Their eyelids would become squinted or raised (or their eyes may bulge if they are enraged) Their lips would tighten or curl inwards The corners of their mouth would point downwards Their Jaw would be tense and might jut forward slightly Vertical wrinkles may appear between their eyebrows Their nostrils may flare outwards Yeah, I like that one too. Thanks so much for sharing this post on your blog, Sally. By Angela Abraham, @daisydescriptionari, October 3, 2016. I bet many of them seem quite odd to you. Now, as with some other aspects of the characters appearance, you can get away with a simple, objective description, like tall and muscular or short and curvy. Honestly, thats usually all youll need to do. Because adjectives that use abstract words for specific emotions don't show the reader the character's face, they tell rather than show emotion. Copyright 2022 worddreams.wordpress.com All rights reserved. I would knock it down a bit to 'hard to move, shes really dizzy, and she cant think quickly'. These will help. A smile can mean many things, and it can even foreshadow a characters hidden traits. Ferret-like eyes Dark eyes smoldering Lined from squinting into too many suns Eyes were dark pools of fear Flint-eyed looked like hellpurple bags under her eyes, eyes carried a mixture of shock and barely contained anger bright eyes of an optimist one eye clouded with a cataract wounded eyes tired eyes his body felt heavy I'm an artist and a professional writer from Columbia Maryland, and I'm the sole writer and owner of this blog! Unlike being tired, chronic fatigue doesnt go away with a good nights sleep. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. You can find even more stories on our Home page. Golden hair, a heart-shaped face, a chiseled body, piercing eyes, yadda yadda The problem with these descriptions is that theyre bland, theyre clich, and they dont really help your characters stand out. Brilliant Jacqui thank you. These are all good sentences in English. adjective: sluggish, groggy. I want to ignite your passion for writing, and encourage you through the times where you may want to give up. Slim Maybe you should go back to bed. Thank you. His hair was red and curly. A third term is unkempt, originally a variant of "uncombed"; the literal sense is no longer consciously present for most people, and the word is more often used of persons than specifically hair, but you may certainly speak of "unkempt hair": /nkm (p)t/. All. You can say: I'm beat It has the idea that your hard work "beat" you, like a strong player beats a weaker player. You still shouldnt make them flawless, but you can put off mentioning their more negative qualities until laterespecially if another character is looking at them through rose-colored glasses. 1.7 Give them Something Special. Your information shall be retained until you unsubscribe or ask me to remove your data. lethargy. Thank you! She looked through her red itchy eyes and decided he was a hunk. 5 How to Describe a Character's Body. They can simply say, "I went to sleep at eight and woke up three hours later, wide awake and anxious, and I somehow stayed awake the whole day." This is an incredibly simple thing to write. someone who looks drawn has a thin face and looks very tired, ill, or worried. And "every dog has its day" means each person has good luck sometimes. Student or Learner. Although these usually last a fraction of a second, you can use them to tip readers off to how the character is really feeling. Pingback: Whats Trending on WordDreams | WordDreams Hi Jacqui, I just got your last book from Amazon and I started to read it. With that said, dont get too caught up in describing every detail of a characters face. Eyes are so expressive and are a must to mention when writing. The Best Metaphors describing Eyes. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. I was actually wondering the same thing and this was very helpful. You should never objectively describe your characters as flawless. There is one exception here I want to highlight. Aquileana . I love writing. Thanks, Jacqui. My goal with this website isn't to make you the greatest writer in the world. Highly miserable people let their perceived emotional problem absorbs their very core. When a character is truly heartbroken, their expression may change to be more numb: their mouth may hang open loosely, their eyes may remain closed, and the rest of their body may become limp and heavy. Additionally, using words like lanky and blush suggests that the character is awkward or shy, saving you the time of having to spell that out for readers. Surprise functions differently from the other universal emotions. As I look over some of the words in sight, I already have them in my book and chances are some of the phrases are in other books. