How to Write Physical Descriptions of your Characters
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mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} @list l0:level8 {mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} @list l0:level9 {mso-level-number-format:roman-lower; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:right; text-indent:-9.0pt;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} </style> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hey guys, welcome back! It’s hard to believe we’re already midway through January. I don’t know about you guys, but 2017 already seems to be flying by. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other day, I was looking through my emails and FAQs from my readers and subscribers to try to find writing-related topics for my upcoming YouTube videos; and I’m not gonna lie, I’m sort of coming up dry. I have some ideas for quite a few videos, but I’m not sure whether or not they’re things you want to see. Mostly because no one’s asked about them yet. With that being said, if there’s something you’d like to see on my channel or for me to do a video on (writing-related, please), then leave a comment down below, shoot me an email, or reach out to me via social media. I want to make sure I’m delivering content that you guys are interested in and that is helpful, so your input here is incredibly important </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Okay, so not too long ago, we talked about creating character profiles. If you missed that video, I will leave it linked down below for you to check out. A common question I received after making that video was, “Okay Kristen, so I have my physical descriptions of my characters, but how do I sneak them into my story without rattling off a laundry list of adjectives?” Sound familiar? If so, don’t fear! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today we’re going to talk about six physical descriptions of your characters you can sneak into your story without sounding like a thesaurus. And I do want to give credit where credit is due – a large majority of these concepts and examples were originally found on betternovelproject.com. If you would rather watch the video on this topic, feel free to click play below. Otherwise, read on!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sEAw1sq..." width="560"></iframe></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let’s get started.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Age</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>It’s crucial for your readers to know how old your hero is. But instead of saying, “Larry is nineteen years old,” we, as writers, should try to include the hero’s age through the vehicle of other description or backstory. Maybe you can even make your reader do some math to figure it out. Let’s look at some examples:</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>i.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>In <i>Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone</i>, we know that Harry Potter has been living with the Dursleys for ten years, ever since he was a baby. We confirm his age with his birthday: “…tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry’s eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun — last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon’s old socks.” (HP Ch.3).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>ii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>In <i>Twilight</i>, we learn that Bella must be seventeen years old: “It was in this town that I’d been compelled to spend a month every summer until I was fourteen. That was the year I finally put my foot down; these past three summers, my dad, Charlie, vacationed with me in California for two weeks instead.” (TW Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>iii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>In <i>The Hunger Games</i>, we learn Katniss’s age because it is relevant to her entries in the reaping: “So now, at the age of sixteen, my name will be in the reaping twenty times.” (HG Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Body Type</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>The best and sneakiest way to include a character’s body type is to mention it while also revealing something more meaningful about said character. For example:</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>i.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Harry Potter’s body type shows that he has been neglected: “Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.” (HP Ch.2). </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>ii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Bella’s description of her body type shows that she is not very confident: “I had always been slender, but soft somehow, obviously not an athlete…” (TW Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>iii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Katniss’s description of her body type shows that she does not consider herself attractive: “When we met, I was a skinny twelve-year-old, and although he was only two years older, he already looked like a man.” (HG Ch. 1)</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Skin Tone</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Before we dive into this one, it’s important I mention that if you haven’t checked out the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign to please do so. Normally, we only get one lousy sentence describing the character’s skin color or tone. Here are some great examples on how to do this and do it well:</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>i.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Harry’s skin is scarred, which goes with him being the “chosen one”: “The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.” (HP Ch.2).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>ii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Bella is very pale, which suits her damsel-in-distress style: “My skin could be pretty — it was very clear, almost translucent-looking —” (TW Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>iii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Katniss is olive-toned, which fits her outdoorsy nature: “I watch as Gale pulls out his knife and slices the bread. He could be my brother. Straight black hair, olive skin…” (HG Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Eye color</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Although you may want to break out the flowery descriptions for eye color, I would say to hold off. Instead of directly telling the reader what color your hero’s eyes are, maybe wait until you’re writing from the love interest’s point-of-view where they can notice the hero’s eye color. Great examples of this done indirectly are in The Hunger Games and Twilight.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>i.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Katniss has gray eyes, which she tells the reader through her description of Gale: “…we even have the same gray eyes. But we’re not related, at least not closely.” (HG Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>ii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Bella most likely has brown eyes: “Instead, I was ivory-skinned, without even the excuse of blue eyes or red hair, despite the constant sunshine.” (TW Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Hair</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Similarly, you may want to get really detailed with your descriptions of your characters’ hair. But perhaps it’s best to do this more indirectly:</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>i.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Harry has dark, messy hair: “Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place.” (HP Ch.2).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>ii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>We know that Bella does not have blonde or red hair: “I looked at my face in the mirror as I brushed through my tangled, damp hair.” (TW CH.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>iii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Katniss has her famous braid: “I pull on trousers, a shirt, tuck my long dark braid up into a cap, and grab my bag.” (HG Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Clothing</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>If you can, it’s a great idea to describe clothing while making another point. For example:</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>i.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Harry’s glasses show us that he has a hard home life: “He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.” (HP Ch.2).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>ii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Bella’s warm-weather outfit shows us that she is about to experience a big change: “I was wearing my favorite shirt — sleeveless, white eyelet lace; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture.” (TW Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>iii.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Katniss’s outfit shows us that she is no stranger to hunting: “I swing my legs off the bed and slide into my hunting boots. Supple leather that has molded to my feet.” (HG Ch.1).</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just remember, the reader needs just enough description to get his/her imagination started — you don’t have to fill in every single detail. Most importantly, most of your physical descriptions should do double-duty by explaining another aspect of the hero’s personality or background. Since the details are tucked in with the rest of the story, this gives the reader no reason to skip ahead to the good stuff. By sneaking descriptions in and revealing more about your characters, the reader will feel as though they have depth and will connect with them on a deeper level, which is exactly what you want. </span></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So there you have it, 6 physical descriptions you can covertly sneak into your story. I hope you enjoyed the content today. Don't forget to check out both THE ALPHA DRIVE and THE ORDER OF OMEGA on your way out. As always, I will see you in the next post!</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/..." target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/..." border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eHN3-HNon..." width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8c-fapNGi..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8c-fapNGi..." /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.betternovelproject.com/blo..." target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">source </span></a></span> </div>
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