When most readers think about characters, they expect physical descriptions. The woman has blue eyes and blond hair that’s cut short with banks, and dimples around her mouth, etc. for example. Or for men: he’s darkly complexioned, six feet tall, ruggedly built and balding. Readers expect that kind of description, but it’s not necessarily good writing. It works best, perhaps, when readers are lazy, expecting to have authors spoon-feeding stories to them, but readers of more serious fiction should expect and demand more.

Let’s start with physical descriptions. I want my readers to picture the character vividly in their minds. If I give them to much physical description the character actually stays vague to them because they haven’t worked in their imagination to create the image. One of my best female characters was described only as having dark hair and a fair complexion. Nothing else. Other characters said she was beautiful or pretty or attractive depending on how they engaged her, but they never would have verbalized details, that’s reader-feeder. The reader is inspired to form whatever image works for them, and in the imaging perhaps bonds more closely with the character.

More importantly, characters should be described by what they do, how they act. Word choices are very important in describing a character. Does she pick at her food or launch into her meal? Does she charge up to her beau or slink up to him. Here, notice the use of verbs not adjectives or adverbs in the description. Show the character in action; use active verbs. And don’t be passive. She was wearing a modest gown should be she slipped into a slinky dress.

Naturally, the same is true of creating character dialog. Readers learn much more about a character by the way they talk—shouting vs. low-throated—and what vocabulary they use—slang vs pedantic—and what they say—light-hearted vs philosophical. The same goes for interior monologues, but caution is needed here to avoid dumbing down the reader’s involvement.

And probably less is more is always better. Stopping a scene in order to describe the characters in it is never as good as showing those characters in action.

Characters are what make stories come alive. Fiction writers don’t have Hollywood stars to educate the reader by their physical appearance, their actions, and their speech. We have to provide the clues that instruct readers. Try picturing Scarlet O’Hara without seeing Vivian Leigh. Margaret Mitchell did.

I am a writing coach and would be happy to consult with any of your followers who are interested in improving their writing skills. They can contact me here, at WillardThompsonBooks.com