Writing How do you describe physical appearances?

[ShrimpShady]

Do you like to give lengthy and detailed descriptions of your character's appearance, or do you like to keep it short and simple, describing only certain parts? Do you prefer to dump the entirety of your description into one section, or do you spread the details out in different parts of the chapter/scene?

Personally, I only go for detailed descriptions if the character has anything particularly interesting going on with their appearance. For example, if they're wearing a fashionable or unique outfit, or if they have an unusual face. If there's nothing remarkable about how they look, then either I won't mention it at all (especially if they're a character we're already familiar with) or I'll just give a brief, 1 to 3 sentence description.

Also bonus question for non-smut/non-fanservice-y writers, how do you describe a character's more... sensitive details (such as bust size) without it sounding unnatural, out-of-place, or creepy? Asking for a friend.

 

[Deleted member 58005]

I like to start with the hair first. Idk why, but I just felt it would be easier. The characters in my story have unnatural hair colors, so there's obviously going to be a time where I have to stop it, lmao.

For that I go to eyes instead.

 

[Kilolo]

in a way that people could relate and understand.


it doesn't have to be lengthy, start with the most significant & unique detail of the character (you can say they have big nose, or football shaped head, or hair like a moss), then proceed to add some additional details but not as significant as the first one mentioned, then add the conclusion at the end. like you'll call them moss hair or "the character appearance is looks like energetic girl that shines brightly like the sun".

 

[Deleted member 58005]

Now even you too, @Cipiteca396 ?

Too many Agentts now lmao

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

I'm description blind. I basically can't tell if someone is beautiful or ugly.

I don't even know how to describe stuff since all I see is just what it is and thats it.

Example for that is when I look at a cup of water and someone ask me what it looks like and I would just respond with 'its fucking water. Do you need me to write an essay about it?'.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Do you like to give lengthy and detailed descriptions of your character's appearance, or do you like to keep it short and simple, describing only certain parts? Do you prefer to dump the entirety of your description into one section, or do you spread the details out in different parts of the chapter/scene?

I like to keep it to a paragraph or two at most. If it needs more than that, it might be better to find a reason to delay and finish the description later.

Personally, I only go for detailed descriptions if the character has anything particularly interesting going on with their appearance. For example, if they're wearing a fashionable or unique outfit, or if they have an unusual face. If there's nothing remarkable about how they look, then either I won't mention it at all (especially if they're a character we're already familiar with) or I'll just give a brief, 1 to 3 sentence description.

The problem with this is 'noteworthy' means different things to different people. If you don't describe something, then the reader will make an assumption about what it is. And if you later describe the thing you left out and it's different from what the reader imagined, they'll get confused.

So even if the character seems 'utterly average in every way', you still need to describe what 'average' means. Brown hair and brown eyes and green skin and all.

Also bonus question for non-smut/non-fanservice-y writers, how do you describe a character's more... sensitive details (such as bust size) without it sounding unnatural, out-of-place, or creepy? Asking for a friend.

Most of the time, you don't. That information is irrelevant in most cases. The only reason to point it out is if you plan on making it relevant(which you don't since it isn't fanservice or sex). And even then, there's a bit of 'show don't tell' at play there. The narrator shouldn't point out information like this unless they have a reason to. 'This person is prettier than me, and here's why: ' Might be the only viable time to describe sexual characteristics.

Basically, replace bust size with cock size, and if it feels inappropriate or awkward, then you're doing something wrong.

Now even you too, @Cipiteca396 ?

Too many Agentts now lmao

You're gonna confuse people mentioning me before I finish writing.

 

[Deleted member 58005]

I'm description blind. I basically can't tell if someone is beautiful or ugly.

I don't even know how to describe stuff since all I see is just what it is and thats it.

Example for that is when I look at a cup of water and someone ask me what it looks like and I would just respond with 'its fucking water. Do you need me to write an essay about it?'.

Usually people would continue on and write about the last drop of water touching the cup, the fact that the one who filled it up almost forgetting to stop the flow of water such that it almost spilled, how the water is of apt temperature, how the liquid swirls inside their tongue, what container the water was served in...

I could go on, but you know what I mean, lmao.

 

[Ai-chan]

Do you like to give lengthy and detailed descriptions of your character's appearance, or do you like to keep it short and simple, describing only certain parts? Do you prefer to dump the entirety of your description into one section, or do you spread the details out in different parts of the chapter/scene?

Personally, I only go for detailed descriptions if the character has anything particularly interesting going on with their appearance. For example, if they're wearing a fashionable or unique outfit, or if they have an unusual face. If there's nothing remarkable about how they look, then either I won't mention it at all (especially if they're a character we're already familiar with) or I'll just give a brief, 1 to 3 sentence description.

Also bonus question for non-smut/non-fanservice-y writers, how do you describe a character's more... sensitive details (such as bust size) without it sounding unnatural, out-of-place, or creepy? Asking for a friend.

Her bright blue eyes, the colour of the sky in the afternoon, locks upon mine. A single strand of thin, straight and shiny straw falls before that beautiful sky, dangling, swaying freely in the blowing wind. Her pale cheeks reddens as if exposed to the summer heat. And her full, proudful lips opens slightly as if to say something, yet it is no word that I recognize, no word that I understand.

