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This week: But What Will They Wear? Edited by: Jay's debut novel is out now!  
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Recently I've spent a lot of time thinking about something that strikes me as common sense from a writer-ly perspective: what are your characters wearing, anyway? Never mind how I came to this particular question (for the record: I was trying to figure out how to explain a common style of space suit in my novel series, referred to in shorthand as a "jacksuit," and how a mask might be fitted to it for the purposes of surviving in an airless environment, thank you very much!) but the resulting exploration of how other authors led me to the conclusion that even though I know a decent amount about garment construction thanks to years of knitting and sewing, I don't know the first thing about how to explain things about garments that don't really exist.
Do you know your jerkin from your tunic? Your pauldrons from your epaulets? Your petticoats from your slips? While a certain amount of approximation or inaccuracy might be expected, there's something about being as accurate as possible. It's also useful to know your garment and its function. Armor, for example. There are scores of books on the topic, and a quick search of the search engine of your choice will typically produce more than adequate information-- possibly more than you'd ever need, but it is useful to know the proper name for something-- "greaves," for example, being a lot more authentic, if perhaps less blunt than "shin plate armor thingies."
When it comes to garments, it's important to take a little bit of function into account, but don't forget to add some flair! No one necessarily wants to read a paragraph of pure fashion description, but it can help provide some details from which the reader can infer more. Paint with broad but vivid strokes. Give your readers the flavor of your world through the style of garb your characters wear.
Another thing that I tend to catch myself doing, partly, I assume, out of having a lazy imagination, is to use very vague catch-all terms like "robe" without elaborating on them. What kind of robe, though? Is it velvet? Satin? Burlap? What color is it? Is it in good shape, or shabby? What might it smell like, even? Not all of these details are necessarily important and relevant, but knowing them makes your descriptions more vivid. I'm working a lot harder on this part myself!
Getting into the characters while you write means that sometimes you need to get into their shoes... and I guess, their trousers, or britches, or short-pants, or tights!
Until Next Time,
Take care and Write on!
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| | Finn's Syren [13+] #1521835
Born and cursed to be a gypsy, Finn's bitterness only strengthens the woman he loves.
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Fantasy: January 25, 2012 Issue [#4846]
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