 Fantasy: February 04, 2015 Issue [#6810] |
  Fantasy
This week: Locks of Hair/Question of Detail Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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An Elf (written) Fantasy Newsletter
Today we question how much one needs to describe a character and if the information is appreciated/needed by the reader. Is there such thing as too much? What about the use of character sheets that ask for those details? Many questions to ponder over a simple thing like the color of the character's hair.
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The character had white hair and their blue eyes shown like sapphires reflecting the noonday sun. They pushed a bit of the soft, snowy tendrils out away from their vision and stretched their legs. Being taller than most meant the desks in the classroom didn't make for a good fit. Slim fingers gripped at the willow twig that had been placed on the desks as practice examples while they gazed upon their instructor, who continued to talk despite attention already have been taken else where...
Okay, so that's not very good but I have a point with it. Putting in a paragraph a list of stats about the character, getting in their height, hair color, eye color, weight, and any other details both has a use and can be a problem. The list of character traits, can actually make some readers want to stop reading.
I ran into this situation once as a reader. I'm actually one who likes to know what the characters look like to the author, though still bring my own view to the general picture as I'm reading. However, I tried reading a big name (not fantasy) book once and ended up stopping after just a few very short chapters. I struggled with the beginning in part because at least 3 times there was the almost exact same paragraph listing off a character's features. The only thing that differed really were the exact details but the focus on eyes, hair and such were all the same. It was very formulaic and pulled me away from the story each time I came across a paragraph like that. These are often the details often found near the beginning of character sheets and in first writing, rough drafts it's not uncommon to put that information is near the very start of the story.
Can the details still be used?
Of course, but the reason I'm writing about this topic is because it's not needed all the time. There are readers who like to picture the character however they want and will enjoy a story more when there isn't a list of characteristics or details. And don't forget, there are more active ways to bring up the details, while spreading them out so it's not all thrown together in one paragraph. If the detail is important to the character development, or internal conflict, then it can also come in handy. I know with one of mine I do mention his hair color (he has white hair) in the beginning of the book because it's during a conversation about how he wants to be normal but the problem is he doesn't even look normal. So, sometimes you have to weigh how important the details are in the way of the character/story beyond just letting the reader know what they happen to look like. And if it's a first draft, I always err with the "write it all" side because that's why we edit and rewrite, in order to make the story better. 
Character Sheets & Questionnaires
Don't get me wrong. These can be very useful and they do definitely have their place, though maybe they don't need to have 500 questions. Unless you really want to know every detail at every stage of the characters life, then even that is okay. Their use, however, is focused on the writer because there are many things you need to know that the readers will not. Plus, it will help during the editing process so that you can keep you characters consistent throughout the entire story/book. One just has to figure out what on the lists of details are needed and important along with which items you can know but doesn't really need listed in paragraph form in the story. Also keep shorter track of secondary and even minor characters, it will help in the editing process so you can keep track of who is who, especially if writing a novel.
Overall, there is plenty of variances and no real answer or rule about how one should describe a character and to what detail. You will always find a reader who hates there isn't enough detail and one who hates when that there is too much. The fun of writing any story, but fantasy as well, is in discovering what works best each and every time. Even the formulaic works for some.
Write those characters and maybe try a new method of showing how they look if you feel like a challenge. Just keep writing.
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Which details do you find important and always try to put in a story about a character? Can there be too much detail? What do you think about paragraphs that list character description all in one?
Last time I discussed POV and here were the responses sent in over the topic:
Comment by Jube 
Multiple POV writings of benefits and pitfalls is a very useful topic. The problem is it's so useful there are already a myriad of articles out on the web concerning it - so if you aren't placing under discussion something more original it's repetitive. Most serious or semi-serious writers will by now know about what the article speaks of. Here's an idea for example. The danger of going "snipe hunting" where during reviews because you heard the terms "head hopping" and "whip lash" you perpetuate the concept by applying it whenever you see a POV change without studying if it really was generating confusion in that scene.
Comment by Elfin Dragon-finally published 
With regards to your question on POV in this newsletter. 1) Yes I've tried writing in omniscient and it can be difficult to keep track of characters and what they're doing unless you have a either a good memory or outline for what you want and where your characters are going. And it is far better for longer writing. Anything 1,000 words and under I think this form just doesn't work (most times you have to get up to at least 5,000 words for it to work). And for me personally, changing POV's is difficult. I'm a first person POV type of writer most times. But I am trying to branch out.
Comment by brom21
I always use omniscient POV in my writing. It’s good to know there are other smart writers out there who have not read the epic and acclaimed Lord of The Rings. For the second part of your question, I think it would be quite hard to do POV changes in short stories. I myself am working on the first chapter of book I hope to finish and I have a plethora of plots and subplots I want to impart with multiple characters; the big problem is I need cohesiveness and improvement from the advice of other writers within the WDC community. It will probably take years before I master switching POV with accuracy. This was very helpful. Thanks a bunch!
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