creative writing describing a man

How To Write A Damn Good Man

• by Robert Wood
• March 7, 2016
• 33 Comments

Standout Books is supported by its audience, if you click and purchase from any of the links on this page, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally vetted. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

What is a man? If you believe Dracula in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night , the answer is ‘a miserable little pile of secrets’. Far be it from me to question the dark lord (again), but if you’re going to try and write a convincing male character then there might be a bit more to it.

I’ve written before about how difficult it can be to write outside your gender, but in fact it’s difficult to get a grip on any character’s personal experience and expression of their gender. Compare, for example, Pride and Prejudice ’s uptight but upright Mr. Darcy with the scummy, womanizing Sam Spade of The Maltese Falcon . Compare either to the kind, imaginative Haroun of Haroun and the Sea of Stories , Patrick Bateman of the appropriately named American Psycho , or secretive, heartbroken Patrick from The Perks of Being a Wallflower .

Could it be that these male characters, so different in their expressions of what it means to be a man, are reacting to a similar set of experiences and values? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, and by understanding how expressions of gender can be so complex, authors can write far more realistic men than they might ever have suspected.

Gender performativity

The term ‘ gender performativity ’ was coined by philosopher Judith Butler, and is used to describe a theory of what gender is, and how it influences us, that many authors will find revolutionary in terms of how they craft their characters.

Butler suggests that society’s concept of gender is prescriptive rather than descriptive – it creates a set of expectations and rules that define our behavior, rather than just being an observation of natural behavior. According to this theory, men are less emotionally expressive than women because they have grown up understanding this as the norm, rather than because of an inherent and gender-wide impulse towards stoicism.

Whether you subscribe to this theory or not, it foregrounds a truth that is essential to writing a complex male character; a man’s expression and experience of his gender is a reaction to how society defines that gender. Certain attributes and behaviors are understood as ‘masculine’, and in his everyday life a man is constantly reacting to that understanding. He is, in other words, comparing himself to an ideal man.

The ideal man

The ideal man is a theoretical individual – a man who embodies perfect and unfaltering masculinity. This fictional construct is seen to define the male gender, and is an essential component of men’s experience of gender.

In effect, men construct their own personal masculinity in reference to their version of the ideal man. They ask – sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously – what this idealized figure would do in a given situation, and judge their own actions in comparison. That’s not to say that every man does what the ideal man would do, or that every male character should behave as the ideal man. Remember that the ideal man is a point of comparison – if a man is in a situation where he can fight or run, he makes his decision while knowing what his version of the ideal man would do. He may fight or he may run, but if he fights then he knows he has lived up to this idea of masculinity, and if he runs then he understands he has failed to live up to the ideal. This is why a man confronted with impossible odds may make the sensible decision to run but still feel he has done the wrong thing – he has failed in comparison to the ideal.

Real men, and your male characters along with them, can be understood via their relationship to the ideal man. This is gender as a form of absolute morality – what the ideal man would do is often treated as the right thing to do. Understand how your character imagines the ideal man, and how they understand their personal masculinity in comparison to his, and you’ll understand exactly how they feel in any given situation. Since that’s the case, it might be useful to know a little more about how the ideal man behaves…

Defining ideal masculinity in writing

Much of literature is given over to considering what it means to be a man, and while there’s no definitive account, Rudyard Kipling’s If comes pretty close. The entire poem can be read here , but it’s so popular that the extract below may be all it takes to jog your memory:

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you… If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss… If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much… Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son! – Rudyard Kipling, If

The poem celebrates traditional concepts of masculinity, lauding attributes such as:

• Pragmatic thinking,
• Capability,
• Isolationism,
• Leadership,
• Physical ability.

These are the qualities of the ideal man – the standards which influence your character’s behavior and worldview. They’re powerful motivators, but remember that your character experiences them through a middle man. It’s not that every male character is striving to be brave, stoic and able, but that they understand that these qualities are what society expects of them.

This may mean a character tries to be brave, but it may also mean that a character who knows they are cowardly is especially sensitive about this being discovered. It may mean that a character will go out of their way to confirm that they are brave – this is the case with Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II , who is talked into a deadly race when a rival brands him a ‘chicken’. Marty’s ideal man isn’t afraid of anything, and when an antagonist suggests he does not live up to this ideal, he jumps into a foolish action in order to prove him wrong.

It’s important to understand that these standards, compelling as they are, aren’t something the narrative has to agree with. It’s entirely possible to write a story where the character holds a certain idea of masculinity as the ideal, but the narrative suggests something different. This is the case in About a Boy ; musician Will Freeman begins the story with a strict isolationist attitude, believing emotional attachment to be a dangerous weakness.

All men are islands. And what’s more, this is the time to be one. This is an island age… With the right supplies, and more importantly the right attitude, you can become sun-drenched, tropical, a magnet for young Swedish tourists. – Peter Hedges et al, About a Boy

This changes, however, when Will comes into contact with vulnerable schoolboy Marcus Brewer. Will protects Marcus from bullies, and is drawn into meeting, and caring about, more people through his efforts. The story suggests that Will’s ideal man is flawed, and that Will is much happier once he allows his experiences to change his concept of masculinity.

Will’s ideal man gives him an idea of what he ‘should’ do, and influences decisions which would not otherwise make sense. Why would a man eschew real emotional connection? A lazy reading would suggest he’s incapable of establishing it, but Will’s status is clearly a choice. His journey isn’t learning how to be around other people, but learning that his conception of the ideal way to be is flawed.

This is something you can apply directly to writing male characters – how do they imagine the ideal man, and how do they imagine they live up to, and fail to live up to, their idea of him? When you consider your male characters’ decisions, focus on what parts of the ideal he is trying to emulate and the perceived failings for which he is attempting to compensate.

Remember, also, that some male characters may abhor society’s idea of the ideal man. They may go out of their way to flout this perception of masculinity. Even here, however, their self-perception still exists in contrast to the ideal. A male character who embraces his emotions is still aware that society’s ideal man is stoic – he has either come to terms with not meeting this standard or he remains conflicted.

This relationship between the character’s ideal man and his actual behavior is key to his point-of-view and all his decisions, but if the ideal man is shaped by wider societal attitudes, then how can he provoke such different behavior in different characters?

Male psychological narratives

Kipling’s poem doesn’t touch on sex or violence in great detail, and yet they’re two of the most frequently addressed aspects of masculinity. They are, really, just extensions of the blanket ‘capability’ a man is expected to have – both things to be ‘good at’ – but also seem to run counter to attributes such as stoicism and isolationism. This begs the question of how one character’s understanding of the ideal man could lead him to avoid violence, while another’s could lead him to seek it out. In other words, how do the hero and villain differ in their understanding of masculinity?

Often, in fact, the broad definition of masculinity is something which characters share. What differs is their relationship to the ideal, the emotions that this stirs up and the masculine narrative the characters imagine to be at play.

One near-perfect example of a masculine narrative is Jack Shaefer’s famous cowboy story Shane . Shane is a gunslinger who goes to work on a ranch, seeking to leave behind a violent past and attain solitude. Unfortunately the local gang have targeted his hosts, and Shane is forced to engage in an orgy of violence to set the situation right. What’s more, Shane is so attractive to women that the farm owner’s wife quickly falls in love with him, and Shane leaves the farm rather than break up the family who own it.

Here, the narrative is constructed so that Shane is all things. He is stoic to a fault – has changed his life to avoid violence – but when he is forced to fight, he is deadly. Likewise, he is intensely desirable and yet too honorable to act on it. Studied in detail, Shane is a near-impossibly perfect man. Even when being praised by other characters, the paradoxical nature of his being is difficult to escape:

“He’s dangerous all right,” Father said it in a musing way. Then he chuckled. “But not to us, my dear… In fact, I don’t think you ever had a safer man in your house.” – Jack Schaefer, Shane

This is the example of one incredibly popular masculine narrative – the nonviolent stoic who is forced to enter into combat. The key to understanding how this same narrative can influence characters in very different ways is in realizing that the terms which make it up are subjective.

In Hydra Ascendant , the human protagonist finds himself in combat with the vampiric Baron Blood. Blood is preparing a plan which would place humans under the thrall of vampires, creating ‘a feast eternal’ that would allow vampires to thrive as the planet’s dominant species. Blood says:

Nature demands we kill any who bar us from our tribe’s needed resources. A true man would kill a nation to provide for his family. – Rick Remender, All-New Captain America: Hydra Ascendant

While Blood’s plan is catastrophically villainous, his words highlight that he is engaged in a nearly identical narrative to the protagonist – both believe they are fighting to protect their people, and are able to justify extreme actions on that basis.

This is often described as ‘toxic masculinity’, where a man’s perception of his situation – and what the ideal man would do in his place – drives him to redefine immoral acts as the right thing to do, or as what is expected of him by society. A less extreme example might be the man who cheats on his wife, seeking out the sense of sexual ability that will bring him closer to his ideal man. At this level, the character’s need to establish an acceptable sense of self can be as insistent a drive as any other – a character who feels deprived of a deserved or badly desired sense of masculinity may behave as extremely as if his life was under threat.

The ideal man can therefore inspire heroic feats and acts of unspeakable evil, all depending on how the character frames their situation. Knowing this can help to give even the most diabolical character a cohesive worldview, or inspire seemingly illogical or dangerous acts from seemingly normal men.

There’s a lot of theory behind how masculinity is constructed and how it’s performed, but for authors it’s also important to think about the most basic levels of practical application.

Male dialogue and body language

The ideal man is stoic but he’s also an incredibly capable leader. This means that if you’re trying to portray the perfect man, body language and speech should be basic, insular, but packed with meaning. Generally, in this style of writing, when a man’s physical actions are described, it’s because they’re particularly effective or evocative.

Parker couldn’t tell yet whether it would be best to claim to knowing nothing or everything, so he went on waiting. Younger had been trying some rudimentary kind of psychology, because now he said, “Or is it here? Do you know for sure it’s here? How come you were digging in the cellar?” Parker shook his head, but didn’t say anything. – Richard Stark, The Jugger

Here, a single shake of Parker’s head shows that he is unwilling to talk. It’s a response that’s cool under pressure but also effective – his opponent doesn’t press him or force him to deny again. Parker is a version of the ideal man, and so his communication is clear and absolute.

As with everything else I’ve described, however, the ideal man is just a concept of which more complex male characters are aware. This is the model of communication that your male character strives for, is conscious of not meeting, or actively rebels against. This may mean he over-explains, seeking the ideal of being totally understood, or is accidentally brusque. He may be overly verbose, conscious that he is not trying to be the gruff he-man, or grow irritated when questioned. The outcomes are varied, but they can be kept consistent and understandable by understanding the ideal against which they are defined.

Graphic storytelling offers a host of good examples, as body language choices are immediately visual while remaining static. Marvel comics character Luke Cage acts as a great case study in this medium, showcasing the dialogue and body language choices used to portray an ideal man. Cage has many idealized male attributes – he is a leader, a concise speaker, and possesses bulletproof skin and enhanced strength. Cage can literally take a bullet, adding great weight to any attempt to end things peacefully; he chooses nonviolence even though violence would usually guarantee his success. As an (at least partially) idealized man, Cage’s speech and movements are simple but effective:

– Al Ewing and Greg Land, Mighty Avengers

Here Cage expounds on his worldview, vowing to take action but remaining stoic while doing so. While extolling his commitment to family and detailing a major life choice, Cage sips coffee, an accepted visual shorthand for casual behavior. As he states his intention to change the world he has one eyebrow raised – an incredibly mild gesture given the impact of his words. Cage’s words have intense personal and emotional relevance, but Ewing uses repetition to reinforce this rather than having Cage be more emotionally expressive in other ways.

This is the body language and dialogue of the ideal man – a huge subconscious influence on male characters. This is the accepted standard for confidence; a way that a confident character might behave, having been taught that it properly expresses their surety, but also something that a less-confident character might try to establish authority.

In contrast is the scene below, where Spider-Man attempts to apologize to Cage:

– Al Ewing and Luke Ross, Captain America and the Mighty Avengers

Here Spider-Man adopts body language and dialogue that stands in direct contrast to Cage’s. He performs large, frequent movements and rambles, having difficulty making his point. This, however, is not simply a failure of masculinity. Spider-Man is abasing himself before Cage – he acts counter to the masculine ideal because he is both consciously and subconsciously submissive. He places Cage in the dominant position, making it easier for Cage to be the ideal man (one who Spider-Man hopes will be magnanimous enough to forgive him).

This brings us to the final, and perhaps most important, aspect of masculinity to consider when writing male characters.

Masculinity as a dialogue

One of the defining traits of masculinity I listed above is ‘leadership’. Because of this, male characters will generally have some appreciation of the power relationships in any given group, or will make attempts to understand those relationships.

Again, this does not mean that a male character will always be in charge, or always try to take charge, but it means they will be aware of whether or not other characters are trying to do so, and of where they stand in the hierarchy of a group. They may be comfortable with a lower position or chafe under orders, but they will have a particular awareness of where they stand, and a sensitivity to occurrences that may alter the status quo.

In Hellbent , Anthony McGowan details his teenage protagonist’s journey through hell. Throughout the book, the character pretends he has no knowledge of why he’s there, but the conclusion of the story sees him admit his single greatest sin; the mistreatment of a bullied classmate.

I certainly didn’t join ‘the line’. And what was ‘the line’? Every few days the school thugs would make Jason walk slowly down a line of boys – they tried to make everyone join in – taking a punch or a slap from each person as he passed. The ‘winner’ was the one who made him cry… Sometimes I caught [Jason] looking at me. It was unsettling. I felt bad because I thought he might want to join in with my gang, play footie… But what did he think I was? A social worker? I’d fought hard for my status as maybe the second or third coolest kid in the year… Next time, I thought, I’ll join the line. It’s that or get infected with monkey fever. – Anthony McGowan, Hellbent

Here the character makes a horrifying moral decision not out of cruelty, but because he fears for his own place within the group. He is not attempting to gain anything, but simply to retain his standing and the regard of his peers.

The character might have made another decision, but the point is that he would still have considered his place in the schoolyard. Likewise when a male character is mocked, challenged, corrected or praised; they may react to it in many different ways and for many different reasons, but they will always factor in how it influences the way in which they are seen.

