tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post1027431011156634306..comments2024-03-17T06:03:00.362-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Do I Look Like a Protagonist? Ways to Describe Your First Person NarratorJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-51665201122440758522019-01-16T12:06:59.960-05:002019-01-16T12:06:59.960-05:00Hi, I just saw this post and have quoted it in my ...Hi, I just saw this post and have quoted it in my blog.<br />https://jannghi.blogspot.com/2019/01/do-i-look-like-protagonist-ways-to.htmlJamie Ghionehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06508410672881133235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-10038092287603491152018-11-07T10:46:07.939-05:002018-11-07T10:46:07.939-05:00Great article,
Leilani speaking, I have raven hai...Great article, <br />Leilani speaking, I have raven hair streaked with turquoise. My hair is long and curly. My eyes are jade green and large. I have light brown skin. Below the upper part of my body is a fishtail of turquoise and amethyst. I am the princess of a clan of merfolk. I am called-ur morachd rioghail since I am the princess I am called this. Bre Albinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14983352123492807165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-472613895913653252016-02-10T22:57:56.484-05:002016-02-10T22:57:56.484-05:00Thank you for this great article! Setting up the s...Thank you for this great article! Setting up the story with intrigue and empathy is so important, something a lot of writers forget when they get swept up in the excitement of putting pen to paper. Here is an article I wrote called "Introducing a Character, Not a Bore" that I thought you might enjoy: http://catehogan.com/introducing_your_character/Cate Hoganhttp://www.catehogan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-55892869841535512652015-12-28T08:11:47.392-05:002015-12-28T08:11:47.392-05:00To me it would, but tastes vary. I'm of the &q...To me it would, but tastes vary. I'm of the "stick to a consistent POV" opinion. If you've been close or tight all along and suddenly pull away, it'll stand out and feel weird, because readers are accustomed to everything being that established POV type. But if you've been distant the whole time, it'll feel normal, and when you need to get close, you can always tag it with a "she thought" or use italics to show deep internalization. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-11167890072742663342015-12-28T08:08:20.835-05:002015-12-28T08:08:20.835-05:00So true. It varies by genre, too. Some places more...So true. It varies by genre, too. Some places more specifics is expected, other genres don't care as much.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-67475344604580902332015-12-21T03:38:10.278-05:002015-12-21T03:38:10.278-05:00Thank you for this article, a lot a great advice h...Thank you for this article, a lot a great advice here! Definitely gonna use the comparison thing as it is a good and natural way to describe my main character, AND serves the plot as she is constantly told she looks just like her (missing) mother.<br />I have a question though. When you write in the third person POV, is it wrong to shift to a distant POV when you want to describe your character? Does it really feel weird for the reader? I'm used to write that way, so I guess when you do something the wrong way for too long, you end up not seeing the problem at all (or so I've read in one of the articles one of your fellow authors wrote on this blog ^_^)Blondie B. Goodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04604675752890942675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-16916217809749982232015-12-18T10:35:34.681-05:002015-12-18T10:35:34.681-05:00Character description's a tricky thing. There ...Character description's a tricky thing. There are readers who like having it in, and those who prefer leaving it unsaid-- and I think the balance is that the ones who want it are more disappointed if they're "cheated" than the ones who don't hate to see it. So it's better to put it in if you can manage it.<br /><br />I think a lot of the trouble is putting colors on things. It's not *much* of a stretch for someone brushing her hair to think about its length or curliness complicating the brushing, but squeezing in that it's blonde is harder. Description about size and clothes are easier to match to practical things ("Of all the days to wear my good suit--"). The trickiness starts with the sense that readers just can't picture someone until they can color in their hair and eyes.Ken Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732164204232936705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-72105102902588015032013-08-23T12:45:43.581-04:002013-08-23T12:45:43.581-04:00Claudia, that's a great observation. That migh...Claudia, that's a great observation. That might be one reason why I have to force myself to describe my characters. I'd rather the readers imagine them. It's so much more fun that way.