How important are Physical descriptions

[Imstillfun]

How important are physical descriptions. For the women protagonists of my stories I rarely use more than height, weight, age, hair color and length. I like to let the reader fill the rest in.

For men I only include any if it’s important to the story. They’re usually pretty generic. I might give age, height, weight, and depending on the scene cock size, but even that’s a pass off as average or bigger than average.

You?

 

[Trionyx]

I don’t go through life thinking about the details of height or weight. I might think ‘He is pretty tall’ but I don’t dwell on how many feet and inches he is. Same with weight. She might be slim, full figured or pleasingly plump but I don’t think about how much she weighs in pounds or kilos.
There are several threads here about describing breast and penis sizes. I believe the more popular view is to use descriptors and not use measurements.
You might want to read s few popular stories in several categories to see what others have done. In the end, you are the author and it is your story. You get to choose.

 

[NotWise]

I'll take up KeithD's long-time argument. Description is very important to readers who think in metrics.

My stories vary a lot, but generally I don't describe anyone unless the detail plays a role in the story, or unless I damn well feel like it. There are stories where it's best to let the reader fill in the blanks, and cases where I want to spoon-feed them details.

My arguably most-successful story starts with a detailed description of the female protagonist, so I take exception to claims that "info dumps" should be avoided because readers don't like it. Success or not depends on how it's done.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I find that 'a beautiful woman with honey-blonde hair, wearing a dazzling blue dress', is usually enough of a description at first. I add more as the story goes on. As they get close I add eye color and perhaps her makeup. By the time the first sex happens, I make sure the reader has an idea of height and build.

 

[Bamagan]

If I see a paragraph about physical descriptions, I usually skip it. The details provided rarely have much impact on the action of the story, and the ones that do tend to get repeated anyway.
I can kind of understand that some readers don't visualize things easily, or that it helps to have a relatively clear image of the protagonist kind of like the avatar in a video game. Those kinds of readers probably get frustrated with my stories, if they read them at all, because I'm usually pretty sparse with such descriptions.

 

[millamomud]

Depends.

I have written a few stories in 1st person submissive pov and find descriptions á la "my hair is long and my boobs are big" inherently unerotic.
I had once a character auditioning for a slave role, where she described herself in detail in some kind of dossier about herself, but that was more a plot device about how clinical the situation was.
I have gone in more detail in my last story, which is told from the male dominants perspective, so some "male gaze" felt more natural, when he met her.

So for me: not so important, except

 

[yowser]

How important are physical descriptions. For the women protagonists of my stories I rarely use more than height, weight, age, hair color and length. I like to let the reader fill the rest in.

As a reader, and writer, for me these are the absolute least important aspects of a character's life on the page. (Some exceptions: someone whose size is unusual, intimidating, formidable - but then that's a significant part of their role.)

All the most evocative writers I know will notice other telling details: eyes, shoulder hunch, tight smile, that lead to a vivid image or suggest character.

 

[Writer61]

I don't like detailed descriptions of characters. Usually, I have an image of them, and I will write to that. But I don't think it helps the reader to know exactly how tall somebody is. You would not have that information in a movie/TV show, so why in a written text?

In my character spreadsheet, I note basics to help with continuity. For example:


I think that's enough. If a reader can't visualise the scene, you might as well specify the dimensions of the furniture, too.

As a reader, if the writer gives metrics, then, at most, I will register something like 'he's short', and forget the specifics before the next page.

 

[JohnEngelman]

I consider myself to be weak on any kind of description. You know where you are in a story I write. You know what is happening. Nevertheless, I cannot paint landscapes and portraits with words.

Years ago I read a historical romance entitled Shanna. It was written by Kathleen Woodiwiss. The descriptions were as vivid as color photography.

 

[SkyBubble]

I don’t go through life thinking about the details of height or weight. I might think ‘He is pretty tall’ but I don’t dwell on how many feet and inches he is.ries in several categories to see what others have done. In the end, you are the author and it is your story. You get to choose.

Precisely. I might write "She was about medium height" but I'm not getting more precise than that.

 

[THBGato]

For the women protagonists of my stories I rarely use more than height, weight, age, hair color and length. I like to let the reader fill the rest in.

As a reader, info dumps telling me a character's height, weight, hair colour etc the first time we meet them put me right off.

I don’t go through life thinking about the details of height or weight. I might think ‘He is pretty tall’ but I don’t dwell on how many feet and inches he is. Same with weight. She might be slim, full figured or pleasingly plump but I don’t think about how much she weighs in pounds or kilos.

This

If you must include such details, drip feed them in, and only when necessary.

 

[alohadave]

If I see a paragraph about physical descriptions, I usually skip it. The details provided rarely have much impact on the action of the story, and the ones that do tend to get repeated anyway.

It seems a lot of descriptions are added and never referenced again.

I can kind of understand that some readers don't visualize things easily, or that it helps to have a relatively clear image of the protagonist kind of like the avatar in a video game. Those kinds of readers probably get frustrated with my stories, if they read them at all, because I'm usually pretty sparse with such descriptions.

I'm beginning to think I may be at least partially aphantasic, because I almost never have any mentally picture of what characters look like. They have no faces, both in what I write, and what I read.

But that doesn't really affect my reading, because what they do and say is more important than what they look like.

I've read several of your stories and have had no problem enjoying them. The ideas and scenarios are interesting.

 

[Rambling_Chantrix]

As a reader I'm completely disinterested in what people or things look like. I care about how they feel, how they behave, what they say.