In A Visit from the Goon Squad , Jennifer Egan writes several male characters who are intensely aware of the way in which they are perceived.

‘You don’t want to do this,’ Bennie murmured. ‘Am I right?’ ‘Absolutely,’ Alex said. ‘You think it’s selling out…’ Alex laughed. ‘I know that’s what it is.’ ‘See, you’re a purist,’ Bennie said. ‘That’s why you’re perfect for this.’ Alex felt the flattery working on him like the first sweet tokes of a joint you know will destroy  you if you smoke it all… Alex felt the sudden, riveting engagement of the older man’s curiosity. – Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad

Here the characters make decisions not just according to their own sense of masculinity, but in an attempt to manipulate that of the other man. They flatter each other, and Alex is even aware that an older man’s curiosity validates his masculine identity. Bennie wants something, and is trying to both leverage his own masculine power as an older, more successful man, and to frame what he wants in terms of a masculine narrative Alex might accept.

This is the next level of writing masculinity – not just being aware of how masculinity acts as a drive and influence on a character, but making that character aware of how masculinity can influence the behavior of other characters.

Writing male characters

There is, of course, no one way to write ‘a man’. What I’ve detailed above is instead a way to get into a male character’s head and identify some of the key motivators that may drive him to make one choice or another.

As Judith Butler rightly pointed out, gender may be performative but it is not separate from ourselves. We’ve been performing since we were born, and masculinity is no easier to study as an isolated quality than race or sexual preference. Indeed, masculinity is bound up in these things and should be considered alongside them.

Safe ‘truths’ like ‘men can’t process their emotions’ are inaccurate and, worse, they’re useless to authors. Instead, consider that men have been told that not engaging with their emotions is key to masculinity. A male character who just doesn’t have emotions is a joke – less than two-dimensional. More interesting, and more realistic, is the character who has strong emotions but suppresses them (and why he does so) or the character who has rejected the masculine standard and chosen to express what they feel. Consider, also, the character who tries to suppress their emotions but fails, or the character who has suppressed their emotions for so long that they have trouble bringing them to the fore.

These characterizations ask questions and let characters grow. Why might a character be trying to excavate long suppressed emotions, and why did they suppress them in the first place? Perhaps their father was unemotional, a masculine ideal, but now they want to engage more fully with their kids. Perhaps that suppression led to unhealthy behavior and they want to change. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

You’re probably expecting me to end on the advice to ‘write a character first, and a man second’, but I’m not going to. Gender is an inextricable part of who we are – it’s something that’s baked into our identity, not sprinkled on once we’re already fully formed. To not think of a character as a man is to ignore one of the most formative qualities that would define their personality. What I would suggest is to explore every nook and cranny of your character’s identity, and to spend as much time as you feasibly can mixing each part of it together, finding their unique backstory.

Do you have a favorite depiction of masculinity in fiction, or do you think it’s the least important part of a character’s world view? Let me know in the comments, or check out  How To Write A Damn Good Woman and  Why Authors Need To Take Care When Writing The Other Gender for more great advice on this topic.

• Characters , Point of view , Protagonist , Writing gender

Suspension of Disbelief: What is it and How to Use it

What is Conflict in a Story, and Why Should I Care?

5 Things You Should Know If You’re Writing About The Internet

How To Write Characters Who Actually Like Each Other

6 Daring Plot Twists To Try In Your Writing – Part 1

What You Need To Know About John Yorke’s Theory of Fractal Storytelling

Robert Wood

33 thoughts on “how to write a damn good man”.

Excellent piece, and a good angle to consider when writing characters.

One error, though: you say “proscriptive” when you mean “prescriptive”. To “proscribe” something is to forbid it. To “prescribe” something is to require it. It’s a common error – I’ve seen Samuel R. Delaney make it – but it is an error.

Thanks very much for your comment, and for catching that typo. It’s been corrected above.

This is an excellent piece, and I’m in full agreement that one’s gender identity is baked into life at all times. I am, however, fairly astounded that a discussion of masculinity and the perfect man did not include Bond, James Bond. Flemming’s badass spy with a weakness for women probably inspires men daily to ask, “What would JB do in this situation?” Okay, maybe not daily. But every time I’m strapped to a nuclear warhead with supermodel, that’s my go-to.

Thanks for the kind words. James Bond is a great example of masculine narratives in fiction. Interestingly, I believe he was originally created as an amalgamation of many of Ian Fleming’s wartime associates,

Excellent example as in “Bond, James Bond”

Fantastic article. It’s come at just the right time. It’s always challenging building the layers of a male character, but comparing him to an ‘ideal guy’ seems like an effective way to make his actions plausible in all situations. Thanks for the advice! 🙂

No problem, I’m glad it’s useful. Characterisation is so difficult – there are always going to be blindspots when a writer invents a person – but finding consistent behavioural traits is one of the best ways to nail it.

Wow, I have no words… I loved your article and how you went deep into the subject. Very enlightening, and since I like psychology, it was a joy to read. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks very much – what a great reaction. I’m glad the article was useful.

Fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

My pleasure, Karyn.

What about Clint Eastwood? His leading roles in movies like, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly I think he’s an ideal man. I really liked this article!

Clint Eastwood is a fantastic example – thanks for commenting.

This article has helped me reconsider how I’ve written male characters and has affirmed some of the other choices I’ve made. Basically, you’ve pinpointed, what has been up to now, elusive. Greatly appreciated.

My pleasure, Jubilee . Thanks for commenting.

Thank you for this excellent article. It has given me actionable advice and insight that I will use. Much appreciation.

Thanks for the feedback, Sue. I’m really glad the article was useful.

Excellent, thank you. There’s so much more to men than what society prescribes.

Thanks for commenting – I’d certainly like to think so.

Great article! Thank you so much for sharing these tips. I’m sure the male heroes of my romances will benefit from them. 🙂 PS: An example for your “deadly stoic” ideal type: Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) in “A History of Violence”.

Thanks for commenting, and with a fantastic example. Perhaps the ultimate ‘great at violence but trying to escape it’ character.

I have a book that I’m writing, and I’m thinking of doing each book in a different point of view, i.e., that there is going to have a book from Tanis’s male friend (Possibly boyfriend, I’m not sure yet, I haven’t even gotten a name for him) and this helped. Still not sure if I want to do the “Multiple character views” thing.

Hi Annabelle,

Thanks for commenting. What you describe is an interesting approach, I hope the articles below will be useful in considering it further.

//www.standoutbooks.com/choosing-right-perspective/ //www.standoutbooks.com/avoid-head-hopping/

Do you have one about writing female characters? I mean from a similar standpoint as in examining the ideal woman. Admittedly, it might be harder to find examples of the feminine ideal written by women but I think they do exist. (Also, I suppose feminism has changed the ideal woman to be extremely complicated, but she still does exist)

Ah I see that you seem to have one my bad!

Not at all – the articles below may be of interest on this subject, and I’ve made them more prominent in the article above.

//www.standoutbooks.com/how-a-damn-good-woman/ //www.standoutbooks.com/writing-the-other-gender/ //www.standoutbooks.com/writing-strong-female-characters/

Thank you sir The article is worth understanding.i wanna to ask one thing about it,The masculinty framework which you have discussed in the article Stoicism Bravery etc is drived from which theory of masculinty? Thanks in anticipation

Thanks for your question and kind words. The stereotyped masculine qualities I mentioned are drawn from a general overview of current Western gender theory. As I mentioned, the suggestion isn’t that these qualities are inherently or exclusively masculine, but that there’s a historical precedent of them being used to codify what masculinity is and how it ‘should’ be expressed.

I write my male characters based around the idea that “a real man is someone who stands up and does the right thing regardless of the cost to themselves.” The more likely they are to do this the more masculine they are. The “right thing” is different in every situation. At one point it might be protecting your family from a home invasion and at another point it might be knowing to not get bated into a fight. Being a man in anything I write never means, lack of emotion and always willing to solve a situation by physical force. Sure, those things may be necessary, but they’re not what makes a man a man…it doing those things when, and only when, they’re the “right thing.” And the harder the “right thing” is, if the man steps up and does them, the more of a man he is. Showing emotion, asking for help, NOT being an island, can and often are the “right thing.” I want to put male characters in positions where they have to do those things and if I want them to be real men, I have them stand up and do them. Knowing when to back down from or when to not even get involved in a fight is one clear example I use (when it fits the story) to show a man being a “real man.” Sure, brute forcing your way through a problem head on shows a man being a man and I do have male characters do this, but if it’s not necessary then it takes a real man to know this.

You’ve saved my character, this article is brilliant! I’m trying to write a YA fiction that will attract male readers as well as female ones and give them both strong role models, but my male protag’s motivations have felt so one dimensional. I’ve done more fleshing out of this character while reading this article than I have in years of idly tinkering with this story, thank you!

Very, very much my pleasure, Leslie. Glad it was useful.

Thanks so much for the insightful article. I’m in the planning stages of my fantasy novel and the one male character which was supposed to be an “extra” is turning into the protagonist. This has made me really nervous because of the masculine perspective but I feel much better about placing him in front.

For obvious reasons your content on this page is spot on for various reasons. It steers away from the usual pitfalls and traps most fall into- getting defective alternatives. Thank you!

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How to describe a person vividly: 8 ways

Learning how to describe a person so that the reader forms a vivid impression of your characters is essential for writing compelling stories. Read 8 tips for describing characters so they come to life:

• Post author By Jordan
• 12 Comments on How to describe a person vividly: 8 ways

Knowing how to describe a person so that your reader forms a vivid impression is vital for immersive writing. How can you describe a person precisely and avoid pace-crushing info dumps or eyes, eyes, eyes? Read 8 ways to write better, varied character description:

8 ways to describe people in a story

• Start with character profiles and pin boards
• Focus on details that reveal personality, use detailed descriptive language
• Practice describing people in brief
• Prioritize unique character features
• Describe character actions and gestures
• Find descriptive precise adjectives and fitting comparisons, use descriptive verbs too
• Describe personality via dialogue and voice
• Read writers renowned for good characterization

Let’s dive into each of these ideas for bringing your characters to life:

1. Start with character profiles and pin boards

Before you begin describing people who’ll populate your story, it’s useful to sketch character ideas . It helps if you can answer questions such as:

• What clothing does my character wear?
• What is idiosyncratic or recognizable about how my character moves? What does their body language reveal?
• What would a stranger notice first about this character if they entered a room?
• What is their physical description? What is their eye and hair color, do they have freckles, scars or tattoos?

To build richer descriptions , you could create a pin board on Pinterest before you draft of clothing your character would wear, places they might love to visit. Any visual reference point that captures the essence of their persona.

Another option is to answer character prompts to build a character profile , which you can do in the Now Novel dashboard as you build a downloadable story outline packed with useful story background.

In our monthly writing craft webinars, writing coach Romy Sommer also suggests ‘reverse-casting’ your characters for inspiration:

2. Focus on details that reveal personality

A character’s hair or eye color doesn’t tell the reader much (there are other ways to use eye descriptions to build personality).

When you introduce a character, focus on details that reveal character personality or psychology .

Here’s Dostoevsky describing his character Katerina Ivanova (who has tuberculosis) in  Crime and Punishment (1866):

Describe habitual actions to reveal personality

Katerina Ivanovna had just begun, as she always did at every free moment, walking to and fro in her little room from window to stove and back again, with her arms folded across her chest, talking to herself and coughing. Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (1866), Chapter 7.

Dostoevsky conveys Katerina’s fragile mental health and state clearly. The coughing is a reminder of her life-threatening condition. The fact she continues to pace despite her discomfort suggests her determined, fighting spirit, which we see in further scenes.

You could also use descriptions of a character’s physical appearance to show their personalities, for example: ‘Jenna’s curly hair was bouncy, like her character. bouncy and bubbly.’

Use objects such as possessions left behind to suggest persona

The acclaimed short story author Alice Munro is a master of understated character development.

In her story ‘Free Radicals’, Munro describes a recently-widowed woman named Nita coming to terms with her husband’s death:

She thought carefully, every morning when she first took her seat, of the places where Rich was not. He was not in the smaller bathroom, where his shaving things still were, along with the prescription pills for various troublesome but not serious ailments which he’d refused to throw out. Alice Munro, ‘Free Radicals’, available via The New Yorker

Munro creates the emotional affect of a deceased spouse’s absence by describing objects in detail that remain once they’ve gone.

A precise detail – the prescription pills Rich refused to throw out – describes something about his hoarding character.

Detail the type of behavior characters might exhibit

Another way to describe a character’s personality is to give an example of something they might do.

Further on in the story, Munro describe pranking behavior that was typical of Rich to suggest a playful nature:

He was of course not out on the half-scraped deck, ready to peer jokingly in the window – through which she might, in earlier days, have pretended to be alarmed at the sight of a peeping tom. Munro, ‘Free Radicals’

The details Munro shares combine character behavior (Rich’s joking at the window) and setting detail (pills left behind that he refused to discard) to simultaneously create a sense of character and place . Her details describe the way people inhabit their spaces. This creates Rich as a vivid, lingering, ghostly presence in Nita’s memory.

Make a Strong Start to your Book

Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos.

3. Practice describing people in brief

One thing to avoid in choosing how to describe a character in a story is an info dump.

Info-dumping character description makes your reader go, ‘Oh, the author wants to squeeze in everything they possibly can about their character.’ It alerts your reader to the author’s hand, the wizard behind the curtain conjuring Oz. Such spurious description may lose your reader. 

Instead, pick a specific detail to focus on for an introduction, and bring in other visual or descriptive character details as they become relevant to the story/action.

Examples of how to describe people succinctly

Here are a few examples of character descriptions that are precise and impactful:

Her hair had been long and wavy brown then, natural in curl and colour, as he liked it, and her face bashful and soft – a reflection less of the way she was than of the way he wanted to see her. Alice Munro, ‘Dimensions’, Too Much Happiness (2009), p. 2. Available online .

Note how Munro succinctly creates a sense not only of a character’s appearance but how it is affected by her being in a controlling relationship (which we find out more about as the story continues).

A sense of time and change is bundled with character description as we read a factor that shaped the protagonist Doree’s past appearance, now changed at the story’s start.