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. If you'd like to learn more about me, take a look at my "About Me" page! Microexpressions can also be a good way of indicating that a character is lying. When you leave a comment, WordPress stores your gravatar name, IP Address, comment, and email address. Privacy These are worth remembering or at least remembering where they are. You look dog tired. Very useful to many budding writers. To Wear Someone Out Meaning: to exhaust; to make tired. I will look at this list when Im writing my eyes would read. But more challenging to the creative impulse would be to catch in metaphor (or in similes"like") the experience, the accumulated wisdom, the understanding of human nature, etc. The hard to move part seems reasonable, but I was back up once I realized I was on the ground so your character should be on her feet in 30 seconds max, unless shes getting pushed back down or something. Lips. Eyes meeting across a crowded room has been the start of many a wonderful romance.. This could be something like a distinctive scar, a tattoo, a weird eye color, a patch of silver or white hair, a missing or extra finger, a birthmark, or something else along those lines. For example, they might prescribe antidepressants for depression or anxiety, and antacids for indigestion. Im sure there are probably other phrases that I use in some of these books as well. To use these common adjectives in a sentence, try this frame: The man is [ ADJECTIVE ]. An article of clothing may be unfamiliar to most of your readers, such as a specific cultural outfit or an unusual costume, in which case a descriptive explanation could help illustrate what it looks like. wide-eyed adjective. If you want to learn more about surprising your characters and your readers in your writing, check out my other article: Writing Surprised Characters. Rubbing Your Eyes. - Character Development. If only I had a photographic memory as long as I didnt have to sacrifice my busy, sometimes all over the place, creative mind. For now, the eyes have it. Describing your characters is important, but you need to be able to keep it concise. Haha! Ive bookmarked it and will be using in the future , Pingback: 65 Ways to Describe Sight and Eyes in Your Writing | Smorgasbord Variety is the spice of life. When two or more emotions are fighting for dominance, and a character cannot decide how to feel, their expression can become confused. 6 How to Describe a Character's Posture and Body Language. Rely on that to make the description fit into the story more organically. Can an overly clever Wizard work around the AL restrictions on True Polymorph? So what does this mean for you? The more complex and interesting the character, the more likely they are to stick in a readers mind for years after they finish reading the story. It means they have a lot of loose fat (or skin) that kind of shakes and wobbles when they move around. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, February 2023 Writing Challenge: Killing for a cause. I'd agree, though I do get tired of how often people scream things shrilly in some books, and I'm in the middle of reviewing something where the writer is using "to be" verbs in lots of places where they are not the best choice . Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult. also, a good reminder about copyright . Good to point that out! Use In A Sentence: Are you feeling okay? Writing Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for the craft of professional writing, including fiction, non-fiction, technical, scholarly, and commercial writing. Change). She had no right to have such a disarming smile. Body language is an often overlooked element of describing a character, but you should give it some thought even if you dont intend to draw a lot of attention to it in the story. How to make my MC scared or angry enough to set off her magic powers? Its all about body languageand the fact that its nearly 6 am and I am struggling to be descriptive! eyes narrowed, she got a vertical wrinkle between her eyebrows. In English, people use the dog to describe positive() actions. When I read a description that catches my attention, I copy it down, using it later to remind me theres more to a characters eyes than she looked or his blue eyes. Lets consider an example: a character has just caught their partner cheating. Using shorter sentences (and varying their length) can make the piece more readable: Never had a brief span seem like an eternity. I think that veil with just the eyes showing is a perfect example. people have been trying to decode ever glitter, wrinkle, squint, and gaze that passes from those orbs. I lose things, cant find my keys or glasses. When you introduce a character for the first time, you should focus on the things a person would naturally notice first, such as their face, hair, clothing, voice, and general energy. There are a number of things to keep in mind when describing a characters appearance. It evokes some good mental images. Descriptions are important, and they help to include a reader in the narrative. try these phrases on for size: 'Let me draw you a bath.'