Stephanie Tillman

writing-questions-answered:

When Describing a Character

DO:

• provide enough detail to give the reader a sense of the character’s physical appearance 
• highlight details that serve as clues to who the character is and perhaps what their life is like
• describe clothing to establish character or when relevant to scene

DON’T:

• go overboard with too many details or take up too much of the reader’s time describing one character
• repetitively describe features or fixate on certain characteristics
• describe clothing every time the character shows up unless its somehow relevant to the scene. 
• describe minor characters’ clothing in-depth unless it’s relevant

Choose a Focal Point

When describing a character’s appearance, choose a focal point and work up or down from there. For example, you may describe them from head to toe, or from toe to head. Try not to skip around. If you’re describing their face, start with their hair and work your way down to their mouth, or start at the mouth and work your way up to their hair.

Describing Race and Ethnicity

There is a lot of debate about the right and wrong way to describe a person’s race. If you want, you can state that a person is Black, white, Hispanic, Native American, First Nations, Latino, Middle-Eastern, Asian, Pacific Islander, etc. Just remember that races are made up of different ethnic groups. Someone of Asian descent could be Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. If you’re describing a character whose ethnicity is unknown or not important to the plot, you could just say that they were Asian or Black, for example. But, the rest of the time you need to be clear about whether they are Chinese, Chinese American, Korean, etc. Also, remember that not all Black people are African-American, such as someone born in England or Haiti, for example.

You may instead choose to describe a character’s race through the color of their hair, eyes, and skin. It’s up to you which you feel most comfortable with and is most appropriate for your story. Just remember, if you describe one character’s skin color or otherwise make an issue of their race, you should describe every character’s skin color or race.

Describing Clothing

Just like with physical appearance, when describing clothing you want to choose a focal point and work up or down. Think about things like the garments they’re wearing (pants, shirt, coat) and accessories (hat, jewelry, shoes). Be sure to choose clothing which are both relevant to your character and to the time and place where your story is set. You can find out about appropriate clothing by Googling the time and place your story is set plus the word clothing:

“Clothing in Victorian England”
“Clothing in 1960s New York”
“9th century Viking clothing”

Be sure to look for web sites that aren’t providing cheap Halloween costumes. Shops providing clothes for historical reenactors are often very accurate.

Looking for Inspiration

There are many resources online for both historical and modern clothing. For historical clothing, you can look for web sites about the period, web sites for or about historical reenactors, or web pages for historical enthusiasts or museums. For modern clothing, you can simply pull up the web site of your favorite department store or clothing designer. Choose an outfit that works for your character, then learn how to describe the relevant parts.

Resources for Describing Clothing:

Describing Clothing
Describing Clothes
Writing Tips on Describing Clothes
Describing Clothes and Appearance (If You Should at All)

Resources for Garments and Accessories:

Shirts
Trousers 
Dress
Types of Dress
Shorts
Briefs
Panties
Lingerie
Bra
Swimsuit
Pajamas
Shoes
Coats and Jackets
Sweaters
Hats
Jewelry
Sunglasses
Sleeves, Necklines, Collars, and Dress Types
Scarves for Men
Scarf Buying Guide
The Ultimate Scarf Tying Guide

Historical Clothing Resources:

OMG That Dress!
Period Fabric
Amazon Dry Goods
Reconstructing History
Historic Threads
Historical Costume Inspiration
History of Costume: European Fashion Through the Ages
Women’s Fashion Through the Years
Clothing in the Ancient World
Clothing in Ancient Rome
Clothing in Biblical Times
Vintage Fashion Guild
Reproduction Fabrics
Fabrics and Trims
Vintage Fabric
Fur and Skins
Fashion Timeline 1800-1990
18th Century Clothing Tips
Clothing Reference Book List
Costume Gallery
Legit’s Historical Fashion Master Post

Modern Clothing Resources:

Clothes on Pinterest
Polyvore
Fashion Dictionary
This is a Fashion Blog
What I Wore
Fashion is Endless

Physical Details Resources:

Women’s Body Shapes
Men’s Body Shapes
Face Shapes
Face Reading Guide – Tips & Secrets
Human Anatomy Fundamentals: Advanced Facial Features
Nose Profiles
Nose Shapes
Ear Shapes
More Ear Shapes
Realistic Eye Shape Chart
Eye Shapes
Lip Shapes
More Lip Shapes
Facial Hair Types
How to Describe Women’s Hair Lengths
The Ultimate Haircut Guide for Women
Men’s Haircuts (Barber Shop Style)
A Primer on Men’s Hairstyles
Hair Color
Obsidian Bookshelf Hair Color
Obsidian Bookshelf Eye Color
Skin Color Chart
Curl and Texture Chart
Writing with Color: Guide to Skin Color, Part I and Part II
Hairstyle Descriptions