Physical description of characters

[raphy]

Re: Just a thought:

What might be interesting is for a few writers to write up a description of the same person/picture. I doubt they'd all be the same, and it might be useful to see how someone else would handle the description. Anyone up for it?

I'll bite. Give us a picture of a person, and let us at it!

hehe

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I'll join in, too. It sounds like a good exercise.

Lou

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Hit me with your rhythm stick...

*sings along with Ian Drury*

 

[Jenny _S]

I won't say never. I have used some personal description such as, "Her long blond hair swayed with the rhythm of her walk." But lets get real people. We are dealing with fantasy here. You don't want to be too descriptive of your characters. Instead you want to allow the reader to identify with the character and become part of the story in their minds.

If you describe a 5 ft 6 inch female, weighing 120 pounds with 44 inch bazookas, a nasty, pouting mouth and brown eyes haven't your just deleted a large share of your readers? I've come to think it's much better to leave the character visually cloudy and let the reader fill in the blanks.

 

[whispering_surrender]

Re: Just a thought:

What might be interesting is for a few writers to write up a description of the same person/picture. I doubt they'd all be the same, and it might be useful to see how someone else would handle the description. Anyone up for it?

I'll play too. *wink*

Whisper

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[whispering_surrender]

Thanks McKenna. My weak attempt is posted, but I had a grand time doing it. Great stress relief after work!

Whisper

 

[gauchecritic]

If you describe a 5 ft 6 inch female, weighing 120 pounds

This really really does my head in when reading US authored stories. If I really want to know how much she weighs I have to convert to stones and pounds and then I have to go back and start the story again because I've forgotten what it was about, back clicking is quicker.

I'd guess the same applies to younger Brits/Europeans converting to metric from imperial. 6 foot tall is definitely not 2 metres.

Gauche

 

[Lovepotion69]

Hm, perhaps I should have clarified. I don't recall actually describing my characters very often (not that I can remember at least), mainly just using the "showing". What I meant is that I often forget even that!

I have to agree with Gauche, these darn heights and weights mean zero to me. All those conversions! Even after converting I just can't picture the person before me as I have no clue what people around me weigh/how tall they are. Pointless in other words.

Oh, and bra sizes are measure like someone mentioned earlier. The number is the measurement from the nipple to the back I think, and the cup the fullness of the breast. On the other hand, in the US they follow one measurement, France another, UK another and rest of Europe another. Same as clothes. Awfully confusing and once again, pointless to mention in a story (unless relevant for it).

 

[Hooper_X]

If you describe a 5 ft 6 inch female, weighing 120 pounds with 44 inch bazookas

As has been alluded to before, a 5' 6" (1.68m) woman weighing 120lb. (54.4kg or roughly 8.5 stone) would never have a 44in (111.76cm) chest, unless she was grossly deformed. A 44 inch chest has nothing to do with the size of her boobs. It indicates a ribcage/back as large as a typical NHL hockey player.

 

[raphy]

Re: Metric descriptions

Virtually all of the world, except the USA, is metric. So, it is not just younger Europeans. Although 45, I cannot picture anything but cm and kg. You see, Australia has been metric for 30 years.

Looking up my conversions your ideal female is 167cm (about my height) and 54kg (I am 58kg). Quite petite.

But it is younger Europeans, as opposed to older ones.

Raph, still measuring in feet, inches, miles, pounds and stones.

 

[Hooper_X]

Oh, and bra sizes are measure like someone mentioned earlier. The number is the measurement from the nipple to the back I think

It's the measurement around the ribcage under the breasts plus some small constant.