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-89175255735723790072013-08-22T19:43:43.533-04:002013-08-22T19:43:43.533-04:00I always wonder why people care so much what a cha...I always wonder why people care so much what a character looks like. When I'm reading, I always assume the character looks like me. Since I'm imagining myself in the role of the main character. I'd appreciate it if the author would get out of the way of my imagination as the reader. Thanks!Claudia Putnamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17578341858018837436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-75813961834294150032013-05-22T15:54:03.447-04:002013-05-22T15:54:03.447-04:00Yes, I thought the same thing. I will definitely b...Yes, I thought the same thing. I will definitely be working on it. Thank you for your feedback!Loishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12514611706086815719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-87177812902884155942013-05-22T08:05:18.400-04:002013-05-22T08:05:18.400-04:00Lois, I'd lean more toward no, but more becaus...Lois, I'd lean more toward no, but more because if you're rudely awakened and scared, you're probably not noticing and reflecting on how you look. (Especially in first person) Commenting on your reflection in general is also considered cliche, though it can be done well in some cases. If her noticing her reflection does more than just tell the reader what she looks like, and it's in a spot where it fits the scene, then you could probably use it.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-51086390511590528542013-05-21T11:00:53.217-04:002013-05-21T11:00:53.217-04:00In my story, the main character is awoken by a scr...In my story, the main character is awoken by a scream, and as she is looking out of the window, I include something along the lines of, "I can see nothing {...} except a girl with green eyes and dark hair which framed her thin face" etc. Is this too cliche, or does it work?Loishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12514611706086815719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-88680836168788007862012-11-30T08:26:05.014-05:002012-11-30T08:26:05.014-05:00Suzanne, absolutely. That always makes me laugh to...Suzanne, absolutely. That always makes me laugh too. "Turquoise chiffon? What man knows what either of those things are?" Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-69890173214017780862012-11-29T16:26:30.813-05:002012-11-29T16:26:30.813-05:00I laughed at the "I pushed my long, blonde ha...I laughed at the "I pushed my long, blonde hair" comment. I've seen that done and it always tickles me. Another I dislike is when it's a male character describing the other person more like a female would. He's going to say brown, not honey-blonde. Great points.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01899031495802835361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-28883443973437809912012-05-23T16:15:06.948-04:002012-05-23T16:15:06.948-04:00Marcella, most welcome. I just did a Real Life Dia...Marcella, most welcome. I just did a Real Life Diagnostic (like a crit) where the author was worried about the gender, and they had some good hints to show she was a girl. You might gain some insights from that post. Here's the link:<br /><br />http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/04/real-life-diagnostics-girl-vs-boy.html<br /><br />You're smart to worry, since that's something that can shock a reader out of the story. But you can make it clear with just a few words if they're the right words.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-89882990626484464822012-05-23T15:46:25.648-04:002012-05-23T15:46:25.648-04:00Janice, thank you so much for the insightful post....Janice, thank you so much for the insightful post. I just got comments from an online crit group on a first chapter, and most wanted a description of the narrator. One even asked me to put in the ol' mirror specifically.<br /><br />One of the things I was surprised about, though, is that a lot of people incorrectly assumed my narrator was male. Maybe I can try and make the gender of my narrator more apparent through some comparisons to other women. I'm writing a fantasy novel in which society is not stratified along gender lines, so I don't have easy outs like having her wear a dress or reflect on how men do different things than women do.<br /><br />It's trickier than I anticipated to get that out there in a fast-paced, action-ey beginning. The last thing I want to do is have my readers create a picture in their head of a man, then be shocked three chapters in when she thinks about motherhood or starts menstruating or something.Marcellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15626909391179532139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-64281407509488328372011-09-14T12:40:00.572-04:002011-09-14T12:40:00.572-04:00Like anything else, the mirror trick can work if d...Like anything else, the mirror trick can work if done well and it fits the story. If there's a good reason, and it sounds like you have one, go for it.