Below, Kent Haruf uses simile drawn from two elderly brothers’ farmland world to describe their appearance:

Their faces were red and weather-blasted below their white foreheads, the coarse hair on their round heads grown iron-gray and as stiff as the roached mane of a horse. Kent Haruf, Eventide (2004), p. 3.

Practice describing characters in three lines or less. What can you compare their appearance to? What does it say about them?

4. Prioritize unique character features

A large part of learning how to describe a person believably is showing what makes them unique or distinctive.

The Victorian author Charles Dickens, a master of characterization, described people with vivid, characteristic humor.

Here Dickens describes the schoolmaster Thomas Gradgrind, ‘a man of facts and calculations’ in his novel  Hard Times (1854):

The emphasis was helped by the speaker’s voice, which was inflexible, dry, and dictatorial. The emphasis was helped by the speaker’s hair, which bristled on the skirts of his bald head, a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surface, all covered with knobs, like the crust of a plum pie, as if the head had scarcely warehouse-room for the hard facts stored inside. Charles Dickens, Hard Times (1854), full text on Project Gutenberg .

Although Dickens describes his character’s hair, he uses a striking visual metaphor (‘a plantation of firs’).

This leads quickly back to description showing the schoolmaster’s fact-obsessed nature (‘…as if the head had scarcely warehouse-room for the hard facts stored inside’).

Dickens takes the description of Gradgrind as obstinate and fact-obsessed further:

The speaker’s obstinate carriage, square coat, square legs, square shoulders, – nay, his very neckcloth, trained to take him by the throat with an unaccommodating grasp, like a stubborn fact, as it was, – all helped the emphasis. Dickens, Hard Times

Thus Dickens mines a single, defining detail – Gradgrind’s tyrannical obsession with fact over imagination – for cohesive, comical description.

If Dickens had simply said ‘he was balding and inflexible and would lecture the students about facts’, this would create some sense of character. Dickens instead writes stronger description to show us what the character is like.

Yet the unique details Dickens chooses make Thomas Gradgrind especially vivid.

5. Describe character actions and gestures

Showing characters’ gestures and actions is an important part of bringing characters to life.

The way your characters move , their body language and gestures, is a key part of describing personality, status, or mental state.

In the example from Dostoevsky above, Katerina Ivanovna’s anxious pacing conveys her mounting fear over her husband (who drinks away the little money they have).

In Hard Times , Dickens uses movement and body language to reinforce the impression of Gradgrind as domineering and forceful:

“Girl number twenty,” said Mr. Gradgrind, squarely pointing with his square forefinger, “I don’t know that girl. Who is that girl?” “Sissy Jupe, sir,” explained number twenty, blushing, standing up, and curtseying. Dickens, Hard TImes

Dickens extends Gradgrind’s ‘squareness’ through his pointing. Sissy Jupe’s own body language conveys both her own bashfulness and the fact that Gradgrind wields stern authority over his pupils.

Dickens could simply use dialogue for the schoolmaster’s inquiry. Because of Gradgrind’s gestures, though, we get a clear sense of his dominant, demanding persona.

6. Find descriptive adjectives and fitting comparisons

There are two useful tools for accurate description of characters in stories: Precise, exact adjectives , and comparative language.

Finding adjectives to describe people with positive and negative connotations

Positive adjectives to describe a person include:

• Kindness: Kind, fair, caring, thoughtful, non-judgmental, respectful, loving
• Conscientiousness: Principled, upstanding, disciplined, rigorous, thorough, careful, decisive
• Selflessness: Selfless, giving, generous, dedicated
• Intelligence: Smart, insightful, perceptive, brainy, whip-smart, aware, informed, knowledgeable
• Attractive: Beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, hot, sexy, alluring, glamorous, studly, magnetic, hypnotic, fit [UK slang]

These are just some adjectives to describe a person in positive terms. If you need a good word for description:

• Look up a similar, broader word in a thesaurus.
• Find a word you like and look up its full definition and even etymology to ensure it has the right connotations (latent or associated meanings).

Negative adjectives to describe a person might include:

• Cruelty: Cruel, unkind, nasty, vicious, wicked, evil, despicable, malevolent, vindictive
• Ugliness: Hideous, vile, gross, creepy, fugly, monstrous, disgusting
• Boring: Dull, dreary, insufferable, tedious, insipid, bland
• Non-intelligence: Stupid, thick, ignorant, cretinous, basic

Keep in mind that some words to describe people negatively may have socially-offensive connotations (for example ‘dumb’ in the informal sense to mean stupid comes from ‘mute’).

If in doubt, find the most exact adjective whose connotations cannot be read another way.

Find fitting comparisons and use figurative language describing character

Comparisons are a great tool for writing character descriptions that are vivid. Look at how Dickens describes Gradgrind’s bald head in the example above, for example. Dickens uses metaphor (there is no ‘like’ or ‘as though’ which would make it a simile): ‘[Gradgrind’s hair] bristled on the skirts of his bald head, a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surface.’

Now this isn’t the most fitting description (Gradgrind’s head has nothing to do with trees or a plantation of firs). Yet it conjures a precise, memorable image.

In Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon , a father’s anger is shown using the metaphor of a volcano likely to erupt at an time.

Morrison extends this metaphor beautifully to show how Macon’s (the father) anger affects his daughters:

Solid, rumbling, likely to erupt without prior notice, Macon kept each member of his family awkward with fear. His hatred of his wife glittered and sparked in every word he spoke to her. The disappointment he felt in his daughters sifted down on them like ash, dulling their buttery complexions and choking the lilt out of what should have been girlish voices. Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon (1978), p. 10.

7. Describe personality via dialogue and voice

In deciding how to describe characters in your story, dialogue and voice in narration are two powerful tools to create a persona.

People’s speech describes so much about who they are:

• Tone : Is a person often angry, huffy, disappointed (like Macon in the example by Toni Morrison above)
• Vocabulary: Does the person have an extensive vocabulary suggesting they are educated or well-read or the opposite?
• Diction: Does the character have a marked accent, drawl, lisp or other distinguishing feature of the way they speak?
• Voice: What are the actual timbral qualities of your character’s voice? Is it high, low, or in-between? Loud or soft? Grating or pleasant to the hearer?

What your characters talk about (and what they leave unsaid) describes their persona in addition to visual descriptive details. Tweet This

8. Read writers renowned for their characterization

To learn how to describe a person brilliantly, collect memorable character descriptions . Read authors who are particularly noted for their vivid characters.

Many short story authors ( such as Anton Chekhov ) are good at compressing character detail into shorter passages.

Here, for example, is Chekhov describing his character Mihail Petrovitch Zotov, an old man, through dialogue and action tags in his story ‘The Dependents’:

“What an existence!” he grumbled, rolling crumbs of black bread round in his mouth. “It’s a dog’s life. No tea! And it isn’t as though I were a simple peasant: I’m an artisan and a house-owner. The disgrace!” Anton Chekhov, ‘The Dependents’, available online.

Chekhov combines this portrait of the character’s psychological state with description of his appearance:

Grumbling and talking to himself, Zotov put on his overcoat, which was like a crinoline, and, thrusting his feet into huge clumsy golosh-boots (made in the year 1867 by a bootmaker called Prohoritch), went out into the yard. Chekhov, ‘The Dependents’.

Start keeping a journal where you collect character descriptions that strike you as effective. This can become a useful source of inspiration to page through when you are sketching out your own characters.

Before concluding, let’s briefly take a look at how to detail character if you are writing in the first person. So far, we have looked at how to describe when you are writing in the third person point of view. First person description examples will need to be slightly different as you don’t have access to the omniscient narrator device. 

There are various ways to do so, however, and effectively. For example another character could comment on the appearance of the first-person character. Here are some ways:

‘John looked at me with a shocked expression and asked why I had black dots under my eyes.’

‘I glanced into the mirror, and noticed my mascara had smudged, leaving a trail of black dots under each eye.’

Ready to flesh out your characters and get feedback on character descriptions? Start outlining characters , and get constructive feedback from the Now Novel community when you’re ready to revise.

Now Novel is a great platform for all writers to check out – especially for plotting, brainstorming, characterisation and even world building. Their customer service is top notch and I highly recommend NN!— MJ

Related Posts:

• How to describe hands: 6 ways to make characters real
• How to describe setting: 6 ways to bring setting to life
• How to start a novel in third person: 7 tips
• Tags character description , description writing , how to describe a person

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

12 replies on “How to describe a person vividly: 8 ways”

Great post 🙂 Thanks for the tips!

Thanks, Amy! It’s a pleasure. Thanks for reading.

My name is Muhammad saqlain mushtaq I am from pakistan

Hi Muhammad, welcome to our blog. Let me know if you have any questions about character description (or anything else writing related) and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Thanks for very descriptive and inspiring inputs. Impressive and very helpful. This is helpful not only for me but also for everyone. My salute .

Hi Alex, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for reading our blog.

Hi😊 It’s your newest fan here. Thanks Jordan😊

Hi Glajol, I’m glad you’re a fan of our blog. Thank you for reading and saying hi.

I feel like everything you wrote was meant for me because I’m having alot of trouble describing my characters,so thanks alot

Hi Kaitlyn, I’m so glad to hear that. Hope your story goes well further.

Jordan- Wow! This information on building vivid characters is exactly what I was looking for. I am in the early stage of my writing career and struggling with describing my scene or setting and characters. Thank you for providing this resource. This information is great!

Dear Melika, Thanks so much for your comments! So pleased to hear them. All the very best with your writing.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pin It on Pinterest

• Subscription Box
• Shop by Category
• Shop Subscription Boxes
• Shop Past Boxes
• Writing Passports
• Editorial Services
• The Scribbler Blog
• Giving Back

New User? Register Now

• Register Now

Beyond Tall, Dark, and Handsome: How to Describe Your Characters

• May 26, 2021

The ability to describe is the key to great storytelling, but when it comes to depicting characters, our first impulse is often to go straight to the basics (height, hair color, clothing) and leave it at that. It’s not that those descriptions are bad, it’s just that they provide surface-level characterization rather than truly   characterizing .

Dwight Swain, in his book   Creating Characters , says, “When your wife says a woman is ‘loud and pushy,’ she defines her far more sharply for story purposes than any description of blue eyes, blonde hair, or pug nose.”

The reason “loud and pushy” is meaningful is because it tells us what is going on inside the character, not just what appears on the outside. And the description tells us not only what the woman is like, but reveals something about the wife who characterizes her so.

Which means when you describe your characters, your descriptions are deeply tied to who is doing the describing. A rambunctious kindergartener will be represented quite differently by a patient grade-school teacher than a cranky principal.

And this is true whether you’re writing a story narrated in first or third-person, because even in third-person we see the world through that character’s eyes.

Remember that the goal in creative writing isn’t to give your readers information, but to give them an experience. Here are some tips that will help you tap into what is significant in your characters so that you can evoke feelings in your readers and make the characters in your story come to life.

Tip 1: Choose a dominant impression

Take inventory of the traits of the character you’d like to describe. Are they lazy, sexy, insecure, irritable? Choose qualities that are particularly noteworthy about the character and actually relate to your story. Think about what the character is   like , as much as what they look like. Keep in mind that the earlier you get to these qualities in relation to the character’s appearance in the story, the better. 

In J. Ryan Stradal’s   Kitchens of the Great Midwest , the protagonist has been lamenting his sorry luck with women. On page four, through a third-person narrator, we get more of the character’s perception of himself:

“By this time, he was twenty-eight, growing a pale hairy inner tube around his waist, and already going bald.”

This isn’t an objective description. Stradal conveys the insecurities of the character through the way the character chooses to describe himself.

Tip 2: Convey the attitude of the describer

Pin down the current outlook or perspective of the character doing the describing. Zero in on their state of mind (lonely, curious, offended, prone-to-exaggeration, etc.) at this exact moment in the story. Now write your description through the filter of the consciousness of the character who is doing the describing. 

The male point-of-view character in Grace Paley’s short story “The Contest” is a bit of a player. Here’s how he describes his latest kind-of girlfriend:

“A medium girl, size twelve, a clay pot with handles—she could be grasped.”

Clay pot? Grasping? There’s one thing on this character’s mind and it isn’t a chaste afternoon at an ice cream social. In one short sentence we have insight into his sensibilities about women.

Tip 3: Lean into diction

Now’s the time to get picky with your word choices. The trick here is to pin down not only your character’s perception of other characters, but which words will best convey them. Think about how your character might verbalize the description, even if they aren’t speaking aloud. Choose words from their lexicon that will reveal them as a particular person.

Mattie Ross, the formal-speaking protagonist in Charles Portis’   True Grit , uses words like “beast” and “morn” in describing her father on his horse:

“He was a handsome sight and in my memory’s eye I can still see him mounted up there on Judy in his brown woolen coat and black Sunday hat and the both of them, man and beast, blowing little clouds of steam on that frosty morn.”

Portis could have left out the parenthetical “man and beast,” and of course he could have had Mattie say “morning.” But his attention to the particulars of diction allowed him to characterize this unforgettable fourteen-year-old girl.

Tip 4: Go for gesture or bodily movement

If you tend to use static descriptions when you describe your characters, think about putting them in motion so that the reader can see them doing something. Action adds another dimension to your descriptions. It allows you to take physical traits, which may be general, and incorporate them into specific behaviors.

In “The Lunch Lady and Her Three-Headed Dogs,” essayist Sonya Huber writes about her conflicted relationship with her upper arms and describes them like this:

“I raise my arms to write on the chalkboard, and the skin draped over bone and muscle swings in contrapuntal melody.”

Huber isn’t just present in her classroom setting, she’s active in it. And the boldness of putting that upper arm skin in motion takes the visual from good to great.

Tip 5: Try something figurative

This is a tricky one because a bad metaphor or simile can be cringe-worthy. But a good one will delight your reader. A simple comparison can clarify your image, allowing the reader to think,   Ah, I know exactly what you mean .

Paulette Jiles skillfully uses metaphor in her novel   News of the World   during a scene in which kindly Captain Kidd is first assessing the young girl who is to be his charge:

“Her eyes were blue and her skin that odd bright color that occurs when fair skin has been burned and weathered by the sun. She had no more expression than an egg.”

