Are bullet point character descriptions bad, and if so, why?

[MillieDynamite]

You know what else has layers, onions. Oh, and parfait has layers, I love parfait.

There are multiple layers to that.

 

[Jmanchu]

This was a hypothetical question, Greg and Milly are just an example. I have no intention to write a boring vanilla story about parking lot sex lol

You could make it work. Add the right details, make that shit dirty, filthy parking sex can be the shit.

I've been thinking about this thread a bit. Technically you could do it if it makes it fun for you to do that little detail with the bullet points. There are no hard rules for writing, and especially on a site like this where professional writing isn't what everyone here is looking for just something fun and possibly sexy to read. Breaking ules in writing are only bad if it doesn't work, they're more like guidelines if you do make it enjoyable then no harm, no foul. Me, for instance, I use italics which is generally a lazy way to emphasize words by merely changing formats, and some would say it's definitely not something you should do, even here some people say it(and some people here ARE professional writers), but I do it anyways because I have fun with it.

I personally would not do bullet points inside my story because if it's relevant it'll show up or at least influence the story enough that I won't need to add it, and any details that don't make into the story can still be there for possible use for sequels or continuations of your stories, and therefore unneeded and possibly even clunky (people might just skip through it since they don't know your character enough yet to care about those details yet) but that's me.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Why are you so easily offended that you need to defend an opinion that needs no defending? You'd think I'd slapped your mother by grouping you in something you're proud of. Relax; you shouldn't read insults into everything.

On Lit, it's the opinions of your readers that are important, especially if you want to try something new or rarely done.

And to answer your question: See Paul Chance's response.


There are laws to driving in the states, but there are no laws when it comes to creative expression. (I know, I know, see "obscenity" rulings, but lets not be so pedantic in our understanding of people's meanings all of the time.)

I'm not offended, I just think saying to a newbie, "Oh, just do whatever you want to do" isn't very good advice. The guy is seeking input (or he wouldn't be asking the question), so noting out that 99/100 say a bullet list isn't common practice, and pointing out why, is actually better advice.

 

[KeithD]

For the record: I never told the OP to not do it.

Neither did I.

 

[lovecraft68]

Honest answer? I'm gonna totally skip those descriptions.

It may not put me off the story entirely; I'll give it a chance.

But I'm definitely not reading a bullet point list outlining each character before I start.

My suggestion is skip that nonsense and add descriptions to your characters organically as the story progresses.

It just hit me what this reminds me of....one of those fighting games where you can pick your character and it tells you all about them
That and the cheat sheets some people would make back in the day of old school D&D

 

[KeithD]

I have visions of the James Bond movie with the couple that included a huge Frankenstein-type man and a petite sweetie girl who were obviously lustfully smitten with each other and the viewer was prompted to think, "How in the hell does she manage to take him in sex?" I could see a story using the hook that did start off bluntly listing their stats.

Never say "never" in the writing of fiction.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I said don't do it. I'll admit it was me. I don't remember what advice I gave him. But yes, I'm the guilty party in the don't do it, and maybe it is scandalous that I did.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have visions of the James Bond movie with the couple that included a huge Frankenstein-type man and a petite sweetie girl who were obviously lustfully smitten with each other and the viewer was prompted to think, "How in the hell does she manage to take him in sex?" I could see a story using the hook that did start off bluntly listing their stats.

Never say "never" in the writing of fiction.

Was that "Jaws" the guy with the metal in his mouth?

 

[EmilyMiller]

In my very first story, here or anywhere, I had the central character (some random petite blonde girl I had made up ) have a complex about her appearance (I hear such things can happen) and so she spent time undressing in front of a mirror and critically apprising different parts of her body. It was about establishing mental state, but also served as a [probably not very well disguised] info dump.

I had no real clue what I was doing as a writer back then (what’s changed? I hear you cry). But I guess it wasn’t so bad an approach given her body negativity was a big part of the story,

Kinda helped that I was pretty familiar with her examination routine.