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-54977206593093410072011-09-13T08:48:15.731-04:002011-09-13T08:48:15.731-04:00I'm guilty of the mirror trick in my novel, bu...I'm guilty of the mirror trick in my novel, but it's when the character is changing clothes from being male to female, and so the character would look in a mirror and study his/her appearance to make sure the transition is convincing. ;)Laura Lnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-13600981455118612702011-09-01T17:10:14.917-04:002011-09-01T17:10:14.917-04:00This is always a challenge to overcome, and I appr...This is always a challenge to overcome, and I appreciate your comments and suggestions. I confess, I read a sample first chapter of a much-touted YA urban fantasy recently, and it began with the main character standing in front of a mirror, cataloguing her features. I closed the window and read no further. <br /><br />I find it interesting that we seem to be compelled to give detailed physical descriptions of our characters. Mark Twain never described Huck Finn, but we have a colorful portrait of the character in our minds anyway. I wanna be like Mark Twain when I grow up. It's not that I don't want to wriggle around the challenge of describing people; no, I just want to be able to create *such* characters that no one needs or cares to know what color their hair is... :DRobin Lythgoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06432411701244810312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-30444081993445264962011-08-22T10:50:59.101-04:002011-08-22T10:50:59.101-04:00Laura, if I didn't have to describe my charact...Laura, if I didn't have to describe my characters I probably wouldn't. I'm just not a big description gal. But I know a lot of readers (and one of my crit partners) do want to know, so I try to get enough in there for them :) You don't have to describe them if you don't want to. <br /><br />Jaleh, great tip on the mirror trick. I like that.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-36394635760463710812011-08-22T09:06:24.918-04:002011-08-22T09:06:24.918-04:00Most mirror descriptions are gack, but I like the ...Most mirror descriptions are gack, but I like the one in the beginning of Exile's Honor. Alberich just got done with fighting bandits and was washing his face in a puddle and was judging himself, using his face as a representation of his personality. Introspection that revealed more about who he was than simply his looks. I have a long way before I could pull off something like that.<br /><br />I love the bits like names from others to describe the POV character. I started a WIP with that, because she tries to not think about her warped appearance, but her looks cause conflict for her. I also have a spot where she avoids looking into a mirror so she wouldn't have to see her yellow-toned complexion in it.Jaleh Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04942272578488986874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-66336318471166912422011-08-20T18:53:28.581-04:002011-08-20T18:53:28.581-04:00Fantastic post, fantastic suggestions... Perfect,...Fantastic post, fantastic suggestions... Perfect, and it came just at the right time for me: finished my first MS a couple weeks ago and I'm now knee-deep in editing. I know EXACTLY where I'm going to use these :) Thank you!Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-9626182835624463452011-08-19T08:42:11.776-04:002011-08-19T08:42:11.776-04:00I somtimes write first person, but mostly I use a ...I somtimes write first person, but mostly I use a third person so close it's been described as reading like first. I only describe what my characters see or think about, abd they rarely think about their own appearance. I don't think I described the hero of my last novel at all! I only mention a physical trait if it's something unusual, or it suddenly changes.Author Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18316825723835547403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-56300510078849699622011-08-19T00:00:16.039-04:002011-08-19T00:00:16.039-04:00These are great, Janice. I knew to avoid the mirr...These are great, Janice. I knew to avoid the mirror, but I definitely wasn't as creative as your suggestions. I actually forget to describe my MC at all most of the time. Thanks for the help!Laura Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04237841462234396752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-41759319957308267472011-08-18T10:24:48.405-04:002011-08-18T10:24:48.405-04:00Kathie, I like that idea. Like having a descriptio...Kathie, I like that idea. Like having a description bank you can draw from when you need it, I bet that would work for other kinds as well.<br /><br />Laura, those are great examples of the mirror trick working because they're not simply stare at a mirror and describe. They characterize and have solid reasons for being there.<br /><br />Amelia, those all sound good to me. Details that also pique interest.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.com