When you describe your characters, with just a little extra work, you might be surprised at how deeply you can get into the minds of your story people, and how much better your reader will connect to them. More than plot, it’s your characters who are going to sweep your readers away into the world of your story.

Written by  Kim Lozano

Kim Lozano is an editor and creative writing coach from St. Louis. Her work has been published in The Iowa Review North American Review DIY MFA CRAFT and many other publications. You can find out more about her classes and the writing resources she offers at kimlozano.com.

• Author Interviews
• Contest Winners
• Debut Author Series
• Entertainment
• Inspiration
• Literary Agents
• Sponsored Posts
• Worldbuilding
• Writing Community
• Writing Tips

• Alpha Readers
• Debut Author
• Finding Time to Write
• Great Gatsby
• Indie Writer
• Microfiction
• Publishing Rights
• Social Media
• Word Choices

YOUR CART (0)

You don't have any items in your cart.

Special instructions for seller

Add a coupon.

What are you looking for?

Popular Searches:  Past Boxes   Passports   Gift Cards  

Kindlepreneur

Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors

Home / Book Writing / How to Write Amazing Character Descriptions (with Examples)

How to Write Amazing Character Descriptions (with Examples)

A good character description is walking a fine line between too much and too little information. Not only that, it's how you deliver the information to the reader that can make or break a good description. So whether you already have a vivid picture of your characters in mind or you don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. Read on to explore character description.

• What is a Good Character Description?
• Descriptions for Character Profiles
• Descriptions in Prose
• Character Description Examples
• Tips for Writing Character Descriptions for Profiles

Table of contents

• Description in Prose
• 1. Start With a List
• 2. Edit it Down
• 3. Get Creative With Surroundings and Movement
• 4. What Is and What Isn't
• 5. Adjectives Can Help or Hinder
• 6. Practice Makes Perfect
• 7. Description Can Help Reveal the Narrator

A good character description isn't just about describing how a given character looks. It's also about describing the character through the world around them and through their actions. When these factors come together, you can create a vivid description that not only tells the reader a lot about your character's personality but also sparks the reader's imagination. That, after all, is what reading is all about.

And while we'll mostly be discussing character description in prose, we'll also be discussing how character description is important when writing your character profiles. Since character profiles are best utilized before you write your novel, we'll start there.

Creating a character profile can help you when it comes time to write. It can ensure that you know your major characters intimately before you start writing. These profiles are about more than just character description, but for the purposes of this article, we'll focus on the physical attributes, as they're the building blocks for writing descriptive prose.

Think of a profile as a character sketch. You're not trying to get every single detail down, as it's always good to leave room for spontaneity when you're writing your novel . But when it comes to the basics of how the character looks, it can help to nail down the details.

This includes things like eye color, facial expression, height, weight, build, hair color, skin color, any disfigurements or scars, and things like tattoos or birthmarks. This should also include clothing and any other accessories, such as hats, watches, necklaces, and piercings.

You don't have to get fancy with the profile. Just get the information down so you can refer to it later. If you want to go the extra mile, you can write down some varying descriptions of your character as if you're writing the novel. It's often easiest to focus on one physical attribute at a time until you're comfortable. These practice descriptions can lend inspiration when you start writing in earnest.

Format Beautiful Professional Books

Easy to use, and and full of amazing features, you can quickly turn your book into a professional book.

Description in your book is a bit different than in your profile. A good description can give the reader a glimpse at the character's personality traits as well as their appearance. There are many different ways to write a great character description, but they all have one thing in common: they're creative and anything but boilerplate.

Many new writers opt for the list-style of description, thinking that less is more. They often look like this:

“He had piercing green eyes, sandy blond hair, and stood a stocky and solid six-foot-two. He had a slight limp and the musculature of a man who works hard for his living.”

While this may be fine for a minor character, it falls a little flat for a major character that you want the audience to know intimately. So for ideas on how to write character descriptions, let's look at some examples from some masters of the craft.

“His present dog was a huge white brute, a mountain dog from the South. He had named it Halina, after his second wife, with whom it shared some personality traits. . . It weighed almost as much as he did and its coat was matted and filthy; it lifted its massive head and watched him with lunatic eyes.”

This description, from Dave Hutchinson's Europe in Autumn , is a great example of how to describe physical appearance. Neither the man nor his dog is a major character in the story, but the description tells you a little about the K9 and its owner in a few concise sentences.

“He did not look like anything special at all.”

This one-sentence description in Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated is an excellent example of “less is more.”

“When he did appear his eyes were as brown as I remembered, pupils flecked with gold like beach pebbles.”

This description is from Sub Rosa by Amber Dawn. It's a compelling use of simile to create a picture of a character's appearance in the reader's mind. Note that she doesn't use tired and worn-out similes such as “eyes as blue as the summer sky” or “hair as red as autumn leaves. Getting creative with figurative language can work out very well.

“He smiled understandingly — much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced — or seemed to face — the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor.”

This description, from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, focuses on the character's actions to tell the reader about him. Or, rather, on a single action: a smile. At the same time, the writer is telling the reader something about the POV character, giving insights into how the narrator sees the character while describing him.

Tips for Writing Character Descriptions in Prose

Most writing teachers and authors will tell you that if you want to write, you need to read. And the descriptions above should be shining examples of why that is sage advice. Reading how the authors you love write character description is key. But I've included some tips you can use when it comes time to write your own masterpiece!

This is where the character profile comes in handy. Not only does it keep you on track (there's nothing worse than realizing you switched a character's eye color halfway through a book) but it also allows you to keep a picture of your character fresh in your mind's eye.

So keep a list handy. Even if it's just the basics, like “black hair” or “brown eyes” and the like, it helps.

One of the most oft-quoted pieces of advice from Strunk & White's The Elements of Style is “Omit needless words.” For writers old and new, this advice is sound indeed for writing character descriptions. We've all read a book where the description of a character goes on for pages and pages and we find ourselves asking, “When will we get back to the story?”

This is something to avoid at all costs. So edit your descriptions down as much as possible. Don't use flowery language for its own sake. Instead, try to get your point across to the reader in as concise a manner as possible. You don't have to get into a character's backstory with the description if it will interrupt the flow of the story.

Remember that you want to create a vivid character in the reader's mind, but that doesn't mean that you want to take all of their imagination out of it. Leave something for the reader to interpret, if at all possible.

Description isn't all about a character's physicality. It's also about how the character interacts with the world around them. The way a man sits on a couch or a woman drives a car or a child eats an ice cream cone can all add to the character's description. A sentence about what a couple does while waiting in line at the movies can tell the reader more than a paragraph of straight description.

The way a character walks, the way they gesture when they talk, the way they squint when they're thinking. These are all great ways to add to a character's vividness and depth through description.

Describing a person, fictional or otherwise, can be done by looking at what is there and what isn't there. In fact, sharing what isn't there — what's missing — can be a great way of describing a person. As a writer, this can also help you develop your craft and keep your prose fresh. Whether this is a missing limb, a shirt pocket that has been torn off, or the lack of seeming intelligence on a vacant face, the absence of things can say a lot about a character.

As a rule in fiction, it's best to limit your use of adverbs. And the use of adjectives in character descriptions is no exception. Like adverbs, adjectives can become a crutch that holds back more concise and creative writing. This is not to say that you shouldn't use them on occasion. Sometimes an adjective is just the right kind of word for character description. Just keep in mind that overusing them can lead to reader fatigue and overly flowery language.

This should go without saying, but practicing your description will go a long way to becoming a better writer. When you consciously sit down to write a compelling character description, you can really think about what you want to say and how best to say it.

To do this, choose a character archetype and flesh that archetype out into a full-fledged person through descriptive language. Try writing several descriptions of the same character type, focusing on a few different tributes each time. You can try writing one where you focus on appearance. One on movement. One on how she/he interacts with the world around them. One on clothing. And one on what's missing (if anything). These practices can help you get your head around how best to describe a character in any given situation.

Description can also tell the reader about the POV character or narrator. And if your narrator is also your protagonist, this can be very important. This is because, short of having your character stand in front of a mirror and describe herself, there aren't many easy ways to describe your POV character without taking the reader out of the story. So, a great way to enlighten the reader is to use the way your narrator sees other characters. This can often be in the form of physical comparisons that the narrator makes or insights that they glean from watching/interacting with another character.

Not only does this add to the main character's believability, but it also provides an opportunity for character development as the story progresses. Perhaps your POV character has a bad habit of comparing himself to others he learns to break. Or perhaps he focuses too much on physical attributes to the detriment of seeing who other characters really are.

Whether you're writing a short story , novella, or a 1,000-page tome, you'll want to get familiar with character descriptions. The best way to start this is with a character profile. This will help you with your character analysis, which is great for fleshing out your main character, villain, and even secondary characters that need brief but compelling descriptions.

Once you have the basics of your character down, you can start experimenting with description. By focusing on one major character trait at first, you can develop your own style of description. Then you can incorporate more attributes, sharing only a couple at a time as your novel progresses.

Be concise, creative, and don't forget to look for what is and what isn't there. Use movement, interactions, and gestures to make vivid and crisp character descriptions. 

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

Related Posts

How to write an adventure story, parts of a book [from cover to cover], how to write a whodunit, sell more books on amazon, amazon kindle rankings e-book.

Learn how to rank your Kindle book #1 on Amazon with our collection of time-tested tips and tricks.

Join the community

Join 111,585 other authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them make more money selling books.

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph About a Person (With Examples)

4-minute read

• 7th January 2023

Describing a person or character is difficult for even the most successful authors. It requires a balance of words to make sure they shine through without the language being too heavy. In this article, we’ll look at how to write a descriptive paragraph about a person, share some examples, and talk about different strategies.

1.   Brainstorm Your Ideas

Brainstorming is crucial to any writing process. It’s the process in which you think of ideas for what you’d like to write about. In this case, you’re writing a descriptive paragraph about a person. It’s important to use adjectives to describe the features or characteristics you want to focus on.

One way to come up with ideas for a descriptive paragraph about a person is to go through the five senses. Use the questions below to get some ideas for what you want to highlight about your person.

Appeal to your reader’s senses – smell, taste, sound, sight, and touch

Smell: How does the person smell? Do they wear perfume? Are they doing an activity that would make them have a certain smell?

Taste: Do you associate a certain food with this person? Does it make you think of a specific taste? Can you taste something due to a certain smell they have?

Sound: Do they have a unique voice or laugh? Are they doing an activity that has distinctive sounds?

Sight: What prominent features do they have? For example, think about their dressing style, their smile, or their surroundings. What do you see them doing in your mind when you see a photo of them? What memories do you have of this person? Does this person remind you of something or someone?

Touch: What textures do you see? For example, imagine their skin or clothing. How does it feel if you hug them?

2.   Begin With a Short and Snappy Sentence

Like with any type of writing, you want to hook your reader so that they want to continue reading. In this case, you can use a topic sentence, if appropriate, to introduce your reader to the person. For example:

Or, if you want to be more creative, you can reel them in with a short and snappy sentence about this person. This is called a writing hook . This sentence should focus on a stand-out detail or characteristic about the person you’re describing. For example:

3.   Describe the Person

Now, this is the hard part. But, if you’ve brainstormed plenty of ideas and know which ones you want to focus on, it will be easier. Let’s look at some examples to get a better idea of how to write a descriptive paragraph about a person using the prompt “describe a person you admire.”

Comments: This paragraph is pretty typical of most students. It gives lots of visual details of the person and uses a simile or two (“ Her eyes are like the color of honey” and “Her smile shines like the sun” ). While this strategy gets the job done, it’s not very exciting to read. In fact, it can be quite boring!

Let’s look at how we can rewrite this to make it more exciting.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Comments: In this example, we focused on one defining characteristic of the person we are describing — her laugh. This strategy places more focus on the person you’re describing, rather than the adjectives you use to describe them.

4.   Edit and Revise

After you write your descriptive paragraph, be sure to read it over. Read it out loud. Read it in a funny voice. Doing this will help you to hear the words and identify which parts do not work or sound awkward.

5.   General Tips for Descriptive Writing

●  Avoid using too many descriptive words.

●  Remember to show the reader, not tell.

●  Appeal to the reader’s five senses – smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound.

●  Focus on a striking or defining characteristic.

●  Use contrasting details from other people or surroundings for emphasis.

●  Use literary devices (metaphors, similes etc.) sparingly and with intention.

●  Use a hook to reel your reader in.

●  Use a variety of short and long sentences.

●  Practice creative writing exercises to improve your descriptive writing skills.

●  Always edit and revise your writing.

If you need more help with writing a descriptive paragraph or essay , send your work to us! Our experts will proofread your first 500 words for free !

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

3-minute read

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

5-minute read

Six Product Description Generator Tools for Your Product Copy

Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...

What Is a Content Editor?

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Tricks for Describing a Character’s Appearance (With Examples)

Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult. There’s a lot that goes into it, and to make matters worse, you only have one chance to give readers a good (and memorable) first impression of that character. One of the ways you can do this is by giving them a distinct appearance, but many writers tend to fall short of describing appearance well. 

We’ve all heard the same cookie-cutter descriptions for characters a million times before. Golden hair, a heart-shaped face, a chiseled body, piercing eyes, yadda yadda… The problem with these descriptions is that they’re bland, they’re cliché, and they don’t really help your characters stand out. 

However, if you break from clichés, you can create uniquely vivid descriptions that will give your characters life. There are endless ways you can describe characters, and I’m not going to walk you through how I would describe every single possible human feature (or humanoid, animal, alien, etc). For one thing, that would take too long, but for another thing, descriptions are based on more than just the character’s physical appearance—their personality plays a part too. 

Tips for Describing a Character’s Appearance in a Story

There are a number of things to keep in mind when describing a character’s appearance. Here are just a few general tips before we dive into some more specific techniques for describing different parts of a character’s appearance. 

Don’t Make Everyone a Supermodel

This is probably one of the most (if not the most) important things to remember when describing a character. You should never objectively describe your characters as flawless. Humans aren’t perfect, so if you describe your characters like perfect little supermodels, they just won’t feel authentic. Worse still, they won’t stand out from the protagonists of every single young adult novel out there. You need to make them distinct, and to do that, you need to give your characters flaws . And I mean real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws. 

