Physically describing the 1st person MC

bubbagringo · Feb 28, 2008

I'm having a hard time droppin in what "I" (the mc) looks like physically without sounding ridiculous.

anybody have any tips/pointers/suggestions to do this smoothly?

thanks

Willowmound · Feb 28, 2008

Here's one: don't!

bubbagringo · Feb 28, 2008

Willowmound said:
Here's one: don't!

got that one completely covered...

Aggy B. · Feb 28, 2008

Yeah. That's difficult.

Partly depends on what genre/tone you're writing in too.

Only helpful thing I can think of is to take a day or so and see what sort of occasions you (the author) actually think about what you look like.

I don't think about my appearance constantly and certainly not in much detail. However, there are still times when I look in the mirror and think "Eww, my roots are showing. I should dye my hair." Or "This color makes me look dead."

But then, I'm a girl, so maybe I think those things more than a guy would.

Whatever you do, keep the details to a minimum. Figure out what things make the character unique. When you picture him/her what little oddities of appearance can you not do without? Ignore the rest. In other words, if it's important that the reader know the "I" in your story has buck teeth, but not what color hair, then ignore the hair. Concentrate on what makes the character individual.

Hope that helps.

DeleyanLee · Feb 28, 2008

I'm over 100 pages into my first person POV novel and have yet to describe the MC, yet everyone who's read it has a clear image of him because of his personality, his movements, his mannerisms. They're all roughly on par with what I had in mind, so it's good.

Let the character do his/her own description in who they are. Physicals are easy for the reader to fill in.

Stew21 · Feb 28, 2008

I never once describe my first person MC.

The only way I've seen it done effectively (without feeling like it was contrived and a trick of writing) is when the character is narrating a reaction to something of himself physically.
Such as: The new khakis were stiff and not nearly as comfortable as my well-worn sweatpants. I hated dress pants, which was probably a throw-back to childhood when I was too tall and thin for normal off-the-rack clothes to fit. My waist had filled out, but I couldn't help feeling that I needed another inch or two of fabric to cover my argyle socks.

or
I wish it still fit. The gold ring meant everything to me for years, but age has not been kind to me and as I stare at the fleshy plump sausages that used to be lean fingers, I can't help but miss the sparkle I once wore so proudly.

or

My eye color never concerned me, until I found out about the mailman and my mother. Indeed I was the only of my siblings with green eyes, and it so happened, Mr. McFeeley had green eyes too.

HoosierCowgirl · Feb 28, 2008

I wrote that one character, a tall man, reminded himself to duck through the low doorway.

IRL, a taller than average visitor went through the barn looking for my husband and about gave himself a concussion when he walked into a low beam

I know you all are going to howl but some of my female characters have looked in the mirror. Arrraggghh! But for technical reasons. It's hard to do that perfectly smooth center part 1860s 'do without a mirror. Upon trying a new dress, how could she not see how it fits? But also to establish that the emerald tones of the dress matched her smoky jade eyes

There might be different expectations for different genres.

Ann

Lyxdeslic · Feb 28, 2008

Many will say, "Don't do it. Not necessary. Only a hack would bother."

I agree, with a caveat: do it only if it enhances/helps to show character development as well.

That said, I now have to go look through my ms again and seriously contemplate eighty-sixing my character descriptions.

Lyx

mmurphy · Feb 28, 2008

Interesting. Would this work with a third person, like a story about Joe without describing Joe?

Stew21 · Feb 28, 2008

Lyxdeslic said:
I agree, with a caveat: do it only if it enhances/helps to show character development as well.

Lyx

YES. I agree.

Lyxdeslic · Feb 28, 2008

mmurphy said:
Interesting. Would this work with a third person, like a story about Joe without describing Joe?

Yes. It would work with any pov. The reader is quite capable, and probably prefers, of picturing "Joe" however he/she deems.

Lyx

mmurphy · Feb 28, 2008

interesting!

hammerklavier · Feb 28, 2008

Only describe as much as is important to the story. Depending on your story that may be none or a lot.

Another way (besides those excellent suggestions above), is to have another character, preferably the MC's mother, make certain comments. You know the kind.

dpaterso · Feb 28, 2008

Hmm, I can't recall ever describing my 1st person protag either.

But women seem to gravitate towards him and smile, and men become gruff and manly in his presence.

So I guess he might be ruggedly handsome, a man's man, yet appealing to the ladies.

I've no idea what color his eyes are... but I know he swings a mean sword.

-Derek

Stew21 · Feb 28, 2008

I don't know my MC's eye color either, or what color hair he has, or if he is tall, thin, average.
He's attractive enough to have a girlfriend :shrug:

I *imagine* him a particular way, and thought it would be a good idea to let readers imagine him their own particular way.

jst5150 · Feb 28, 2008

hammerklavier said:
Another way ... is to have another character, preferably the MC's mother, make certain comments. You know the kind.

Seconded.

