Use Character To Appearance To Do More:

Use character to appearance to do more:

They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but appearance sure can say a lot. Unfortunately when writing (or even drawing) it is more than easy to forget that factor. Using character appearance to describe the world, add personality to the character, and give the reader more information does wonders.

It makes sneaking in character appearance much easier, and gives the writer plenty of chances to expand on the world on their page.

Things you can use character appearance to do (but not limited to)

Hint at a character’s economic status

Add personality to a character

Add to a character’s backstory

Make notes about a character’s health

Worldbuild the fashion

Describe a character’s occupation

Make references to a character’s passion or hobby

Hint at a character’s relationship status

How a character feels about their own appearance

Family relations

Hint at a character’s education

Subvert expectations

Explore character’s potential gender identity

Align the character alongside dynamics or trope

Explain the time frame the story takes place in

Hint at the level of technology in a world

Describe a character’s culture, race, ethnicity, etc.

More Posts from Nefaralous and Others

nefaralous

7 years ago

♡

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nefaralous

9 months ago

Was thinking about why the fae would want to swap children or take humans to their realm and I've come to the conclusion that it's mostly about lying.

A human can tell you you're the most beautiful thing they've ever seen. Or make a less hurtful excuse for why they don't want to do something when theyre upset with you for something you can't control.

I imagine fae toddlers are just as insufferable as human toddlers with their questions and demands, but not being able to (harmlessly) lie and say things like "blue's clues went bed because she needs rest just like you" would be incredibly unpleasant.

I imagine the fae want good liars, and admire the human ability to lie. They want secretaries who can say their schedule's full, messengers who can deceive their enemies.

I think it would be really funny if one of the Fair Folk became fascinated with affirmations and decided the favor some mortal owed them was saying their morning affirmations for them because they can't.

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nefaralous

9 months ago

Shalom Harlow by Ellen von Unwerth, 1993

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nefaralous

6 years ago

Tandy constantly flirting with Tyrone and him being exasperated but pleased

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nefaralous

1 month ago

Dappled sunlight streams through the trees. The filtered light warms the skin I bare to nature, clothes haphazardly shed and forgotten, a bread crumb trail leading to the blue lake. Wading into the water, I wash away the dirt and sweat dried to my skin- cleansing away my sins better than any baptism could ever hope to achieve.

- salvation.

3 tips to writing character flaws

1) make their flaw congruent with the rest of who they are.

There’s a lot of different ways to do this, most commonly I’ve seen the “their strength is their flaw” which you can do but I’d recommend exploring it more deeply.

For example, maybe they’re good at attacking things head on, being honest and straightforward, but because they’ve always relied on that they don’t have the practice or an inclination to rely on other methods such as being more crafty, diplomatic, and subtle which are traits a situation sometimes calls for. I call this the “wrong tool for the job” flaw where an over-reliance on their strength handicaps them in situations where a different approach seems better suited. I think people and characters also just have a habit of using their tool for the job rather than the ‘best’ tool.

2) Don’t just tell us their flaw, show it.

Show this character trait coming out in their actions, have it influence the plot in key moments. If they’re reckless, don’t just have another character call them reckless, have them act reckless in a way that impacts their relationships with other characters or the plot.

3) Screw the whole “strengths vs flaws” thing altogether

try viewing character traits outside of a rigid binary of good and bad that you pull from a deck, and instead derive/connect them to deeper truths about who the character is, (how do they deal with problems/what is their ‘go-to’ method? what do they value? what are they skilled or unskilled at? what do they believe about the world and themselves?) and then why the characters is that way (note that it doesn’t all have to come from trauma. Please don’t attribute everything to a trauma. General life experience informs a lot of beliefs/traits, and then some is also just an inborn inclination) I have a longer post about how I tend to try to build a cohesive layout of who a character is.

Note as always, that these just things that I currently find helpful. Use or discard as works for you and your work. Happy writing!

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nefaralous

1 month ago

Currently working on a short story about two people who dated back in college meeting up to talk over coffee after losing contact for a few years. Things ended badly between the two and one of them is hoping to discuss things to finally get closure, but sometimes things just aren’t that simple.

🌸Describing Scents For Writers 🌸| List of Scents

Describing aromas can add a whole new layer to your storytelling, immersing your readers in the atmosphere of your scenes. Here's a categorized list of different words to help you describe scents in your writing.