Physical Descriptions of Characters

autumnleaf said:

It really is a matter of writing style. Reader preferences differ, and genre expectations also vary.

My personal preference is for some degree of physical description, but interspersed with the action. So instead of "she had brown eyes", say "her brown eyes narrowed with suspicion".

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You're brilliant!

That would be my preference too - a toes-to-top description of the character feels really intrusive because it pretty much always make the narrative come to a screeching halt as it does so, especially the hackneyed 'character looks themselves over in the mirror and does the complete rundown.' Insert description as appropriate where it organically fits is my preferred approach.

Don't forget the other aspect of POV. What would your POV character notice about the person they're describing? What would they plausibly share in the narrative? How does that person make them feel? Admiring? Intimidating? Jealous? Adoring? Annoyed?

autumnleaf said:

Readers will fill in the blanks.

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Not only will readers fill in the blanks, most readers enjoy filling in the blanks. It's one of the great joys of reading. Reading, at its best, is an interactive experience with the writer, or at least, the writing. Being spoonfed every detail can kill that joyful experience the way too much of condiments or seasonings can kill a dish.

caw

I think the necessity and importance of physical descriptions of characters depends on what's being written. If, for example, you're writing fantasy or science fiction and you have characters that have physical attributes that a normal human does not possess, obviously you need to describe them. I think it's important also if you're writing erotica or if physical traits are important to the character - like someone who is a love interest for your protagonist for example. You also need to consider how you're telling the story. A first person narrator isn't likely to go into great detail about someone they already know but might be more detailed when first meeting someone. Whereas if you're writing in third person, you can provide as much or as little detail as you like with less risk of it seeming awkward or out of place.