crafting-unforgettable-characters

character’s hair color, eye color, height, andweight isn’t going to bring the reader anycloser to the character. Strive instead for“telling details” that highlight not onlyappearance but the character they represent.As a child, I was fascinated with the phrase“Grecian nose” and felt quite sophisticatedwhenever I managed to work it into mystories. Never mind the fact that I had no ideawhat a Grecian nose looked like. I’m still notsure what it looks like, but I do know that it’sa nonstarter as a descriptive aid, not onlybecause it is unrecognizable to most readers,but because it brings nothing to thecharacterization table.Inappropriate placementI’ve heard the arguments that suggest readersdon’t like authors to describe charactersbecause it interferes with the reader’spreconceived image of the character. But I’mhere to tell you that, as a reader myself, I wantto know how the writer perceives the character.It is important, however, to make sure that thedescription is dropped into the narrative earlyenough to shape the reader’s preconception.Don’t wait until Chapter 15 to tell the readerthat the hero is cross-eyed and has red- andgreen-striped hair.Inappropriate emphasisThe amount of description we give anycharacter needs to be in direct proportion tohis importance in the story. Spending twoparagraphs on a throwaway character will do28