Don’t Dump Everything Out at Once

Describing your characters is important, but you need to be able to keep it concise. No one wants to read a 7-page summary of every detail of a character’s appearance. You can go in-depth, sure, but don’t put your readers through a word-avalanche just for them to figure out what the character looks like. 

Remember, you can reveal more about the characters over time. When you introduce a character for the first time, you should focus on the things a person would naturally notice first, such as their face, hair, clothing, voice, and general energy. You can further elaborate on their appearance later when it is relevant, and describe their gait, posture, temperament, and more. 

There is one exception here I want to highlight. If you are telling a story from the first-person perspective, and you want to illustrate a character’s obsession with another person, hyper-fixating on the details can be a good way to show this. It can make the character seem creepy , and it can foreshadow the protagonist doing something bad to the person they are obsessing over. 

Don’t Sell Them Short

Opposite to the point above, you shouldn’t make your introductions too short. To some extent, it can be good to leave some parts of the character’s appearance up to the reader’s imagination. However, you should give them something to help them visualize the characters in the beginning. Otherwise, if you later reveal that the character has dark hair, all the readers that imagined them with light hair might have a difficult time accepting that. 

Descriptions are important, and they help to include a reader in the narrative. Like a well-described setting, vivid characters can help immerse readers into the world and make them part of the story. 

Use Their Personality

A character’s personality can have a large impact on how they are perceived, and therefore should alter the words you use to describe them. Two characters might have similar features, but based on their personality, you would describe them differently. 

For example, two characters might both be tall, but one would be described as “awkward and long” while the other is “towering.” In this case, the characters’ levels of confidence impact how they are perceived. For another example, think about two characters who both have light skin. You could describe one as looking like “porcelain” and describe the other one as “pasty,” depending on their other traits. Those two descriptions create very different perceptions from each other.   

Use the Point of View

If the character in question is being described from the first-person perspective of another character, then the protagonist’s opinions should sneak into the description. Your protagonist probably isn’t going to objectively evaluate the other person—they’re likely to rely on stereotypes, biases, and things they have heard from others about the character they’re looking at. Rely on that to make the description fit into the story more organically. 

Here are some examples: 

• She had no right to have such a disarming smile.
• His expression was empty—just like his head.
• His dark, tangled hair reminded me of a swamp.
• She didn’t even wear any makeup! But even more frustratingly, she didn’t really need it.
• They looked divine… like I wasn’t even worthy to look upon them. 
• He looked like the type of person to stare at his own reflection before getting in the shower. 
• They were short and stocky, but they could still probably beat me in a fight. 

Remember, your protagonist can make speculative judgments about the character they’re looking at. You’re telling the story as they experience it, so their judgments are part of the narrative!

“…he was greeted by the barista—a young teen who had not yet matured enough to be handsome. Once his soft cheeks hollowed and his jaw squared, and the childish optimism fled his eyes, then he would have the chance to smolder. That crooked smile would win over many hearts in the blink of an eye, but not just yet.”  – excerpt from a draft

Keep the Description Balanced

A good rule of thumb when describing characters (or anything else really) is to create a balance of concrete details and flowery imagery. You should alternate between those two, as well as general and more specific details, to make the description flow more naturally, and to make it more interesting to read. 

Imagine reading a description like: 

“His hair was red and curly. His eyes were large and green. He had freckles, but they weren’t that noticeable. He was tall but very thin.” 

That’s so dry, and it’s not fun to read. Compare that to a description that varies how the information is provided:

“His hair was like a massive red bush surrounding two wide, green eyes. Freckles faintly dotted his cheeks, but they were only really visible in the sunshine. His long, lanky body and large hair made him look a bit like a big red lollipop—which was only heightened by his tendency to blush often.”

Wasn’t that a lot more fun to read? Not only does it make the character description more interesting, but it also influences a reader’s perception of what the character is like. Certain words help readers to gauge what kind of person this character is. The first example gives no indication of personality, but the second one uses words like “sunshine” and “lollipop” to associate the character with lively, happy things. Additionally, using words like “lanky” and “blush” suggests that the character is awkward or shy, saving you the time of having to spell that out for readers. 

Give them Something Special

One helpful thing that I’ve learned over the years is that you should give your main character some distinctive feature that sets them apart from the other characters around them. Diverse descriptions are great, but it never hurts to make your main character a little more unique. This could be something like a distinctive scar, a tattoo, a weird eye color, a patch of silver or white hair, a missing or extra finger, a birthmark, or something else along those lines. That can make them stand out more, and it can be a really clear indicator that they are special. 

Although your story won’t suffer if you don’t give your main character a distinct feature like this, it is usually a good bet—especially if you think your story could ever conceivably be adapted into a visual medium, like a comic, animation, or film. That character could become iconic. People may just see your character somewhere and that alone could motivate them to read or watch the whole story. As another plus, it could give you a cool opportunity for your story’s cover. 

How to Describe a Character’s Face

When describing a character’s face, the easiest way to do that is to first break the face down into its essential parts: the eyes, the mouth, the nose, and the facial structure.

So let’s start with the eyes since they are the focal point of the face. Stay away from the descriptions you’ve heard a million times, like “piercing” or “doe-eyed.” The eyes are the window to the soul, and they can tell a reader a lot about a character. Instead of “piercing,” try “icy” or “sharp,” and instead of “doe-eyed,” try “wide,” “innocent,” or “full of wonder/awe.” The goal is to describe the character in a unique way to make it more interesting to read, while still creating a vivid image of that character. 

You can describe the shape, color, and depth of a character’s eyes, but you should be careful not to rely on insensitive generalizations. For example, instead of “Asian” eyes, use “almond-shaped” or “mono-lid.” Not all Asian people have mono-lids, so simply using the word “Asian” to describe the character’s eyes doesn’t actually narrow down what they look like. 

That goes for all the other features of the face, too. Though it is true that some features are more prominent in certain races, nothing is inherent. You shouldn’t rely on the character’s race or ethnic background alone to be the basis of your description. Saying that a character is Japanese or Jamaican without giving other details doesn’t do any more for the character’s description than saying they are European or white. Doing this only encourages your readers to stereotype your characters, even if that wasn’t your intention. 

With that said, don’t get too caught up in describing every detail of a character’s face. Give the most important information, such as the eyes, face shape, scars, and other notable details or imperfections, then move on. If a character has an exaggerated feature, such as a large nose or bushy eyebrows, then that’s important to mention too.

How to Describe a Character’s Hair

There are lots of different types of hair colors, textures, thicknesses, and shines, so try not to make all your characters have the same kind of hair—unless they’re related or part of a small, isolated community, of course. Hair can be curly and blond, sleek and black, coily and auburn, and even dyed wild colors. Making your characters’ hair more distinct will make them easier for readers to visualize, especially if you introduce many characters at one time. 

Beyond the basics, you can use words to describe a character’s hair that reflects who they are as a person. For example, describing a character’s hair as springy or bouncy could indicate the character is upbeat and moves excitedly. Slick, greasy, or wispy hair could suggest an untrustworthy or sneaky character. The words you use to describe the character’s hair will be subliminally applied to the character themself. 

How to Describe a Character’s Clothes

Clothing is an important element of self-expression, and what your character decides to wear can reflect a lot about them. However, unlike with the character’s face, you should not spend a lot of time describing their outfit. For one thing, they’re probably going to change their outfit at some point in the story—likely more than once. Secondly, readers just won’t care unless you give them a good reason to. 

If you want to describe what your character is wearing, make sure to keep it short. If it’s just a simple way of helping the reader visualize the character’s style, present the information objectively and in only a paragraph or two, such as: 

“She wore short-shorts and a denim jacket, and pink thigh-high socks that she had to keep pulling up because they always slipped down to her knees. Her tennis-shoes were white and bulky, as was the belt bag she wore off to one side. This free, laidback style was completed by the two messy buns her faded purple hair was pulled up into.”

However, there are a few times in which you can use clothing to explore more complex ideas in the story. For example:

• An article of clothing might have special significance to a character. It could have been handed down from a relative, it could be a favorite shirt, or it could be meaningful in other ways. That would merit drawing more attention to it. 
• An article of clothing might have special significance to the story. This could be a type of ceremonial outfit, a piece of magical armor, or something along those lines. That would require a more thorough in-depth description of the item. 
• An article of clothing may be unfamiliar to most of your readers, such as a specific cultural outfit or an unusual costume, in which case a descriptive explanation could help illustrate what it looks like. 
• A particular outfit could draw attention to a character, such as an attractive or surprising outfit, that could merit taking more time to describe it (and explain why it garners the character extra attention). 

How to Describe a Character’s Body

Describing a character’s body is fairly straightforward. Like with many other aspects of a character’s appearance, there are a few methods you can use to approach describing their body. You could take the objective approach, which would do just fine in most cases, or you could toy with your readers’ perceptions. 

I’ll start out with a word of caution. Too many times, I’ve seen unrealistic descriptions of characters’ bodies. Whether it’s a waist that’s impossibly thin or muscles like a bodybuilder on a teenager, people tend to push the boundaries of what the human body is even capable of. You need to keep your characters within the limits of what’s actually possible, unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise (genetically modified supersoldier, not actually human at all, etc). 

Now, as with some other aspects of the character’s appearance, you can get away with a simple, objective description, like “tall and muscular” or “short and curvy.” Honestly, that’s usually all you’ll need to do. However, bodies are commonly associated with physical attractiveness, and if attraction is the point of your description, you need to take a different approach. 

Writing about attraction is tough (which is why I go more in-depth about how to write about attraction in my other article, Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love ). You’ll want to highlight the positives of the character’s body—the elements of them that have caught your protagonist’s attention. Whether it’s biceps, legs, or a large chest, you’ll want to describe it in detail, as well as highlight what it is about them that has the protagonist so interested. Here’s an example:

“He was tall and sturdy, and even in this relaxed environment, his pose held power. The way his shirt stretched taut around his shoulders when he shifted snagged and held my attention—I couldn’t help but stare. Did he pick that shirt on purpose? He had to know the thin fabric clung close to his body, showing off every rippling muscle underneath…” 

How to Describe a Character’s Posture and Body Language

Body language is an often overlooked element of describing a character, but you should give it some thought even if you don’t intend to draw a lot of attention to it in the story. How does your character stand? How do they emote? Do they gesture when they speak? Do they fidget? Try to envision what they look like when they are waiting, actively engaged in a passionate conversation, and when they are uncomfortable. 

People move in different ways, even if they aren’t thinking about it. Come up with a list of movements and behaviors that are typical for the character, and utilize those movements to make dull scenes and conversations more interesting. Instead of just dialogue, you can give readers more to imagine as your character shifts their weight, runs their hand through their hair, or twists the hem of their shirt. This can also help to establish the tone of the conversation.  

A person’s body, personality, and mood will all influence how they move. If you establish a baseline for how the character stands and behaves when they are in a neutral mindset, this will help you keep them consistent over time by casually mentioning their body language throughout the story. As a bonus, it can also help you tip readers off if you want them to notice that something is bothering the character. If you have established that a character is pretty relaxed in most situations, readers will instantly notice if they exhibit anxious body language even if you don’t draw a lot of attention to it. 

How to Describe an Attractive Character

Describing an attractive character isn’t all that different from describing any other character. You still shouldn’t make them flawless, but you can put off mentioning their more negative qualities until later—especially if another character is looking at them through rose-colored glasses . 

One recommendation that I have for describing a character who is supposed to be extremely attractive is to keep their description vague. Beauty is subjective, so each reader is going to have a different idea of what “attractive” means. By all means, describe the basics of their appearance, such as hair color, eye color, skin tone, and whatnot, but don’t dive deep into the shape of their features. This will leave a little bit up to the reader’s imagination, and they will fill in the gaps in the character’s description with the traits that they find most attractive. 

Another helpful tip is to utilize the reactions of background characters to establish that the character is, in fact, attractive. Other people staring at the character or nudging and whispering to each other about them would help your reader understand that the character is good-looking, and alter their mental image of them accordingly. 

The Importance of Creating Vivid Visual Descriptions for your Characters

Creating vivid visual descriptions for your characters is incredibly important for a number of reasons. For one thing, being able to imagine the characters will help draw your readers into the story and immerse them in the world. Additionally, by giving your characters more distinct appearances, they will stand out more from each other, and from characters in other stories. The more complex and interesting the character, the more likely they are to stick in a reader’s mind for years after they finish reading the story. 

Good luck with writing your descriptions! I know you’ll write something great.

The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus , a companion to The Emotion Thesaurus , releases May 13th.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Physical Feature Entry: Muscular Build

August 17, 2013 by BECCA PUGLISI

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel ‘list-like’, while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight.

One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help ‘tell the story’ about who your character is and what they’ve been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character’s physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.  

Descriptors : brawny, beefy, built, stacked, burly, hulking, robust, powerful…

Muscular individuals go beyond toned muscle structure and verge into defined, well built curves often visible through clothing. Muscles strain against fabric at the forearms, biceps and chest. Calves are bulkier than normal, the back broadened with muscle layers and a neck may appear wider at the base…

Things Muscles Do:  

• Flex : jump, bulge, ripple, jerk, strain, swell, rise, balloon
• Harden: tense, firm, freeze, set, strengthen, knot, bunch

Key Emotions and Related Muscle Movements:  

• Anger: when angry or frustrated, muscles tense in aggression. The body naturally takes up more space, creating a bigger target and sending a message to opponents that one should not be messed with.
• Fear: When experiencing fear, a person feels the desire to shrink and make oneself less of a target, aligning…

Simile and Metaphor Help:

•  Metallica came on and Randy began flexing his bulky chest muscles to the beat. Valerie and I roared; they jittered like twin bowls of Jello left on the counter during an earthquake…

Clichés to Avoid : muscles the size of beach balls, a muscle-bound body builder with no brains…

Describe your character’s features in a way that reveals more than just a physical description. Show what he looks like while also reinforcing his personality and emotional state, thereby doing more with less.

