 Contests & Activities: October 16, 2024 Issue [#12794] |
This week: Character Descriptions Edited by: spidey  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week!
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Character Descriptions
I'm curious, as a writer and a reader, how important are character descriptions to you?
Do you like to describe your character down to the smallest detail so your reader can have a very clear image of what you are presenting to them? Or do you prefer the reader to come up with their own vision of the character? Maybe that way they can see themselves in a character easier? Which do you prefer as a reader?
There are lots of ways to describe a character. I often see in writing the author presenting eye color and hair color first. Is that enough?
There are a lot of ways to describe characters:
 Physical appearance. Probably the most obvious. This includes things like hair color and eye color, but also the shape of their eyes or nose or chin. You can convey a lot in specific features, I think, and most readers might picture a character's face first, so that could be the first thing to present to them.
Mannerisms. Maybe a character fidgets or has a tic or smirks in a specific way. Mannerisms can be used to add subtle tone and depth to a character, maybe even foreshadowing.
Behaviors. How a character interacts with others can tell a lot about who they are. This is why exercises can be helpful if you're creating a character. Imagine how they'd react to a waiter, for instance, or how they would deal with someone being rude to them. How would they respond in an emergency situation? Or if they found a lost kitten? These are all ways to get your character's identity and description across - how they interact with the world.
When it comes to contests, it can be tough to convey a lot within word limits, but I think description of character remains a pretty important part of story telling. Whether you give a lot of detail or just a little, it can impact a reader and their experience of your story.
Take care, and as always, keep on writing! 
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Feedback from my last newsletter "Contests & Activities Newsletter (September 18, 2024)" , which discussed character names:
I, too, decide on character names based on the feel of the story I want to write. It bothers me, sometimes, that I typically write stories using basic, unexciting names.
~ Merry QPdoll 
I suppose if a name fits, then it fits! 
How do I choose the names of characters? Most often, they come with appropriate names already attached. In those cases where this doesn't happen, I look for names that are less common or even made up. The American habit of using surnames as first names is very useful in this regard - had some of my best names through this. A while back, I started a file to record interesting names when they came to me out of the blue. Naturally, I didn't keep it up for long and I've used them all now. But it was a good idea and maybe I'll fire it up again.
I do think that names are important. They can save one a lot of character description since they come with so much wrapped up in them already.
~ Beholden 
That's a good idea! 
Submit your feedback below!
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