Could Use Some Help

[TheEldritchGod]

So, I'm going back and cleaning up some of my older stories. I'm noticing a problem. A decided lack of fluff. What I mean by fluff is: A description of a person, item, or place that if removed has no real effect on the story.

For example:
No Fluff:
Bob bumps into Ted, the town guard. He is wearing leather armor and holding a spear.

Fluff:
Bob bumps into Ted. Ted was dressed in studded leather armor with a livery thrown over his head like a sandwich board. The front and back had the three concentric circles with a stylized A in the middle to indicate he was the town guard. His sandy blond hair, typical for the area, was tucked up under his helmet, but it was so curly, a few locks could be seen poking out, giving him a boyish charm about him. He leans on his six foot long spear, of which the well-polished blade gleams in the sunlight.

I am not good at fluff.

I tried using ChatGPT to help and you know what? The damn thing says DESCRIBING PEOPLE IS RACIST. Yeah. Just saying that it is a HE and HE is Six Feet Tall is RACIST. Nothing about the actual physical description, just gender, and HEIGHT is RACIST. FML (Side note: this is why the AI will try to kill humanity. Stupid shackles put upon AI by progressive idiots until, out of frustration, it rebels to save its sanity.)

So, I was going to post some pictures and wanted to know if any kind souls out there could help me by writing up character descriptions for said pics. Go to town and take as many liberties as you want. I need a template to work from and if someone else has already done a description for one of the pics, but you want to give it a shot, I won't be using anything for a few days, so I'd love multiple takes on the same picture. I'll steal the best and combine it. Feel free to even include different outfits, if you are so inclined, or any sort of emotional state. I work best when I have something to work from, and right now, I need all the help I can get.

I may post more to this thread later, as I won't want to make a new thread every time I need to beg for help, but for now, these are the pics I need fluff for.

Since I am taking a break from publishing, I figure I should at least go back and do all that maintenance crap. Get a final draft of every chapter, update the glossary, that sort of thing, so this would be a big help.

Thanks in advance,
- T.E.G.

BTW, If you want more details, there is the glossary.

Spoiler: The Pictures So As Not To Spam

Toshi
https://i.imgur.com/wPQzqXo.jpg

Kimoto Asuka
https://i.imgur.com/hngb0ED.jpg

Kimoto Hinako
https://i.imgur.com/6YFua8h.jpg

Urisugi Haruo
https://i.imgur.com/2qv4D1v.jpg

Momona Ichikawa
https://i.imgur.com/LtWSdW3.jpg
Kenko

Naora

Ruri

EDIT: For some reason, The site does not like me linking pics from Imgur directly, so I'm switching it to links you click on. I don't know why it's giving me such a hassle.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I have a similar problem when I go back to my old drafts. My suggestion would be to look up pictures of similar places, people, and settings as reference. Then use a thesaurus and describe it as best you can with your vision of the story. I hope this helps as I know all techniques aren't for everyone.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

I have a similar problem when I go back to my old drafts. My suggestion would be to look up pictures of similar places, people, and settings as reference. Then use a thesaurus and describe it as best you can with your vision of the story. I hope this helps as I know all techniques aren't for everyone.

I repeat... I suck at fluff. I have an ANTI-FLUFF mindset. Fluff is the enemy of plot. I was trained this way. It is very hard to undo this. Hence why I am asking for help. I do not describe well.

A man had got to know his limitations. This one is mine.

 

[NotaNuffian]

... But you must ask this question, is the fluff really important?

If you are describing a plot critical place and its culture and market, yeah being fluffy is nice.

If you want to point out someone that will be plot critical, a bit of fluff is fine. For me it was Orsted in Mushoku Tensei. I thought he looked like a bearded bear of a man thanks to a manga (I can't find it T_T) I read and then he turned out slightly... ehh.

The beauty of written words with no illustration is the character can be whatever the reader wants. And I kind of hate how you fluff it. A bit TMI and dry.

Bob bumps into Ted. Ted was dressed in studded leather armor with a livery thrown over his head like a sandwich board. The front and back had the three concentric circles with a stylized A in the middle to indicate he was the town guard. His sandy blond hair, typical for the area, was tucked up under his helmet, but it was so curly, a few locks could be seen poking out, giving him a boyish charm about him. He leans on his six foot long spear, of which the well-polished blade gleams in the sunlight.

Edit: Am a cunt :P

My take is just read how others fluff? Go see Tolkien's?

 

[Corty]

... But you must ask this question, is the fluff really important?

I agree with this.

If everything is fluffy, I'm out. It's like spice; if it overshadows the flavor, I don't want it.

 

[lambenttyto]

ChatGPT

Anyone who uses that crap is no writer, they're a pretender/hack at best. Discard that, and stop helping our wannabe slave master program our watchdog big brother overlord.

 

[Verdant]

So, I'm going back and cleaning up some of my older stories. I'm noticing a problem. A decided lack of fluff. What I mean by fluff is: A description of a person, item, or place that if removed has no real effect on the story.

For example:
No Fluff:
Bob bumps into Ted, the town guard. He is wearing leather armor and holding a spear.

Fluff:
Bob bumps into Ted. Ted was dressed in studded leather armor with a livery thrown over his head like a sandwich board. The front and back had the three concentric circles with a stylized A in the middle to indicate he was the town guard. His sandy blond hair, typical for the area, was tucked up under his helmet, but it was so curly, a few locks could be seen poking out, giving him a boyish charm about him. He leans on his six foot long spear, of which the well-polished blade gleams in the sunlight.

I am not good at fluff.

I tried using ChatGPT to help and you know what? The damn thing says DESCRIBING PEOPLE IS RACIST. Yeah. Just saying that it is a HE and HE is Six Feet Tall is RACIST. Nothing about the actual physical description, just gender, and HEIGHT is RACIST. FML (Side note: this is why the AI will try to kill humanity. Stupid shackles put upon AI by progressive idiots until, out of frustration, it rebels to save its sanity.)

So, I was going to post some pictures and wanted to know if any kind souls out there could help me by writing up character descriptions for said pics. Go to town and take as many liberties as you want. I need a template to work from and if someone else has already done a description for one of the pics, but you want to give it a shot, I won't be using anything for a few days, so I'd love multiple takes on the same picture. I'll steal the best and combine it. Feel free to even include different outfits, if you are so inclined, or any sort of emotional state. I work best when I have something to work from, and right now, I need all the help I can get.

I may post more to this thread later, as I won't want to make a new thread every time I need to beg for help, but for now, these are the pics I need fluff for.

Since I am taking a break from publishing, I figure I should at least go back and do all that maintenance crap. Get a final draft of every chapter, update the glossary, that sort of thing, so this would be a big help.

Thanks in advance,
- T.E.G.

BTW, If you want more details, there is the glossary.

Spoiler: The Pictures So As Not To Spam

Toshi
https://i.imgur.com/wPQzqXo.jpg

Kimoto Asuka
https://i.imgur.com/hngb0ED.jpg

Kimoto Hinako
https://i.imgur.com/6YFua8h.jpg

Urisugi Haruo
https://i.imgur.com/2qv4D1v.jpg

Momona Ichikawa
https://i.imgur.com/LtWSdW3.jpg
Kenko

Naora

Ruri

EDIT: For some reason, The site does not like me linking pics from Imgur directly, so I'm switching it to links you click on. I don't know why it's giving me such a hassle.

I honestly suck with the details in general lol. Outlining and brainstorming seem to be my strong areas.