Need concrete examples of how to describe your character in a compelling, magnetic way? Good news!  This thesaurus has been integrated into our online library at  One Stop For Writers . There, you can find help with  metaphors and similes , as well as the best ways to  describe your character using movement.  The entire Physical Feature collection is cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you’re interested in seeing a  free  sampling of the updated Physical Feature Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers —a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

March 14, 2021 at 3:17 pm

7 years ago? Wow i sure am late but these really helped my writing-thanks!

August 19, 2013 at 11:13 am

Your idea of “showcasing” some details was great. The picture of those brawny guys wasn’t bad either!

August 18, 2013 at 10:14 am

This is awesome. I love the idea of dissecting how to depict character qualities. So glad I discovered your site!

August 17, 2013 at 12:48 pm

Great stuff, as usual. And nice photo with my morning coffee. 😉

August 17, 2013 at 12:47 pm

Thank you! I have a muscular love interest and have been working on describing him in non-traditional ways. The twin bowls of jello made me laugh:D

August 17, 2013 at 9:17 am

A little beefcake with the morning coffee. 😀 As always, Angela, your posts are a delight.

August 17, 2013 at 8:16 am

Great descriptors. Really big guys spend a lot of time maintaining it, so their gym time would almost have to play a part in any story. 😀

• Bookfox Academy (All Courses)
• Write Your Best Novel
• How to Write a Splendid Sentence
• Two Weeks to Your Best Children’s Book
• Revision Genius
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing Dialogue
• Your First Bestseller
• Master Your Writing Habits
• Writing Techniques to Transform Your Fiction
• Triangle Method of Character Development
• Children’s Book Editing
• Copy Editing
• Novel Editing
• Short Story Editing
• General Books
• Children’s Books

The Gigantic List of Character Descriptions (70+ examples)

The vast majority of character descriptions are simply lazy.

They recycle typical ideas about hair, eye color, and build, giving you more information about the character’s fitting for a dress or suit than the type of information you need to know them intimately.

The first thing you should do when describing a character is to pick a category that isn’t so overused. Such as trying to describe: 

Describing your character in an innovative way will help retain the reader’s interest. You want your reader to be asking questions about this character, to not only learn something about them but to create mystery. What made them like this? How long have they been this way? Is there someone currently after them or is this paranoia because of a past experience?  Questions like these are what keeps the reader reading. 

Not only physical descriptions are needed. Consider: “How is this person viewed by another character?” Do they seem dangerous, alluring, secretive, suspicious? The way another character views someone else gives insight about them as well. Are they attracted? Repulsed? Curious? 

Another thing to take notice of is the type of person they are, despite their appearance.

• How do they think?
• What do they feel?
• How do they view/react to certain situations compared to how others would?
• What is their mental state?

Here is a list of examples of brilliant character descriptions to give you an idea and help you come up with your own:

3 Categories: Modern Literary, Literature, Popular

Modern Literary

1. vladimir nabokov, lolita.

” … Her skin glistening in the neon light coming from the paved court through the slits in the blind, her soot-black lashes matted, her grave gray eyes more vacant than ever.”

2. Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping

” … in the last years she continued to settle and began to shrink. Her mouth bowed forward and her brow sloped back, and her skull shone pink and speckled within a mere haze of hair, which hovered about her head like the remembered shape of an altered thing. She looked as if the nimbus of humanity were fading away and she were turning monkey. Tendrils grew from her eyebrows and coarse white hairs sprouted on her lip and chin. When she put on an old dress the bosom hung empty and the hem swept the floor. Old hats fell down over her eyes. Sometimes she put her hand over her mouth and laughed, her eyes closed and her shoulder shaking.” 

3. Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot

“Phyllida’s hair was where her power resided. It was expensively set into a smooth dome, like a band shell for the presentation of that long-running act, her face.”

4. China Miéville, This Census-Taker

“His hand was over his eyes. He looked like a failed soldier. Dirt seemed so worked into him that the lines of his face were like writing.”

5. Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita

“And then the hot air congealed in front of him, and out of it materialized a transparent man of most bizarre appearance. A small head with a jockey cap, a skimpy little checked jacket that was made out of air … The man was seven feet tall, but very narrow in the shoulders, incredibly thin, and his face, please note, had a jeering look about it.”

6. Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible

“Mama BekwaTataba stood watching us—a little jet-black woman. Her elbows stuck out like wings, and a huge white enameled tub occupied the space above her head, somewhat miraculously holding steady while her head moved in quick jerks to the right and left.”

7. John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces

“A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black moustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs. In the shadow under the green visor of the cap Ignatius J. Reilly’s supercilious blue and yellow eyes looked down upon the other people waiting under the clock at the D.H. Holmes department store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress. Several of the outfits, Ignatius noticed, were new enough and expensive enough to be properly considered offenses against taste and decency. Possession of anything new or expensive only reflected a person’s lack of theology and geometry; it could even cast doubts upon one’s soul.”

8. A.S. Byatt, Possession

“He was a compact, clearcut man, with precise features, a lot of very soft black hair, and thoughtful dark brown eyes. He had a look of wariness, which could change when he felt relaxed or happy, which was not often in these difficult days, into a smile of amused friendliness and pleasure which aroused feelings of warmth, and something more, in many women.”

9. Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated

“He did not look like anything special at all.”

PAY ATTENTION:

If you’re looking for guidance on writing your novel, I’d suggest my post, “ 12 Steps to Write a Bestselling Novel in 6 Months .”

10. Henry Lawson, The Bush Girl

“ Grey eyes that grow sadder than sunset or rain, f ond heart that is ever more true F irm faith that grows firmer for watching in vain —  She’ll wait by the sliprails for you.”

11. Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

“I am an invisible man. 
No I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe: 
Nor am I one of your Hollywood movie ectoplasms.
 I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids -
- and I might even be said to possess a mind. 
I am invisible, simply because people refuse to see me.”

12. F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor.”

13. Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel

“My brother Ben’s face, thought Eugene, is like a piece of slightly yellow ivory; his high white head is knotted fiercely by his old man’s scowl; his mouth is like a knife, his smile the flicker of light across a blade. His face is like a blade, and a knife, and a flicker of light: it is delicate and fierce, and scowls beautifully forever, and when he fastens his hard white fingers and his scowling eyes upon a thing he wants to fix, he sniffs with sharp and private concentration through his long, pointed nose…his hair shines like that of a young boy—it is crinkled and crisp as lettuce.”

14. Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered silk. Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his path, for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down.”

15. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“[Miss Havisham] had shut out infinitely more; that, in seclusion, she had secluded herself from a thousand natural and healing influences; that, her mind, brooding solitary, had grown diseased, as all minds do and must and will that reverse the appointed order of their Maker…”

16. John Knowles, A Separate Peace

“For such and extraordinary athlete—even as a Lower Middler Phineas had been the best athlete in the school—he was not spectacularly built. He was my height—five feet eight and a half inches…He weighed a hundred and fifty pounds, a galling ten pounds more than I did, which flowed from his legs to torso around shoulders to arms and full strong neck in an uninterrupted, unemphatic unity of strength.”

17. Ambrose Bierce, Chickamauga

“-the dead body of a woman—the white face turned upward, the hands thrown out and clutched full of grass, the clothing deranged, the long dark hair in tangles and full of clotted blood. The greater part of the forehead was torn away, and from the jagged hole the brain protruded, overflowing the temple, a frothy mass of gray, crowned with clusters of crimson bubbles—the work of a shell.”

18. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“…your manners, impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form the groundwork of disapprobation on which succeeding events have built so immovable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.”

19. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

“He was most fifty, and he looked it. His hair was long and tangled and greasy, and hung down, and you could see his eyes shining through like he was behind vines. It was all black, no gray; so was his long, mixed-up whiskers. There warn’t no color in his face, where his face showed; it was white; not like another man’s white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make a body’s flesh crawl – a tree-toad white, a fish-belly white. As for his clothes – just rags, that was all. He had one ankle resting on t’other knee; the boot on that foot was busted, and two of his toes stuck through, and he worked them now and then. His hat was laying on the floor – an old black slouch with the top caved in, like a lid.”  

20. William Golding, Lord of the Flies

“Inside the floating cloak he was tall, thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness.”

21. Jane Austen, Persuasion

“Vanity was the beginning and end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character: vanity of person and of situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth, and at fifty-four was still a very fine man. . . .”

For those of you who want to write a novel, visit this post: “ 12 Steps to Write a Bestselling Novel .”

You will not regret it.

22. Andrew Lang, The Crimson Fairy Book

“When the old king saw this he foamed with rage, stared wildly about, flung himself on the ground and died.”

23. Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

“He was commonplace in complexion, in feature, in manners, and in voice. He was of middle size and of ordinary build. His eyes, of the usual blue, were perhaps remarkably cold, and he certainly could make his glance fall on one as trenchant and heavy as an axe… Otherwise there was only an indefinable, faint expression of his lips, something stealthy — a smile — not a smile — I remember it, but I can’t explain.” 

24. Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

“His heart was like a sensitive plant, that opens for a moment in the sunshine, but curls up and shrinks into itself at the slightest touch of the finger, or the lightest breath of wind.”

25. Max Beerbohm, Zuleika Dobson

“He followed with his eyes her long slender figure as she threaded her way in and out of the crowd, sinuously, confidingly, producing a penny from one lad’s elbow, a threepenny-bit from between another’s neck and collar, half a crown from another’s hair, and always repeating in that flute-like voice of hers: “Well, this is rather queer!””

26. Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

“He had a long chin and big rather prominent teeth, just covered, when he was not talking, by his full, floridly curved lips. Old, young? Thirty? Fifty? Fifty-five? It was hard to say.”  

27. Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged, but then no one would have thought of getting close enough to Mrs. Flowers to ruffle her dress, let alone snag her skin. She didn’t encourage familiarity. She wore gloves too.  I don’t think I ever saw Mrs. Flowers laugh, but she smiled often. A slow widening of her thin black lips to show even, small white teeth, then the slow effortless closing. When she chose to smile on me, I always wanted to thank her.”

28. D.H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley’s Lover

“But her will had left her. A strange weight was on her limbs. She was giving way. She was giving up…”

29. Henry James, The Aspern Papers

“Her face was not young, but it was simple; it was not fresh, but it was mild. She had large eyes which were not bright, and a great deal of hair which was not ‘dressed,’ and long fine hands which were–possibly–not clean.”   

30. Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Zanoni Book One: The Musician

“She is the spoiled sultana of the boards. To spoil her acting may be easy enough,—shall they spoil her nature? No, I think not. There, at home, she is still good and simple; and there, under the awning by the doorway,—there she still sits, divinely musing. How often, crook-trunked tree, she looks to thy green boughs; how often, like thee, in her dreams, and fancies, does she struggle for the light,—not the light of the stage-lamps.”

31. Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

“Living among those white-faced women with their rosaries and copper crosses…” 

32. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“Though every vestige of her dress was burnt, as they told me, she still had something of her old ghastly bridal appearance; for, they had covered her to the throat with white cotton-wool, and as she lay with a white sheet loosely overlying that, the phantom air of something that had been and was changed, was still upon her.” 

33. Rudyard Kipling, Many Inventions

“He wrapped himself in quotations – as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of Emperors.”

34. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

“He was sunshine most always-I mean he made it seem like good weather.” 

35. Hugh Lofting, The Story of Doctor Dolittle

“For a long time he said nothing. He kept as still as a stone. He hardly seemed to be breathing at all. When at last he began to speak, it sounded almost as though he were singing, sadly, in a dream.”

36. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”

37. Edwin A. Abbott, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

“He is himself his own World, his own Universe; of any other than himself he can form no conception; he knows not Length, nor Breadth, nor Height, for he has had no experience of them; he has no cognizance even of the number Two; nor has he a thought of Plurality, for he is himself his One and All, being really Nothing.”

38. Jamie McGuire, Beautiful Oblivion

“Her long platinum blond hair fell in loose waves past her shoulders, with a few black peekaboo strands. She wore a black minidress and combat boots.”

39. N.K. Jemisin, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

“His long, long hair wafted around him like black smoke, its tendrils curling and moving of their own volition. His cloak — or perhaps that was his hair too — shifted as if in an unfelt wind.” 

40. M.L. LeGette, The Orphan and the Thief

“A creature–a frightfully, awful creature–was mere feet from her. Its eyes were enormous, the size of goose eggs and milky white. Its gray, slippery skin was stretched taut upon its face. Its mouth was wide and full of needle teeth. Its hands rested on the rock, hands that were webbed and huge with each finger ending in a sharp, curved nail. It was as tall as a human man, yet oddly shrunken and hunched.”  

 41. Amber Dawn, Sub Rosa

“When he did appear his eyes were as brown as I remembered, pupils flecked with gold like beach pebbles.” 

 42. Julia Stuart, The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise

“His hair had been grown to counteract its unequivocal retreat from the top of his head, and was fashioned into a mean, frail ponytail that hung limply down his back. Blooms of acne highlighted his vampire-white skin.” 

43. James Lee Burke, The Neon Rain

“His khaki sleeves were rolled over his sunburned arms, and he had the flat green eyes and heavy facial features of north Louisiana hill people. He smelled faintly of dried sweat, Red Man, and talcum powder.” 

44. Stephenie Meyer, Twilight

“I vividly remembered the flat black color of his eyes the last time he glared at me – the color was striking against the background of his pale skin and his auburn hair. Today, his eyes were a completely different color: a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone.” 

45. Brian Malloy, Twelve Long Months 

“Whith her hair dyed bright red, she looks like Ronald McDonald’s post-menopausal sister. Who has let herself go.”     (This is one of my favorites, because I find it ridiculously funny)

46. Joan Johnston, No Longer A Stranger

“Actually, Reb had the same flawless complexion as her sister– except for the freckles. Her straight, boyishly cut hair fell onto her brow haphazardly and hid beautiful arched brows that framed her large, expressive eyes. She had a delicate, aquiline nose, but a stubborn mouth and chin.” 

47. Brian Morton, Breakable You

“Without her glasses Vivian did look a little frightening. She had tight sinewy strappy muscles and a face that was hardened and almost brutal – a face that might have been chiseled by a sculptor who had fallen out of love with the idea of beauty.”