As a writer... same

 

[AStrangeDesire]

I don't get into a ton of detail, and I also try to make my characters physically distinct. So maybe the tall blonde and the shorter brunette, with a bit of detail about what makes them unique. Then in the sex scene, I'll add more. If there are piercings, or anything else noteworthy that will make a difference to the action.

I find that when I read stuff, if there's the kind of 'checklist description' of the characters, it feels forced, so I stay away from it.

 

[AG31]

I don't think of myself as needing a lot of description, but when I realized that there was no description at all of the characters in a book I was reading I couldn't stop thinking about it. It ended up being annoying.

 

[Comshaw]

I'll take up KeithD's long-time argument. Description is very important to readers who think in metrics.

My stories vary a lot, but generally I don't describe anyone unless the detail plays a role in the story, or unless I damn well feel like it. There are stories where it's best to let the reader fill in the blanks, and cases where I want to spoon-feed them details.

My arguably most-successful story starts with a detailed description of the female protagonist, so I take exception to claims that "info dumps" should be avoided because readers don't like it. Success or not depends on how it's done.

This ↑
From the comments I've received over the years, it all depends on the reader. Some people want to form their own mental image of a character. They may have a person in mind for that fantasy image, someone they like to fantasize about. If I go into an in-depth physical description, it messes with the image they want the story character to fit. On the other hand, some people want a totally new fantasy. They want to stay immersed in the tale, led by the hand so to speak, and given every detail I can provide so they can stay in the fantasy without any mental work.

So which is better? It's six of one and half a dozen of the other. I don't worry too much about it. I realized long ago I'm not going to satisfy everyone all the time, or even some of the time. My dad had a saying, "Some people would bitch if you hung 'em with a new rope." What's that mean? It means someone is ALWAYS going to be disappointed and gripe no matter what the situation is.

As I write a character, it all depends on whether or not the physical description of that character is important to later parts of the story. If so they are totally fleshed out and described. Alternately, if I am off in la la land, fantasizing about someone as I write (even us long in the tooth old farts do that, well at least this one does). In that instance they usually end up on the page as a character.


Comshaw

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I'll stay out of this one. It'll only get my stories bombed again.

 

[Glassnslate]

Personally, I enjoy good character descriptions. I think those descriptions along with good descriptions of the dynamics between characters, the location, the surroundings, and all of the things involved can add realism and relatability to stories.

I think it also depends on the authors style. Some authors need details to make a story, some authors are able to make a story by being vague. It is also the same with readers.
Glass

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I'm going to disagree with most here by saying that I don't think it matters whether you describe the characters in detail or you keep them vague. Most readers will be fine with either. It's the timing that matters.

You will see many Lit authors dump such info at the start of the story, and I think that's a terrible way to do it. If a reader doesn't care about the character yet, why would they care whether they are a blonde or a brunette, or whether her breasts are D or C cups, or whether the guy has 6 or 7 inch penis, or whether he's six foot five or five foot nine.

Describe in detail or keep the description to the bare necessity, it doesn't matter much, just introduce the details slowly, bit by bit, as they become relevant to the story.

 

[Writer61]

I think those descriptions along with good descriptions of the dynamics between characters, the location, the surroundings, and all of the things involved can add realism and relatability to stories.

Does a good description require metrics?

 

[TheLobster]

Physical details are absolutely paramount. You gotta get them right! Here's a partial checklist:

• What are the bodies involved and what is their configuration?
• Are you operating under the standard conditions, normal conditions, or some other combination of temperature and air pressure?
• Is the gravity the standard Earth's surface 9.81 m/s^2, or are you conducting your experiment elsewhere?
• Do you account for the incidental rotation that requires knowing the moment of inertia, or do you assume spherical cows?
• Is there any friction involved? Does it have to be included in your calculations?
• etc.

Remember, the more physical variables you control, the more accurate your experiment will be! Don't skimp on them!

 

[MK_Whimsy]

I tend to describe nonhuman characters in far more detail than human ones, simply because the contrast they provide seems to warrant that and I may have a more specific picture of what they look like. With humans I tend to give a rougher description and avoid getting too granular about size, height, weight, etc., so that the reader can fill in the blanks somewhat.

Describe in detail or keep the description to the bare necessity, it doesn't matter much, just introduce the details slowly, bit by bit, as they become relevant to the story.

Honestly I'm wishing I would have done this more early on. There came a point when it occurred to me to start describing characters this way, but by then the damage was already done.

 

[SkyBubble]

Sometimes you can work physical description into the narrative: "He ran his fingers through her dark hair."

 

[liliput1]

How important are physical descriptions. For the women protagonists of my stories I rarely use more than height, weight, age, hair color and length. I like to let the reader fill the rest in.

For men I only include any if it’s important to the story. They’re usually pretty generic. I might give age, height, weight, and depending on the scene cock size, but even that’s a pass off as average or bigger than average.

You?

As a people watcher I thought I needed the book cover to be described immediately. But everything I've favorited in at least the last year has been remarkably coy about such things.

Operating theory: it feels more like when you ask your friend about the new love interest they can’t seem to shut up about. They aren’t going to start out with tailoring data. You have to romance the details out of them or just wait until they introduce you to get a clear picture in your head.

 

[liliput1]

Sometimes you can work physical description into the narrative: "He ran his fingers through her dark hair."

I like the “across a crowded room” trick as well. It’s almost a relationship milestone when you can recognize a friend from behind.