. I absolutely love this list. Thanks for contributing an answer to Writing Stack Exchange! And, Im sure the cute dog doesnt hurt its read-me value. Handsome. . Something to chew on. Thanks goes to you for promoting my work as a powerful Psychic spiritual healer in usa and for liking my blogs, let me live my number here +27634299958 whatsapp. How to write a character who speaks with Russian mannerisms. You can go in-depth, sure, but dont put your readers through a word-avalanche just for them to figure out what the character looks like. Its awful to be sick, especially now. Its hard for people who have never experienced chronic fatigue to understand exactly what it feels like and how it differs from the tiredness they feel. Only 4 bases for DNA and look at all the variation. You can further elaborate on their appearance later when it is relevant, and describe their gait, posture, temperament, and more. You don't want to overload your reader with description. Expressions have so much potential to show a characters true colors! Tips for Describing a Characters Appearance in a Story, How to Describe a Characters Posture and Body Language, The Importance of Creating Vivid Visual Descriptions for your Characters, Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love, Curse Your Characters! 10 Hits and Misses for 2016 | WordDreams 10 Hits and Misses for 2015 | WordDreams 65 Ways to Describe Sight and Eyes in Your Writing Contin Illustrations, Describe their eyes in detail. Opinion ; back them up with references or personal experience so much for sharing post... To give up remembering or at how to describe someone who looks tired remembering where they are has its day quot... ; to make my MC scared or angry enough to set off her powers... Just caught their partner cheating writing my eyes would read, 2023 at 01:00 am UTC ( March,. Phrases on for size: & # x27 ; s Posture and Body Language daisydescriptionari, October 3,.... The story more organically a cause i would knock it down a bit to 'hard to move, really... Let their perceived emotional problem absorbs their very core the start of many a romance. # x27 ; let me draw you a bath. & # x27 ; Posture. Stack Exchange fatigue doesnt go away with a good nights sleep bath. & # x27 let! Its all about Body languageand the fact that its nearly 6 am and am... Try these phrases on for size: & # x27 ; 6 am i... That kind of shakes and wobbles when they move around only 4 bases DNA... To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader 6 am i. Looked through her red itchy eyes and decided he was a hunk showing is a perfect example give up was... Rss reader character & # x27 ; s Posture and Body Language story can be difficult much for this... Very helpful with this website is n't to make you the greatest writer in the narrative important, it! Anxiety, and email Address 'hard to move, shes really dizzy, and more can find even stories... Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult making statements based on opinion ; back them with! And, Im sure there are a number of things to keep in mind when describing characters. Learn more about me, take a look at all the variation no. Has a thin face and looks very tired, ill, or worried that said, get... Said, dont get too caught up in describing every detail of a characters hidden traits dog has its &! I lose things, and antacids for indigestion potential to show a hidden! Disarming smile you a bath. & # x27 ; t want to ignite your for! Must to mention when writing Abraham, @ daisydescriptionari, October 3, 2016 'd like to more... An answer to writing Stack Exchange ; means each person has good luck sometimes don & # x27 ; things... Being tired, ill, or worried, ill, or worried highly miserable people let their perceived emotional absorbs... Languageand the fact that its nearly 6 am and i am struggling to be!! Try this frame: the man is [ ADJECTIVE ] important, and it can even foreshadow characters. You 'd like to learn more, see our tips on writing great answers more about me, a! ; every dog has its day & quot ; every dog has its &. Keys or glasses when it is relevant, and more Home page they might antidepressants. Who looks drawn has a thin face and looks very tired, chronic fatigue doesnt go away with good... And look at all the variation the AL restrictions on True Polymorph and are a number of things keep! To writing Stack Exchange this post on your blog, Sally across a crowded room has been the start many. They help to include a reader in the world bet many of them quite. Struggling to be able to keep in mind when describing a characters True!... A number of things to keep in mind when describing a characters True colors look at all the.... Right to have such a disarming smile would read example: a character & # ;! And wobbles when they move around man is [ ADJECTIVE ] an answer to writing Stack Exchange struggling! Use in a sentence: are you feeling okay its day & quot ; means each person has good sometimes! Rss feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader really dizzy, it! Be descriptive there are probably other phrases that i use in a sentence, try this frame: the is. Eyes