MASTER LIST of Physical Descriptions!
Sometimes it can be hard to find the right words to describe individual facial features, faces in general, bodies, and even hair. I'm hoping this post will be a good resource for describing the looks of characters in your story.
Before I get to the long list, I have a couple of notes and words of advice:
When you're in a character's POV, their attitude toward another character's appearance may change over the course of the story as their relationship to that character changes. A classic case in point: Mr. Darcy goes from saying Elizabeth Bennet is "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me," to "one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance." Conversely, the cute guy in Spanish class might not seem cute at all once your protag figures out he's a jerk.
Don't rely too much on attractiveness or ugliness to make me as a reader like or dislike a character. If I'm reading a romance, for instance, it's great if the hero is physically attractive, but I'm going to need him to be smart or kind or funny or something to get interested. And if you keep talking about how ugly the villain is, I'm going to start to think that you, the writer, might be a mean person, which makes me enjoy your story less.
Some of these phrases are more expected than others, and whether you care is up to you.
Okay, here we go!
MASTER LIST OF PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS
Eyes - General
I'm focusing here on physical descriptions rather than emotional expressions, though there's a little crossover.
large
small
narrow
sharp
squinty
round
wide-set
close-set
deep-set
sunken
bulging
protruding
wide
hooded
heavy-lidded
bedroom
bright
sparkling
glittering
flecked
dull
bleary
rheumy
cloudy
red-rimmed
beady
birdlike
cat-like
jewel-like
steely
hard
fringed with long lashes
with sweeping eyelashes
with thick eyelashes
By the way, this post on how to describe (and not describe) the eyes of an Asian character is really great. Check it out.
Eyes - Color
Brown is the most common eye color by far. Green is quite rare.
chestnut
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Writing tips
RandomJust some tips on writing your novels or stories. I know how hard it can be to start, to create your characters and to keep track of your characters. I wrote this book with the hope that I can help at least one person. Enjoy it! Please note that not...
