: mentions of scars and prosthetics.

N.

‘ From the lineup of white coats, Dr. Hanover stands out. While no taller than the rest, they exude a cold sort of power no lesser scientist would wield with such pride. ’

‘ “So was a sharp jawline on your daddy’s list of genetic must-haves?” ‘

‘ Whoever said brown eyes were warm and comforting clearly never met someone like N. Whatever sympathy you try to find in their scrutinizing gaze through the glass wall brings another wave of unease. ’

‘ They run a hand through their hair (MASC.N ->) and let it rest against the nape of [their] neck where the hair more prominently waves up. (FEM.N ->) and combs it over [their] shoulder where [they] pick at the waved ends absentmindedly. ‘

Summary: 5′8, dark brown hair that’s graying by the temples, and eyes that could be classified as russet brown. Masc. N’s hair reaches the nape of their neck while Fem. N grows it to just between the shoulder blades. Wavy texture. Their skin is a pale beige. Toned body. Masc.N is clean shaven for the first arc, but lets a bit of a 5 o’clock shadow grow for the rest. Fem. N goes to great lengths to hide her dark under-eyes in the first arc, but not so much for the rest.

They always dress professionally, both GoC favoring suits plus the IBIS* lab coat that’s a staple in their wardrobe. In very casual settings they wear mostly turtlenecks, dress shirts, or neutral sweaters. Never sweatpants though.

E.

‘ They look rigid and tense, which only adds to their height over the crowd you push through. The sea of people part when they lunge your way, while you struggle to shove through them. ’

‘ An almost imperceptible light circles the gray of their iris, and you curse the space around you when the light centers in their pupil; They found you. ’

‘ You stare at the ID card, dumbfounded. The face that stares back at you is no less intimidating than the real deal, but what you note first is that, huh, Vale is blonde. ’

‘ (Cont.) ... They look like her, the girl who works at the ReBar. The same gaunt cheeks, the narrow nose and pouty lips. If she got an undercut and a nasty scar cutting through her face, they would be twins. ’

Summary: 6′3, light blonde hair in an undercut, the longest tips touching just past their ear, no matter the GoC. Always keeps it slicked back or in a french braid on the job. Gray eyes with implanted tech that shines white/pale blue. Their skin is bronze brown and weathered. Athletic body with many scars, one jagged ugly one right across the face from the bridge of their nose to right under the right ear. Sunken cheeks, narrow nose, and pouty lips. Entire left forearm and hand replaced by prosthetics**.

Always seen waring tactical gear, black on black, kevlar on kevlar, straps and heavy gear. Civilian clothes are also muted colors, and then they prefer t-shirts and cargo pants, with an occasional leather or bomber jacket.

Shiloh.

‘ They trudge from their bedroom lair, eyes still half closed and hair sticking at odd angles. The afternoon sun shines on it just so, painting the light brown nest almost blonde. ’

‘ You stare at your own reflection in those infernal sunglasses. You must be one of the few lucky ones who have ever seen the mismatched brown and blue beyond the reflective lenses. ‘

‘ They flinch from you, the usual tan of their skin bleeding into a deathly pale. [The Parasite] rattles in amusement. ’

‘ The bravado serves to make a point even if the heckler stands a good head taller than Shiloh. compact strength is what they’re banking on, and it works; The heckler sneers down at them before turning on their heel and dashing out the door. ’

Summary: 5′6, light brown hair grown just shy of the shoulders, straight coarse texture, often worn in a loose bun. Left eye brown, right eye blue, but they’re rarely seen as they use reflective  aviator sunglasses everywhere but home. Warm tan skin, damaged by the pollution and dry air. Average body, on the toned side but not quite. Arms completely tattooed with abstract shapes and binary code here and there. Has MMCMLX tattooed above right eyebrow.

Leather is what they prefer in their everyday jackets and boots, jackets preferably with a fur trim. Otherwise they’re a haphazard dresser, preferring tones of muted orange or yellow in shirts, especially when going out. Their mask*** they use when traversing The Pens is solid black with orange neon accents that jump every time they speak. At home, they’re always in sweatpants and hoodies.

Parasite

Amorphous blob of oobleck by day, whatever it wants to be by night.

Summary: That’s it. It can be anything it desires, as long as it can prod the hosts brain for ideas. In the first arc it doesn’t manifest as anything, but later arcs it will both exist outside the hosts body as a whole (tethered) or as a clothing or tattoo article on the hosts body.

EXPLANATIONS:

*IBIS is the department dedicated to everything interstellar from technology to travel to bioscience.

**Sounds impractical for an agent but it works exactly like a real arm and hand would, even has heat regulation. Yay science in 2974!

***It's almost impossible to traverse The Pens without a mask so everyone who can afford it has one. The air itself would literally choke a normal human within thirty minutes.