48. Anne Rice, The Vampire Armand

“I saw my Master had adorned himself in a thick tunic and beautiful dark blue doublet which I’d hardly noticed before. He wore soft sleek dark blue gloves over his hands, gloves which perfectly cleaved to his fingers, and legs were covered by thick soft cashmere stockings all the way to his beautiful pointed shoes.” 

49. Becca Fitzpatrick, Black Ice

“His brown hair was cropped, and it showed off the striking s ymmetry of his face. With the sun at his back, shadows marked the depressions beneath his cheekbones. I couldn’t tell the color of his eyes, but I hoped they were brown…The guy had straight, sculptured shoulders that made me think swimmer …” 

50. E.C. Sheedy, Killing Bliss

“He stood, which put him eye to eye with the dark-haired woman whose brilliant, burning gaze poured into his worthless soul like boiling tar, whose mouth frothed with fury–and whose hand now curled, knuckles white, around a steak knife.”  (The author gives a lot of details about the characters emotions, but there is not one specific detail about neither of their appearances. Use this as an example of how physical appearances aren’t always the most important thing.)

51. James Lee Burke, The Neon Rain

“His wiry gray and black hair was dripping with sweat, and his face was the color and texture of old paper. He looked up at me from where he was seated on his bunk, and his eyes were hot and bright and moisture was beaded across his upper lip. He held a Camel cigarette between his yellowed fingers, and the floor around his feet was covered with cigarette butts.”  

52. Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

“She has bright, dark eyes and satiny brown skin and stands tilted up on her toes with arms slightly extended to her sides, as if ready to take wing at the slightest sound.”

53. Becca Fitzpatrick, Hush, Hush

“He was abominable…and the most alluring, tortured soul I’d ever met.”   (This isn’t describing him physically, but it is giving insight to how the main character views him)

54. J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

“A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by  a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes,  glinting like black beetles under all the hair.” 

55. Anne Rice, Violin

“I deliberately thought of him, my violinist, point by point, that with his long narrow nose and such deep-set eyes he might have been less seductive to someone else–perhaps. But then perhaps to no one. What a well-formed mouth he had, and how the narrow eyes, the detailed deepened lids gave him such a range of expression, to open his gaze wide, or sink in cunning street.”

56. Kevin Brooks, Lucas

“As I’ve already said, the memory of Lucas’s walk brings a smile to my face. It’s an incredibly vivid memory, and if I close my eyes I can see it now. An easygoing lope. Nice and steady. Not too fast and not too slow, Fast enough to get somewhere, but not too fast to miss anything. Bouncy, alert, resolute, without any concern and without vanity. A walk that both belonged to and was remote from everything around it.” 

57. Anne Rice, Violin

“And she looked the way he had always hated her–dreamy and sloppy, and sweet, with glasses falling down, smoking a cigarette, with ashes on her coat, but full of love, her body heavy and shapeless with age.” 

58. Kevin Brooks, Lucas

“As we drew closer, the figure became clearer, It was a young man, or a boy, dressed loosely in a drab green T-shirt and baggy green trousers. He had a green army jacket tied around his waist and a green canvas bag slung over his shoulder. The only non-green thing about him was the pair of scruffy black walking boots on his feet. Although he was on the small side, he wasn’t as slight as I first thought. He wasn’t exactly muscular, but he wasn’t weedy-looking either…there was an air of hidden strength about him, a graceful strength that showed in his balance, the way he held himself, the way he walked….” 

59. Iris Johansen, The Face of Deception

“Kinky tousled curls, only a minimum of makeup, large brown eyes behind round wire-rimmed glasses. There was a world of character in that face, more than enough to make her fascinating-looking instead of just attractive.” 

60. Dennis Lehane, A Drink Before the War

“Brian Paulson was rake thin, with smooth hair the color of tin and a wet fleshy handshake…. His greeting was a nod and a blink, befitting someone who’d stepped out of the shadows only momentarily.” 

61. Gena Showalter, The Darkest Night

“Pale hair fell in waves to his shoulders, framing a face mortal females considered a sensual feast. They didn’t know the man was actually a devil in angel’s skin. They should have, though. He practically glowed with irreverence, and there was an unholy gleam in his green eyes that proclaimed he would laugh in your face while cutting out your heat. Or laugh in your face while you cut out his heart.”

62. Sam Byers, Idiopathy 

“Now here he was: sartorially, facially and interpersonally sharpened; every inch the beatific boffin.”

63. Maggie Stiefvater, The Raven Boys

“As always, there was an all-American war hero look to him, coded in his tousled brown hair, his summer-narrowed hazel eyes, the straight nose that ancient Anglo-Saxons had graciously passed on to him. Everything about him suggested valor and power and a firm handshake.” 

64. J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

“The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful. His hair was dark as the shadows of twilight, and upon it was set a circlet of silver; his eyes were grey as a clear evening, and in them was a light like the light of stars.” 

65. Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove

“People said Ove saw the world in black and white. But she was color. All the color he had.”  

66. Frank Herbert, Dune

“…a girl-child who appeared to be about four years old. She wore a black aba, the hood thrown back to reveal the attachments of a stillsuit hanging free at her throat. Her eyes were Fremen blue, staring out of a soft, round face. She appeared completely unafraid and there was a look to her stare that made the Baron feel uneasy for no reason he could explain.” 

67. Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game

“Ender did not see Peter as the beautiful ten-year-old boy that grown-ups saw, with dark, tousled hair and a face that could have belonged to Alexander the Great. Ender looked at Peter only to detect anger or boredom, the dangerous moods that almost always led to pain.”

68. Caitlin Moran, How to Build a Girl

“He had his head in his hands, and his tie looked like it had been put on by an enemy, and was strangling him.”

69. Graham Joyce, Some Kind of Fairy Tale

“Peter was a gentle, red-haired bear of a man. Standing at six-four in his socks, he moved everywhere with a slight and nautical sway, but even though he was broad across the chest there was something centered and reassuring about him, like an old ship’s mast cut from a single timber.”

70. Brad Parks, The Girl Next Door

“…in addition to being fun, smart, and quick-witted—in a feisty way that always kept me honest—she’s quite easy to look at, with never-ending legs, toned arms, curly brown hair, and eyes that tease and smile and glint all at the same time.” 

71. Dennis Lehane, A Drink Before the War

“Sterling Mulkern was a florid, beefy man, the kind who carried weight like a weapon, not a liability. He had a shock of stiff white hair you could land a DC-10 on and a handshake that stopped just short of inducing paralysis.”

72. Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass

“Lord Asriel was a tall man with powerful shoulders, a fierce dark face, and eyes that seemed to flash and glitter with savage laughter. It was a face to be dominated by, or to fight: never a face to patronize or pity. All his movements were large and perfectly balanced, like those of a wild animal, and when he appeared in a room like this, he seemed a wild animal held in a cage too small for it.”

73. Sherman Alexie, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

“I thought she was so beautiful. I figured she was the kind of woman who could make buffalo walk on up to her and give up their lives. She wouldn’t have needed to hunt. Every time we went walking, birds would follow us around. Hell, tumbleweeds would follow us around.”

Related posts:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

29 comments

woowwwwwwwwie

Love the compilation. Thank you for doing this

This is a great compilation! My students are working on writing characters right now, so I’m having them look through your list to see examples of a job well done 🙂 Thanks!

Thanks I’m using these for students to make character drawings from

This is really helpful ! Love it !

Do you have a way, where you could put the characters physical traits in this website?

Thank you for the awesome list. You should add this one; it’s from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: “Mr. Utterson, the lawyer, was a man of rugged countenance, that was never lightened by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable.” There’s more after, but I thought this was a good description.

And this one: “Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering, and somewhat broken voice: all these were points against him, but all of them together could not describe the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing, and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him.”

The quote that stood out to me the most was the quote from ‘The Census Taker’. That quote captured the characters feelings so well. The author was able to compare in self worth by saying it was as dirt, so much so that the dirt was written in his skin. I have never seen self worth and failure described as part of a person’s face.

Thank you. I echo Chris’s comment Wowwwwww and add a few!!!!

Wonderful! Reading these enabled me to rewrite the descriptions for my two leading characters.

Thank you for this, very helpful! I don’t know if this is really related, but I’m writing a story including a mean girl who bullies the main character (also a girl). I’m struggling to write what the mean girl uses to bully the main character – what I end up coming up with is way too mean or unreal, etc.

Blinded by tears, she could hear the haze of pink shout, “See, poor baby cries. Great actress, dear. Why do you waste your talent on us, here?”

great great any book for description of physical appearance in narrative

Great list. And I have one to add. It’s from Michael Moorcock, riding the new wave of British sci-fi back in the 1960s. He’s been a favorite of mine for decades. The passage is from “Elric of Melniboné:”

“It is the colour of a bleached skull, his flesh; and the long hair which flows below his shoulders is milk-white. From the tapering, beautiful head stare two slanting eyes, crimson and moody, and from the loose sleeves of his yellow gown emerge two slender hands, also the colour of bone, resting on each arm of a seat which has been carved from a single, massive ruby.”

Thanks for this – very useful compilation for teaching – makes life so much easier! And helps in my writing, to look at expressions and word arrangements… I notice how some writers seem so good in visual description, and some others seem to be much better at character expressions..

wowzers!!! this is so cool!

I planned to just read a few, but I couldn’t stop reading. These are awesome! Thank you.

“Character Description” on The John Fox’s blog is a treasure trove of valuable tips and techniques for crafting compelling characters. The blog explores the art of painting vivid and multi-dimensional personas, adding depth to storytelling. Aspiring writers will find this guide indispensable for creating memorable characters that resonate with readers.

holy MOLY, thank you!

I liked them

wow thanks you have really helped me but can you put something to describe a character that is a tyrant please? that would really help

Absolutely remarkable. So very helpful in every since of the word.

OH HELLL YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A killer set of fine examples! Thanks for compiling it!

Please, add sentences that can apply to more characters.

Love it but should be more single sentences

Every writer NEEDS this book.

It’s a guide to writing the pivotal moments of your novel.

Whether writing your book or revising it, this will be the most helpful book you’ll ever buy.

Learn how to:

• Nail chapter endings
• Surprise your reader with plot twists
• Describe a character for the first time
• Write a killer ending

Best Descriptive Writing Sites   Describing the beauty of nature

Describing an old man   31 comments.

Describing an Old Person

Posts similar to this are in my new book ‘Writing with Stardust’. The techniques and 5 different Levels of ability used are the same as in the book.

For many more chapters like these, please check out my book Writing with Stardust by clicking the book title. It is now for sale on Amazon.com.

Or just type in ‘Describing a forest’ or ‘Describing a mountain’ to get some free chapter previews and it will come up under ‘Best Descriptive Sites’ .

Describing an old man or a grandfather seems to cause people difficulty so here is my attempt at helping them. The post is in five levels so if you haven’t read my blogs before, Level one is for Basic English skills. It describes a grandfather in simple English. Level two describes a grandmother and it is in paragraph form. Level 3 describes an old man , Level 4 describes a homeless man and Level 5 is a World War 2 story involving an old man . Level five is the highest level and it is for those able to understand complex English phrases and concepts. I hope there is something for everyone to learn from the blog. God bless and take care for now. Here is the post:

                                     LEVEL 1             LEVEL 2                LEVEL 3             LEVEL 4             LEVEL 5

LEVEL 1: Describing a Grandfather

1.  My grandfather has winter-white hair.   Hair

2.  His eyes are blood-flecked as he is very old.   Eyes

3.  He has a goatee and it suits him.   Beard

4.  His face is timeworn and it is wrinkled.   Face/ Skin

5.  When he walks, he is unsteady on his feet.   Walk/Movement

6.  Some of his clothes are moth eaten but he still keeps them in the wardrobe.   Clothes

7.  Two of his fingers are crooked from an old sports injury.   Fingers

8.  He has a very friendly smile.   Smile

9.  His eyes are a sparkling , blue colour and he seems to see everything.   Bright Eyes

10.  His voice can be weak and fragile at times.   Voice

LEVEL 2: Describing a grandmother

My grandmother is the nicest person I know. She makes those beautiful chocolate éclairs that all grandchildren love and she is very generous with them.  Her hair has is gunmetal grey and is long and lush. Sometimes her eyes can appear milky when she is tired but usually they are gleaming with energy. Her face can appear world weary at times also but usually she is active and alert.

Every Saturday she walks the two miles into town and then she can appear drowsy in her movements on the way home. In the winter her fingers get slightly inflamed from the cold but she says it doesn’t hurt her. I have never seen her wear shabby clothes and they are always clean and fresh. She has the most angelic smile I have ever seen and, even though her voice can appear feeble at times, she is very healthy.

LEVEL 3 : Describing an Old Man

The old man who lives down the street is a reclusive character. He only comes out of his house occasionally, usually to collect his pension. When I saw him first, I thought his hair was very unusual.

It is very long and lush with a salt and pepper tint. He must read until late at night because he has crow’s feet under his eyes. He has a clipped, Abe Lincoln beard and that must be why everyone calls him ‘The President’. I reckon he must be in his seventies because his face is time chiselled and weather beaten.  At times he can seem a bit spiritless , as if life and old age are getting the better of him. The clothes he wears are sometimes ragged and threadbare also, as if he is giving in to the passage of time and is unconcerned about his appearance.

I’ve noticed that his hand becomes clenched when the cold winds of winter bite the air. His fingers get knotty and then the hand forms the shape of a claw. I don’t feel sorry for him because he probably wouldn’t want me too. He smiled at me once when I met him on the street and there were a lot of megawatts in it! It totally transformed his face and the years dropped away from his face. His eyes shone a bright, cerulean-green and his teeth gleamed like piano keys.

Although his voice trembled when he said hello, I knew then that he hadn’t given up completely on life.

LEVEL 4: A Homeless man

Reading the newspaper today made me laugh out loud. It also brought back a memory that I thought had been buried forever. Let me paint the scene for you…

It was roughly fifteen years ago on Christmas Eve. The snow was falling in a cloud of Merlin-white and the air was beautifully cold. It wasn’t the skin-biting pinch of a windy day, more like the powdery cold of a crisp, refreshing Alaskan snowfall. I was standing outside the front entrance of a shopping mall in New York, enjoying the high spirits of the shoppers as they swarmed around me. My mother was inside getting some Christmas presents. I suppose I was about fourteen at the time.

