One of the most important aspects in writing a good tale is the description of the characters. A good description brings your people to life, engages the audience, and makes them care about the story. It is hard to arouse interest with two-dimensional characters lacking in depth or originality.
·The easiest way to begin a description is to start with the physical appearance. What does he or she look like? Is she a blond? Is he tall, dark, and handsome? Getting a hold on what a character looks like will draw in a reader if it is done well, but if it is not it can put your audience to sleep. Take a look at the next two physical descriptions.
“Helena was a short redhead.”
“Helena was a petite woman with a crown of vibrant auburn tresses.”
I wrote these two sentences to prove a point. They both say the same thing about Helena, but one uses more descriptive language than the other. Now which Helena do you think is going to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read about her adventures? It would most likely be the second one unless I follow up the first sentence with some more details.
Now once you have the physical attributes down, you will want to ask yourself if this person has any distinguishing characteristics. You might want to focus on the way he or she talks, smells - even how a person walks into a room can engage a reader. Again, check out the following sentences I have written.
“Mary spoke to me.”
“Mary spoke to me, her voice heavy with a southern drawl that conveyed a laid-back sensuality.”
Mary is much more interesting with her accent rather than simply speaking to the other person in the scene. It gives her a unique voice in the heads of your audience and that will make them want to read more of the action.
· Another way a writer can breathe life into a character is to describe the mental state or motivations of the person in the story. Why are they where they are? How do they feel as they are doing whatever it is they are doing? An example of this might be:
“Sara confidently entered the nightclub, certain she would be leaving later that evening on the arm of some handsome and virile man.”
With my sentence above, the reader gets an idea of what sort of personality Sara has as well as why she is going to the nightclub. She is apparently self-assured and on the prowl for a hot guy. These are the sorts of descriptions that make a reader sit up, take notice of what you want to say, and continue reading.
Creating the people in your stories can be tough at times, but it is definitely worth the effort. Audiences love to read about characters that are vivid and realistic. Learning to describe the persons in your fiction in an engaging manner is one of the keys to keeping your readers interested and it will also unlock the door to becoming a better writer.
