 |
| Character Details |
 |
 |
| By now you should have an idea of what your character looks like and how he or she moves through his world. When we describe physical traits of our characters, we should avoid an �all-points bulletin,� a term coined by author Janet Burroway. An all-points bulletin reads something like: �Sophie was tall and thin with long dark hair and dressed like a model.� Some popular authors introduce each character this way, but such descriptions are boring and hardly memorable. The characters are cardboard cutouts instead of being three-dimensional.
Nineteenth century authors wrote long passages of description right down to a character�s bootlaces. But fiction has changed. Readers have a shorter attention span and less patience, partly due to instant availability of movies and hundreds of TV channels. I�m not suggesting your writing be sparse. Instead, use more concrete and sensory details. This still can be used with an economy of words. Show your character moving through his world rather than using static descriptions that slow down or interrupt your story. Use details that appeal to your reader�s senses. Avoid vague modifiers like �tall,� �thin,� �young,� or �middle-aged.� Avoid clich�s like �bulging muscles,� �chiseled features,� �clean-cut,� or �distinguishingly handsome.� Be specific with details. For instance, Sophie�s dark hair becomes �a blue black braid falling down the middle of her back.� To reveal to your reader her long hair, show her twisting it up, braiding it, or brushing it. Introduce physical details through action and dialogue. While specific details can enhance description, too many at once will overload your reader. Choose one or two significant traits. Give your character a strong physical trait, flaw, or mannerism. To make them memorable, gradually introduce physical traits throughout the story. Gustav Flaubert said, �An object of a story must be mentioned three times before a reader is convinced of its existence.� The same applies to physical description. Does your character have habits or mannerisms? Sophie chews on the end of her braid when she�s nervous. She likes to sit cross-legged, even when she�s in a restaurant. She squints because she�s too vain to wear glasses. Reveal your character�s wants and frame of mind through their actions and body language. Someone who perches on the end of a chair is in a different mind-set from someone who slumps or sits cross-legged. Instead of writing, �she was hungry,� show her shoveling food without taking a breath, then sopping up every last bit of gravy with a crust of bread. Her dining partner tears his roll into small pieces and spends a long time chewing everything. Maybe he wears dentures, or he�s nervous. If your character is angry, show it through action. Show gritting teeth, hands curling into fists, slamming doors. How your character reacts in different situations is very telling about their motives and background. Often overlooked are sensory details. How would a mother smell? Perhaps she�s just returned from the chicken house to collect eggs, or she�s been cleaning the house or baking pies. What smells are associated with your character�s occupation? A nurse might smell like a combination of hospital soap, sweat, and urine. A mechanic would smell like motor oil. How does a child smell? An elderly man? How do they sound when they walk? Do their boots clunk? Slippers shuffle? A woman wearing high heels sounds different from a nurse. A little girl trying on her mother�s shoes has a different walking sound. Pay attention to other sensory details. How does your character speak? Are their voices high-pitched, monotone, raspy? Does your character speak in long, breathless sentences or does she give minimal details? (More about that in the developing a voice for your character notes later.) Rebecca McClanahan (Word Painting) wrote: �[Our characters] are microcosms of texture and aroma and sound, reflecting the private and public worlds in which they move.� |
 |