HeronW · Feb 28, 2008

If there's something unusual about your character then you need to let the reader know: My MC is half-dragon, scaled on the left. That's important to what she can do & what others want--her skin on that side. Secondary MC's are triplet princesses, all with about 5' with blonde hair but very different goals, life experiences, and eye colors. My Prime Assassin wears a dozen fine gold chains in each ear and she can move without making a sound. Scary woman :} Describe details if they are important, a general sketch or a line here and there works too. Most 'I looked in a mirror' descriptions are frowned upon.

Stew21 · Feb 28, 2008

hammerklavier said:
Only describe as much as is important to the story. Depending on your story that may be none or a lot.

Another way (besides those excellent suggestions above), is to have another character, preferably the MC's mother, make certain comments. You know the kind.

"You're too thin, dear. Are you eating enough? And so pale! Are you feeling alright? Probably the not eating enough. You need protein. How are you ever going to get a girlfriend while you don't dress yourself properly? When it was up to me, you were a very neat and tidy sort of boy and now you are a frumpy wrinkled mess. And another thing! Cut your hair. I can't even see your eyes with that tangled and snarled mess hanging over them. No one can even see what a brilliant blue they are behind that mess.Mummy just wants the best for you, Charles."

Have to love mum.

DWSTXS · Feb 28, 2008

You can always have other characters do it for you.

"wow Jim, you've got the bluest eyes I've ever seen"

"Hey Janet, that's a nice green dress, goes well with your red hair too!"

"Gee Andy, have you been working out in the gym? You're arms are huge!"

see?

Nightfall · Feb 28, 2008

OK, I'll go against the crowd and say that I LIKE and prefer to know what the characters look like.
The trick is in the presentation of the description. The description can be sprinkled in and presented to the reader in small bits so it isn't so intrusive or obvious.

bubbagringo · Feb 28, 2008

wow...thats a lot to think about

thanks all

Danger Jane · Feb 28, 2008

I don't mind knowing what the characters look like, but I don't want to know in a big chunk of description when I meet them, and I generally don't want to look in the mirror at the MC. There are ways to stick in relevant description without it feeling like description.

Sometimes it's relevant. And sometimes it isn't at all. The trick is in picking out the relevant details.

Brighid · Feb 28, 2008

As a reader, I don't need a head-to-toe description. Without knowing what genre you're writing, it's difficult to give suggestions.

The traits that I think are worth mentioning are: extremely tall/short; missing limbs or other body parts; tattoos; unusual hairstyles ~ i.e. distinctive traits.

I've been reading Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series - the only things I can remember being mentioned are her clothes (because she owns one all-purpose dress and otherwise wears jeans/sneakers/comfortable shirts) and her hair (because she keeps it short and trims it herself with nail clippers). It's enough that I can form a picture in my mind.

Devil Ledbetter · Feb 28, 2008

Nightfall said:
OK, I'll go against the crowd and say that I LIKE and prefer to know what the characters look like.
The trick is in the presentation of the description. The description can be sprinkled in and presented to the reader in small bits so it isn't so intrusive or obvious.

I've got to side you here, Nightfall. Aren't writers supposed to describe the various elements of their story so that readers can picture them? What is the point of making a giant exception when it comes to characters? What a character looks like is a part of his characterization. I suspect this almost pridefully stubborn refusal to give any character description whatsoever is a bit of a writerly affectation.

I wouldn't stop the action and give some long, detailed description, but if my POV character notices something about another character, it's going to get mentioned as surely as any other part of the scene he notices. Sure, I want my readers to develop their own ideas of what a character looks like, but I don't see the point forcing them to do so with no guidance at all. There aren't any other elements of a story where we're expected to flatly deny the readers help in picturing things, so why do this with characters?

I don't get it.

Chasing the Horizon · Feb 28, 2008

I'm going to go against the crowd as well. Undescribed characters are a pet peeve of mine in reading. The picture in my head constantly changes, or I end up imagining one of my own characters, or some detail in chapter 12 makes me realize the tall blonde was actually a short brunette all along *book slams against wall*. In my own writing describing the characters is easy because I do each one from another character's POV. When we meet an attractive member of the opposite sex, we DO notice what they look like, usually in a fair amount of detail (one reason I like describing from the POV of the opposite sex--or a gay member of the same sex, lol). There's nothing forced or unnatural about this. I've never written first person, but one of my next projects is going to be in first person. I'm sure there must be some way to describe my MC without having it sound silly (it certainly will be harder than in third limited, though). I'll probably have to work the details of her appearance into the first few scenes, rather than describing all the important aspects at once like I usually do.

Physically describing the 1st person MC

bubbagringo

Willowmound

Lightly salted

bubbagringo

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Stew21

HoosierCowgirl

Lyxdeslic

Laughing every time I choke.

mmurphy

Stew21

Lyxdeslic

Laughing every time I choke.

mmurphy

hammerklavier

It was a dark and stormy night

dpaterso

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Stew21

jst5150

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HeronW

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Stew21

DWSTXS

Mr Mojo Risin...

Nightfall

bubbagringo

Danger Jane

Brighid

Devil Ledbetter

Come on you stranger, you legend,

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind