Learn what character description is and how to describe a character. Jump into OC description writing with one of the iconic character description examples from our list. ... Expect to spend a lot of time at the keyboard working on your characters. Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash
Take the time to analyze the way authors depict and describe characters, paying close attention to the words they use and the techniques they employ. Then, practice writing your own character descriptions, honing your craft with each attempt. With patience, persistence, and a willingness to learn, you can develop the skills needed to create ...
Having compelling characters in your novel can be the difference between a good story and a great one, igniting a reader’s imagination with every turn of the page. Some of the most memorable fictional characters have lasted the test of time because of how the author described them. From Heathcliff to Fagin, from Scarlett O’Hara to Matilda, the way these characters look, move, behave, and ...
When writing a novel, our goal is usually to create round characters, which can be a challenging task.One helpful approach to developing better characters is to use a character profile template and tools like Story Planner to plot your novel.. However, regardless of how well we plan our characters, we ultimately have to face the crucial moment: Describing them within the text.
Action-relevant elements: If your character uses a knife, mention it before they grab it. Character-revealing details: A clean desk or a chewed pen tells you more than eye color ever could. Mood-setting clues: A single creaking stair can set suspense better than a full layout of the house. Focus on Relevance. Only describe what matters for:
Focus on your character’s unique attributes and/or personal quirks. ... To describe a character, use creative and specific details to give the reader a clear picture. Note their unique physical characteristics, like eye color, hair, body type, and scars, as well as their personality traits such as hobbies, moral beliefs, and temperament. ...
Descriptions for Character Profiles. Creating a character profile can help you when it comes time to write. It can ensure that you know your major characters intimately before you start writing. These profiles are about more than just character description, but for the purposes of this article, we'll focus on the physical attributes, as they're the building blocks for writing descriptive prose.
It might seem like an obvious way to describe your main character is to have them look in the mirror, like this: Julia gazed into the bathroom mirror, assessing how she looked. Her hair was neatly parted and just skimmed the top of her shoulders. Her blue eyes were perfectly spaced, and her nose had a smattering of freckles – just right, she ...
Character descriptions — those key passages that describe what a character actually looks like — are almost as crucial to a written story as the characters themselves. If you’re writing a novel, you’ve probably created an awesome, vivid protagonist in your head: complex , idiosyncratic , maybe even memorably named .
If your sidekick is nervous, he might bounce his knee when he’s sitting, pluck at his sleeves, or startle easily. 4. What space has your character created for themselves? This can be offstage: a bedroom, an expensive car with all the right gadgets, the perfectly-stocked kitchen, a private office. Describe your character in that space. 5.
Character is the overall mental and moral qualities of an individual. This includes their basic personality, talents and habits. This includes their basic personality, talents and habits. It is common to describe an individual's character in informal conversation and formal communications such as a character reference.
On a related note, you can also use other characters to describe your character — which is what we’ll look at next. 5. Let other characters describe them. Using multiple perspectives in your story — whether through dialogue or whole sections dedicated to different POVs — can add depth and complexity to characters and their relationships.
4. Make Your Characters Move. You don’t need to stop everything to introduce a new character. Keep the momentum flowing. Show us what they look like when they move.Pair up your descriptions with verbs, and watch your character come to life.. Example from Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code: “…the hulking albino named Silas limped through the front gate of the luxurious brownstone residence ...
To make your character description evocative, decide what impression you want to create and then choose a few specific details that bring this impression to life. General adjectives like “beautiful” leave readers without much to go on. ... If you use lush description for the scenery and barely describe your characters, it will feel like ...
#3 – What Does Your Character Do? Here are two completely different images: Theoretical Physicist; Blacksmith’s apprentice; Professions are one of the quickest ways to describe characters – especially if they’re a minor character. From George R. R. Martin’s new novel, The Winds of Winter: They had no trouble buying horses, though the cost was five times what it would have been last year.
As you describe real-life characters, zero in on distinguishing characteristics that reveal personality: gnarled, arthritic hands always busy at some task; a habit of covering her mouth each time a giggle rises up; a lopsided swagger as he makes his way to the horse barn; the scent of coconut suntan oil, cigarettes, and leather each time she ...
The way your character is seen by others is perhaps the most valuable resource you have. How someone is treated, talked about, reacted to, can give you a wealth of knowledge without you ever having to describe anything. For example, if your character stood up and talked in class, how would the other kids react? Would they listen? Would they laugh?
Characters are the most important element in fiction. We need to know who characters are and what they are like. However, over-describing characters can act as a roadblock, hindering readers’ ability to form their own mental images of the characters. It’s important to strike a balance in describing characters.