Em

 

[Bramblethorn]

I have visions of the James Bond movie with the couple that included a huge Frankenstein-type man and a petite sweetie girl who were obviously lustfully smitten with each other and the viewer was prompted to think, "How in the hell does she manage to take him in sex?" I could see a story using the hook that did start off bluntly listing their stats.

That'd be Moonraker, with the imposing Richard Kiel as "Jaws". That kind of size disparity certainly could be a story hook, but it would need to start with different numbers than the ones in OP's example.

Never say "never" in the writing of fiction.

I see what you did there.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Was that "Jaws" the guy with the metal in his mouth?

Yeah, that's the one. One of the few Bond villains to get a second film, and a redemption arc.

 

[Voboy]

The way the OP has presented it is lazy, but there are times when maybe it'd be appropriate. I think it's possible that, if you're writing in FP and your narrator is, say, a casting agent, or a cop, or some other type of person whose life revolves around thinking of people as a collection of physical descriptors, then something like this might help "set a tone." But that reason had better come out posthaste, or I'll just hit the BACK button.

 

[lovecraft68]

That'd be Moonraker, with the imposing Richard Kiel as "Jaws". That kind of size disparity certainly could be a story hook, but it would need to start with different numbers than the ones in OP's example.

Who need bond just look at Lebron James or Shaquille O'Neal with their wives

 

[MrHereWriting]

I'm not offended, I just think saying to a newbie, "Oh, just do whatever you want to do" isn't very good advice. The guy is seeking input (or he wouldn't be asking the question), so noting out that 99/100 say a bullet list isn't common practice, and pointing out why, is actually better advice.

It's great advice for anything creative, not so much for parachuting.

 

[SimonDoom]

It's great advice for anything creative, not so much for parachuting.

I hear what you are saying, but I don't agree. I don't think writing is different from anything else, whether it's parachuting, chair-building, taxidermy, or any other craft, EXCEPT that, unlike parachuting, you're not going to die if you get it wrong. I'll give you that. It's still a craft. And the advice "just do whatever you want to do" is not helpful advice, especially for someone who starts a thread and asks a question precisely because he's NOT sure what he wants to do. I think there's a happy medium that lies somewhere between "do whatever you want to do" and "do what everybody says you should do." The happy medium is to open your mind, learn whatever you can from whatever others do, and then ultimately follow your muse.

 

[Canteloupe]

The advice you've been given applies regardless of whether it's a hypothetical or not. It doesn't matter. Come up with other hypotheticals for short stories and try to come up with examples where the list of traits at the beginning of the story improves the story. I think you'll find it's difficult.

This is my main point. You can only answer questions like these in the context of a specific story idea, and ask yourself what is the purpose of every word in the context of the story.

I wasn't disagreeing with anything you or anyone else said, I was just clarifying.

 

[SimonDoom]

I wasn't disagreeing with anything you or anyone else said, I was just clarifying.

OK. Not trying to sound antagonistic. You asked a legit question. I hope you've found the answers helpful. Despite some snarkiness here and there I think most of the contributors have answered honestly and tried to provide useful input.

 

[theprivy]

Besides echoing what everybody else already said, consider that some(perhaps a lot) of people are here reading smut instead of watching pornography specifically because they want the freedom to imagine on their own rather than have an image imposed on them of someone, especially someone whom they may even find unattractive. I think that question should always be at the forefront; Why are people going to read this? There are various different answers, but what they all have in common is that they're trying to find something that easily accessible Internet Porn cannot provide.

 

[MrHereWriting]

I hear what you are saying, but I don't agree. I don't think writing is different from anything else, whether it's parachuting, chair-building, taxidermy, or any other craft, EXCEPT that, unlike parachuting, you're not going to die if you get it wrong. I'll give you that. It's still a craft. And the advice "just do whatever you want to do" is not helpful advice, especially for someone who starts a thread and asks a question precisely because he's NOT sure what he wants to do. I think there's a happy medium that lies somewhere between "do whatever you want to do" and "do what everybody says you should do." The happy medium is to open your mind, learn whatever you can from whatever others do, and then ultimately follow your muse.

So, do whatever you want.