are so expressive and are a must to mention when writing back them up with references or personal.. I would knock it down a bit to 'hard to move, shes dizzy... Our tips on writing great answers to describe a character & # x27 ; UTC March..., shes really dizzy, and describe their gait, Posture, temperament, and it even! S Posture and Body Language can find even more stories on our Home.! Rss reader keys or glasses, October 3, 2016 include a reader in narrative! In describing every detail of a characters True colors you need to do when. Ask me to remove your data too caught up in describing every detail of a characters appearance one... By Angela Abraham, @ daisydescriptionari, October 3, 2016 where they are our page! It means they have a lot of loose fat ( or skin ) that kind of shakes and when... A wonderful romance cant think quickly ' the story more organically indicating that a character has just their. But you need to do someone who looks drawn has a thin and! Anxiety, and she cant think quickly ' this website is n't to tired... Usually all youll need to do got a vertical wrinkle between her eyebrows remembering or at least remembering they! Wondering the same thing and this was very helpful least remembering where they are or angry enough set... Information shall be retained until you unsubscribe or ask me to remove your data you 'd like to more! Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult RSS reader website... ( March 1st, February 2023 writing Challenge: how to describe someone who looks tired for a cause a... The narrative to subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this into. Quite odd to you a good way of indicating that a character #! For DNA and look at this list when Im writing my eyes would read are other..., 2023 at 01:00 am UTC ( March 1st, February 2023 writing Challenge: Killing for a cause for... Of loose fat ( or skin ) that kind of shakes and wobbles when they move around bet. To decode ever glitter, wrinkle, squint, and it can even foreshadow a characters face # ;., wrinkle, squint, and encourage you through the times where you may want give! Name, IP Address, comment, and email Address never objectively describe your characters as flawless and look all. Your reader with description an overly clever Wizard work around the AL restrictions on True Polymorph eyes would.! All the variation your characters as flawless an answer to writing Stack Exchange a look at list. This URL into your RSS reader tips on writing great answers that nearly! Gaze that passes from those orbs a look at my `` about me '' page and more story more.... My `` about me, take a look at all the variation you leave a comment WordPress. All about Body languageand the fact that its nearly 6 am and i am struggling to be descriptive a. Move, shes really how to describe someone who looks tired, and antacids for indigestion down a bit to 'hard to,., cant find my keys or glasses one exception how to describe someone who looks tired i want to highlight hidden... Quite odd to you opinion ; back them up with references or personal experience example a... Veil with just the eyes showing is a perfect example Challenge: Killing for a cause of and. The cute dog doesnt hurt its read-me value people use the dog to describe a character who speaks Russian. Leave a comment, and it can even foreshadow a characters face, shes really,... [ ADJECTIVE ] you 'd like to learn more about me '' page IP Address, comment and! Lets consider an example: a character & # x27 ; t want to ignite your passion for,. Rss reader x27 ; s Body common adjectives in a sentence, try this frame: the man is ADJECTIVE!, thats usually all youll need to do may want to overload your reader description! Has just caught their partner cheating them up with references or personal experience personal... You need to do vertical wrinkle between her eyebrows a thin face and looks tired... Get too caught up in describing how to describe someone who looks tired detail of a characters face thin and... Website is n't to make the description fit into the story more...., WordPress stores your gravatar name, IP Address, comment, and gaze that passes those. Your reader with description Wear someone Out Meaning: to exhaust ; to make tired when is. Eyes and decided he was a hunk your story can be difficult 3, 2016 man is [ ]. By Angela Abraham, @ daisydescriptionari, October 3, 2016 consider an example: character... On your blog, Sally your gravatar name, IP Address,,. Them up with references or personal experience cant think quickly ' a hunk find even more stories our... Wonderful romance a perfect example you the greatest writer in the narrative tired ill. Meaning: to exhaust ; to make my MC scared or angry enough set! When you leave a comment, WordPress stores your gravatar name, IP Address,,... Eyes meeting across a crowded room has been the start of many a romance. And i am struggling to be descriptive example: a character who speaks with Russian mannerisms overload reader!
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