As her lips moves further, opening and closing, I lay mesmerized under the floor. Her right hand presses against mine. Her twin mounds, bountiful like a sack of harvest brushes against mine. She comes closer, making me feel that bountiful, soft twin mountains pressing against my modest bounties.

She says something more. Her lips move again, a little faster, but I can not understand it. She sighs, as her cute well-shaped nose wiggles like an adorable kitten. She says something more, but I am not hearing anything. No, could it be that I do not want to hear?

As her left hand slides under my waist, I can feel her body move upward. Her bountiful mounds presses and brushes gently against mine. Her left knee presses against the flower between my legs. As I look up at her beautiful blue orbs, her lips comes closer. The touch between that full red lips and my own becomes the ember that ignites the fire in my tinder.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Her bright blue eyes, the colour of the sky in the afternoon, locks upon mine. A single strand of thin, straight and shiny straw falls before that beautiful sky, dangling, swaying freely in the blowing wind. Her pale cheeks reddens as if exposed to the summer heat. And her full, proudful lips opens slightly as if to say something, yet it is no word that I recognize, no word that I understand.

As her lips moves further, opening and closing, I lay mesmerized under the floor. Her right hand presses against mine. Her twin mounds, bountiful like a sack of harvest brushes against mine. She comes closer, making me feel that bountiful, soft twin mountains pressing against my modest bounties.

She says something more. Her lips move again, a little faster, but I can not understand it. She sighs, as her cute well-shaped nose wiggles like an adorable kitten. She says something more, but I am not hearing anything. No, could it be that I do not want to hear?

As her left hand slides under my waist, I can feel her body move upward. Her bountiful mounds presses and brushes gently against mine. Her left knee presses against the flower between my legs. As I look up at her beautiful blue orbs, her lips comes closer. The touch between that full red lips and my own becomes the ember that ignites the fire in my tinder.

Speaking of smut.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Carefully

 

[K_Jira]

I usually describe height, eyes, and hair. At first, I always describe them at their first appearance in my story but lately I scattered them throughout the story if it wasn't that important. It's also why I avoid putting a person on my cover so that my readers could imagine them as they like.

 

[TheDylanDrakes]

I start with a first-person perspective, and then I contrive a reason for him to be in front of a mirror in the first few pages. Then I detail everything about them. No character development or personality links, just flat physical description, in minute details. Oh, and I make all my character's look kinda like me, but hotter.

Also, all the boys in the story want to bang me...

I MEAN, all the boys in the story want to bang him.

 

[SakeVision]

Mention a couple of outstanding physical characteristics, let their imagination do the rest.

 

[owotrucked]

I have no idea how writers are supposed to describe appearance.

How do you describe that? And how do you dilute the information without making it a text wall?

So far I just slap pictures and skip appearance description to go straight into how characters feel about it. But it means I have to draw everything/everyone because I stil have no fucking clue how to write properly.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

When writing first person pov only describe what can be seen. If the pov character is too far away to see eye color don’t mention it, at least not yet.

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

Usually people would continue on and write about the last drop of water touching the cup, the fact that the one who filled it up almost forgetting to stop the flow of water such that it almost spilled, how the water is of apt temperature, how the liquid swirls inside their tongue, what container the water was served in...

I could go on, but you know what I mean, lmao.

Thats why I'm description blind. I can't tell what it means or looks like.

People see things in their perspective while my eyes just see things without knowing what it is or actually means. I can't tell how it looks, sense or even felt unless people direct my view to the correct aspect of what they think or thought.

Basically, i need people to guide me since I'm basically blind in describing stuff unless I slowly understand what they are talking about.

 

[gogo7966]

nothing has a physical form

 

[Agentt]

Devide it into 2 sentences.
Keep first one brief, second one detailed.


I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I turned around. It was a slightly tanned man.(first part.) He had curly hair and wore a yellow shirt with faded blue jeans.



It is advisable to focus more on clothes than on facial features, because most facial features can't be explained. You can say stuff like a sharp chin, handsome face, and other stuff

 

[Cipiteca396]

focus more on clothes

I didn't go all out in my explanation last time, but clothes should definitely be described separately. They change every once in a while, and if the only description you have of a character is their clothes... Do they just occasionally turn into different people?

 

[Agentt]

I didn't go all out in my explanation last time, but clothes should definitely be described separately. They change every once in a while, and if the only description you have of a character is their clothes... Do they just occasionally turn into different people?

Well, after this

I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I turned around. It was a slightly tanned man.(first part.) He had curly hair and wore a yellow shirt with faded blue jeans.

Introduce the character more, like name him Agentt.
Next time you will introduce him as,
"I felt a tap on my shoulders and it was Agentt! He was wearing a red sweatshirt with blue shorts this time,"

But mentioning clothes is largely unnecessary, because if it's a recurring character, you will just say his name, and what clothes he is wearing just because...unnecessary?

We do see this in many novels, both western and eastern. Once a character is introduced, we usually never talk about his clothes unless it's a drastic change