Character Descriptions as Nuance for Character Development

Guest Post by Kelly Urgan –

Before diving into the heart of the matter, here are some quick definitions.

Character descriptions are the physical traits authors ascribe to the characters: hair, eye, and skin color, height and body type, etc. Typically, main and supporting characters are given the most detailed descriptions, with secondary characters’ traits mentioned only as needed.

Character development is how a character changes throughout the story, or how the character grows (or declines) on their journey.

What do they look like?

Somewhere in the early chapters of most novels, authors reveal what the protagonist looks like. Sometimes, the character is described from head to toe – which can feel like a wall of text for readers to swallow as they start the story, the author’s full portrait of the character on display.

Here’s an example description:

Lady Eleanor Daplewood’s auburn hair cascaded in waves down her back. Dressed in rich velvets and silks of deep burgundy and forest green, Lady Eleanor moved with an elegant poise. Her heart-shaped face was sprinkled with freckles, her soft lips were a sumptuous feast to behold, a stark contrast to her sharp emerald eyes that pierced everyone she scrutinized.

This deluge of traits overwhelms readers, who are trying to fixate on one feature or another, to help them remember that character later in the story.

While authors need this knowledge about their characters, including full casting-call descriptions might not be a best practice, and there are better ways to use physical description to help readers build a picture of the main character.

One approach is to pick just one trait and focus on it throughout the story: fair hair or a mean scowl or a Roman nose. Authors can then use this one feature to bring more depth to their protagonist. For example, perhaps the hero’s full lips come from her mother, who she’s estranged from.

Maybe the protagonist’s left leg is slightly shorter than the right due to a childhood accident, and this minor detail is of vital importance because at one point in the story, she’s running for her life.

Readers have vivid imaginations, and they’ll create a visual of the character in their minds, and they might skim over descriptions. Instead of crafting an image of the whole character, by bring readers’ attention to one trait, it signals that it’s important.

Remember Lady Eleanor from above? Why not try something like this:

Lady Eleanor Daplewood’s soft auburn hair cascaded in waves down her back, a stark contrast to her sharp emerald eyes that pierced everyone she scrutinized.

Once these features are introduced, exploit them throughout the story. They could be used not only as plot clues (several auburn hairs found on the pillow of her rival’s lover, the sharp eyes seen behind a mask at the masquerade) but also as a means of character development.

How to do that?

Who do they become?

Characters are going to look different to every reader, so it sometimes begs the question: why use description at all? The answer is that traits can do an infinite amount of heavy lifting when it comes to character development.

Perhaps the protagonist has a pair of weepy eyes that “bleed” with truth whenever he gets asked a question, and he’s living through the Spanish Inquisition. Every time he encounters the grand inquisitor, he’s unable to lie to protect his family and his faith. These weepy eyes will remind readers that this man is in trouble every time they’re mentioned. They’ll wonder: will he learn to control his gaze to defeat the inquisitor and keep his family from harm?

Or a character who twirls her hair every time she has to make a decision, then doesn’t. Her internal conflict is learning to be more decisive instead of constantly being irresolute. If she’s forced to make a choice about marrying for love or marrying for security, every time she twirls her hair, readers are going to guess that she’s going to be wishy-washy with her answer. But perhaps one day, she’s mid-twirl and suddenly her hand starts to spin slower and slower. That movement alone reveals to readers that she’s made up her mind.

Using traits is a simple way to show readers that the characters are developing, changing, facing their fears and conquering.

Avoiding tropes and pitfalls

It’s common knowledge today that using negative physical descriptions for antagonists is a no-no. Shakespeare’s description of Richard III as a hunchback was enough for his audience to believe him to be a villain; the same with Captain Hook’s missing hand. This type of character description should be avoided at all costs.

Choose instead to surprise readers with character descriptions. Why can’t the good guy wear an eyepatch? The villain can be the beautiful blonde on the other side of the speakeasy. It’s important to remember that the antagonist believes she’s the hero of her own story, and deserves the same consideration given to the protagonist. This is as true about appearance as it is about their goals, conflicts, and stakes.

Writing tips

Historical fiction novels often contain large casts of characters, so keep a chart or list of traits for every character mentioned. Not only does that prevent the mistaken use of the same trait for different characters but it also provides a zoomed out look at what features are most commonly described and where potential pitfalls may lurk.

During the first draft, go ahead and write that wall of physical description. In the first round of revisions, pick one of the traits that can be easily exploited for growth within the scenes already written because you’ll know the settings and props your character can use within those moments to help show their progress along the way!