There was a homeless man in the middle of the street weaving his way through the traffic. I could only assume that he was homeless as his actions and clothes were bizarre. He held a brown, paper bag in one hand and he would occasionally put it to his mouth to take a drink from the bottle within. The other hand was being used to make obscene gestures and to thump the bonnets of the honking cars. All the while he issued forth a string of obscenities and vile curses. Not just your ordinary curses either. This guy was threatening the motorists that the milk would curdle in their fridges’, their food would turn to sawdust and that he would render them barren and infertile for eternity. He was like a one man comedy show with the outrageousness of his performance.

He had a strange appearance, almost as if it was contrived. His hair was wizened and straw-like, nearly fossilized it was so dry. He had sad, way worn eyes and a distinctive beard. It wasn’t a thick, captain Ahab beard but rather something a lunatic might have: straggly, unkempt and spittle flecked. His face was toil worn and tanned from exposure to the elements and he walked with a weary, lethargic air until he would suddenly explode in a burst of rage. His fingers were gnarled and knobbly and the clothes he wore were musty and minging judging by the reaction of the people he passed. Their noses would crinkle in disgust and they would peel away from his presence. I don’t want to sound pass remarkable and over critical in all this but he was a truly unpleasant character. What made it worse is that he made a beeline to where I was standing.

I shuffled uncomfortably as he approached. His eyes seemed to laser in on me as if I was his target for the day. His voice was surprising, a gravel-and-gravy mix of whiskey roughness and educated brogue.

“Hey kid-gotta buck to spare?”

He seemed very gentle, a complete contrast to the South Park character I had witnessed earlier. I normally didn’t entertain vagrants or weirdos but I was so grateful he wasn’t shouting at me that I gave him the first note out of my pocket. It was twenty bucks. I felt a pang of regret then as it was part of my money to get Christmas presents. He looked at the note and I remember that he said: “You’re a nugget, kid. God bless all generous and good looking people.”

With that he was off. He zigzagged his way across the street, screaming at anyone who honked. I saw him going across to another shop front and that some old lady was giving him money. That was the last I ever saw of him. Now my eyes drifted to an article in the Obituary column of the New York Times. The caption was ‘New York’s Unlikeliest Billionaire.’

‘Died Monday, aged 65. Lloyd ‘The Tramp’ Carson, heir to the Carson Steel empire and notorious practical joker. Lloyd, who was a dedicated actor and keen observer of human life, liked nothing better than to dress up as a vagrant and shout insults at his fellow New Yorkers. Although knocked down twice as a result of these escapades, he played out the role until his last day on this earth. His last words were known to be: “You’re a nugget, man. God bless all good looking people.” Indeed, these are the exact words which shall be on his epitaph as per his wishes.’

It is believed that Mr Carson has left an estate worth north of $1.7 bn. As he does not have any immediate family, speculation is mounting as to who shall be the beneficiaries of his largesse. Rumours abound that he had a team of private detectives following him and they would discover the identities of people who were particularly generous to Mr Carson’s alter ego. It may be another urban myth, of which New Yorker’s are particularly fond of, but sources at the New York Times are adamant that Mr Carson intended to pay back those who had a generous spirit.

I laughed out loud again as I finished the article. He was most definitely a character, this guy. I had to hand it to him. He knew how to get a kick out of life.

I thought nothing more of it until a letter arrived three months later. Then I didn’t laugh at all. I cried with happiness.

LEVEL 5: A War Story

Tap-tap-tap.

The old man was trying to remember his wife’s epitaph as he clutched clumsily at his walking-stick. His memories were getting as cloudy as his eyes these days. The ebb and flow of time had chiselled away at his wizened face, ravaging it with careful patience. It was as crinkly as faded parchment now. The chapters of his life were written there to read; strength of character and memories of lost loves tinged with sadness because he was alone in the world now. He had done nothing base or ignoble in a lifetime of happy mediocrity and he was proud of that. He appeared sluggardly and spiritless to the many who rushed past him in the street. Although he was ashamed of his threadbare, tatty clothes and their musty odour, it was a choice between dog food and washing-powder these days. His bones ached constantly and his soul was weary occasionally but the desire to live still flared as bright as star-flame.  He was a product of his mother’s quote.

“You are a precious gift of the womb, Luke”, she had told him daily.

He had been the only child of a widowed mother. That was a long time ago. His neighbours weren’t sure now if he was as old as the village over the hill or older than the hill over the village. He had outlived everyone who could say. His knobbly and gout-swollen fingers found it difficult to grasp the stick in the rain. Once the cold got into his bones it was difficult to get it back out. Wracked with ague and gnarled with age, his thoughts drifted more and more to his wife lately. When he had first met her, her electrifying smile had completely won him over. So too had her cupid-bow lips, her coral-black hair and her eyes of paradise-blue which glittered as clear as a mountain stream. Her memory would never leave him even though many others were becoming hazy. His stomach ached with pain and his left leg throbbed. Tap. A pause. Tap-tap. A longer pause. He thought of his dog at home, hungry and dreaming his doggy-dreams on the cold floor, probably shivering. The old man decided he would light a small fire tonight with the last few sticks. He could cope without it but the dog deserved. . . . . THWACK!

He felt an acute pain and a ringing sound filled his head. He tried to stay upright and summon strength and for a brief moment he did. Then his left leg betrayed him and he felt a hard rap above his ear. The only sense he had was of the cold concrete against his wet hair. . . .

“Man up, soldier!”

The sergeant was the first person he had ever known to use that phrase. He had Hercules shoulders and a hard stare. When he raised his voice, it was as loud as bottled thunder. He glared with contempt at the young recruit who was cowering in the trench.

A soldier called out to the sarge from the end of the trench. “Man down, sergeant!”

The sergeant cursed and leaned into the ear of the recruit. He said something to the novice and made his way down to the medics.

Luke could see that the young tyro had the thousand-yard stare common to most of the new soldiers. They always took time to adjust to the trenches and the whims of war. War was a harsh master, totally indiscriminate. It didn’t matter sometimes whether you were brave or craven, vigilant or lax. At any moment a stray shell or gas canister could send you on your way to the Maker. It was a lottery of lives and that single, salient fact seemed to unman even the best of soldiers. Conditions in the trenches didn’t help either. Corpse-engorged rats, beady-eyed, ring-tailed, and as big as cats, waddled past with their bounty, heedless of the men. The arachnid-cold defiance in their eyes made the men feel like potential prey in a reversal of nature’s laws.

It was forbidden to shoot them as bullets were scarce. You couldn’t bayonet them either as their swollen stomachs burst open, spreading disease. Some of the men, hunters and poachers from country villages, caught them with blankets and threw four or five into a barrel for weeks on end and sealed it up. Eventually, one would emerge, huge and vicious. ‘King rat’ had become a cannibal and would be set free to terrorise the other rats. Men grunted with satisfaction that nature’s laws had been restored; rats should eat rats, not men. It never fully solved the problem but it gave the soldiers peace of mind. To Luke, the real problems weren’t the rats.

Trench foot was a constant worry. Standing in a foot of mercury-red water every day made the skin doughy and inflamed, leading to amputation for the afflicted. Hair-lice, gum disease from a lack of vitamin c, hypothermia and cholera from infected water were all daily battles. The worst by far was what the experienced soldiers called ‘zombie sickness’. The constant whining of bullets and screaming of clod-thumping bombs made some of the soldiers owl-eyed from lack of sleep. That’s when a sly German sniper was only too happy to punish you for a simple mistake like not keeping your head down.

There weren’t too many left now from his original company three years ago, which was why he was a corporal, ranked just below the sergeant. Every day, the new recruits kept coming in, getting younger and more naive. It was up to old hands like him to try to keep them alive as long as possible. He edged over to the shell-shocked recruit.

“How long have you been on the front, private?” he asked.

It took a moment for those horror-filled eyes to register that someone was talking to him.

“Just five days, sir” and he gave what could only be described as a fatalistic smile.

There was a nervous tic under his left eye as he spoke. Some men became doppelgängers of what they once were in the terror-filled crucible of war, mere mannequins cast adrift from their souls. It could be the constant, mordant smell of death. It could be the sight of men being blown apart or their faces turning to jelly if they lost their gas masks, liquefied from the inside out. It could even be a lack of contact from family if the letters didn’t get through.

“Any secret loves back home then, private?” he inquired, anxious to break him out of his reverie. He got a faint smile, slightly dreamy, in return.

“A girlfriend who wants to have a child whe- if I get home. Didn’t have my mind on the job earlier. That’s why Sarge was giving out to me. Forgot to put the rifle back onto safety and it went off. ”

“What’s your name, soldier?”

“Billy Highcross, sir. All the men get a great kick out of it. Want to know was I at the crucifixion of our Lord, that kind of thing. ”

“Well you mind yourself, Billy Highcross. If I can, I’ll keep an eye out for you.” Luke moved on, talking to his men, accepting cigarettes even though he didn’t smoke himself. Comradeship was all that separated them from beasts.

Two nights later it happened. The Germans had a crack sniper with an unusual technique. He was brave and the soldiers who caught a glimpse of him swore that he was uncommonly large, a big, hulking figure who came into no-man’s land when the days fighting was over. He was also a sadist. He would crawl up to the wounded and torture them as they lay dying, daring his comrades to attempt a rescue. Many had tried and all were dead. In Luke’s company alone, nine soldiers had died. Eventually, the sarge had been issued orders from command that no one was to engage in rescue missions any more. It grated with the sarge, but orders were orders.

Night after night, the screams and heart-rending cries of their comrades could be heard, shaming them all to silence. That days head count listed six men dead but only one missing- Billy Highcross. Luke was sitting in a puddle of water, rifle resting on his knees, when the roll was called. He thought of Billy’s girlfriend back home but he also thought of the promise he gave his mother before he left.

“Promise me you’ll come back alive, Luke. You’re all I have in the world.”

“I promise.”

Those two words were ringing in his head and had kept him alive when most of his company had fallen like jerking puppets around him. He sat there for a long time. He heard a heart-rending scream coming from the German side.

He rose up, taking off his greatcoat, leaving it slide into the puddle. He put his rifle aside and took out the large skinning knife he had found on the battlefield months before. He rubbed some fire-ash on his face and, placing the knife between his teeth, climbed a few steps up the ladder and was gone. Not a soul saw him leave. The ground was cold and slick. It was a chilly December night, banks of clouds blotting out the moon and stars. Craters full of icy water littered the battlefield. Tortuously, cautiously, every sense honed, he crept like a phantom through blood-soaked puddles and quietly-misting pools. He stopped only once to cut off the bottom of his shirt. He placed the strip around his mouth to block off both the noise and smell of his breath. It took him twenty minutes to do this for fear of discovery.

The knife was in his right hand now, his elbows aching from the effort of crawling and his heart was hammering like a piston in his chest. His pupils dilated with the intensity of his gaze, trying desperately to locate his quarry. His nostrils flared. Even amongst all the ichor, his hair matted with congealed blood and rotting corpses all around him, he detected the faintest scent in the air. It was the odour, barely discernible, of body sweat. He froze. Somewhere out here, in the midst of all the death, was a living being. At the same time, a soul-harrowing howl rent the air, a dreadful imprecation that chilled him to the marrow. Evil was abroad this night. He moved towards it, not giving into his fear.

His next decision would determine whether he would live or die that night. The gentle breeze was in his favour but the sniper had the advantage of immobility. He could work his dark arts on Billy Highcross and move to another location to wait for his prey, gun at the ready, blending in amongst the corpses. Luke decided to lay stock-still also, hoping against hope that his adversary would reveal himself. A puff of breath, a stifled cough, a small movement- anything.

Time dragged on in a way he had never experienced. Occasionally, Billy would scream, not forty yards away but still an eternity. Luke prayed. He cursed inwardly and he waited. He was just about to break when the barest whisper of cloth fluttered not five yards from him, coming from a sunken bomb-crater. He moved his head what seemed like a millimetre a second and it finally came to rest on a monster. The German had Samson shoulders and a tree-trunk neck. Hugging the ground, he resembled a cunning gorilla, sliding over bodies even more carefully and slowly than Luke had done.

When Billy screamed again, the Germans mouth opened up in a goblin-grin, revealing canines like broken glass. Luke could swear he moved his head to watch Billy’s pain and chose that moment to act.

He pounced on the German, springing like a tiger but silent in his fury. Before the German had time to react, Luke had skewered him with his knife in the shoulder, just missing the jugular. The German hissed in shock but at the same time whipped his right hand around and caught Luke in the temple with the butt of his rifle. Luke fell back and immediately felt two boulder-hard hands around his neck, the nails burrowing into his flesh like shards of flint. He tried to groin him, tried to push him aside, tried to butt him. Every effort was repelled with ease. As he slipped into unconsciousness, his mind registered two things. He had never seen eyes as cruel as the barracuda-black coals of the German, two pitiless pools of death. The other was that the coming dawn above the German’s back was the most beautiful he had ever seen; clouds of dusky-pink drifting past a slash of molten-gold in the sky.

Little stars, conflagration-red, flashed on and off in his mind, through a murky haze of black. Then the pressure on his neck eased and he heard the disgusting sound of grunting and growling. He opened his eyes and saw two shadowy Titans rolling and grappling on the ground. One was on top of the other with his hands around his neck, their two noses almost touching. The sounds of their rage, muffled but murderous, was terrifying. Both were bizarrely trying to avoid the morning guns homing in on their position. There was one final gurgling, a bloody, rattling throaty sound. Then there was a very eerie, very sad expulsion of death-breath from one of them. A pregnant pause followed and Luke tried to get his breathing back. His throat passage felt reduced to the size of a penny. Someone hissed in his ear:

“Can you make it back on your own, corporal?”

It was the sarge. He had Billy Highcross tucked in under one massive paw, one hand on the ground for balance. Luke nodded.

They made it back just before the dawn volley erupted. Billy had a ruptured lung and didn’t see any more of the war. One question nagged at Luke for months. He finally summoned up the courage to ask one night when the sarge was on his own.

“Why didn’t you just knife him, sarge? Why kill him with your hands?”

The sarge took a while to answer.

“For all of our lads who died suffering. I wanted him to see my eyes. It’s what men do, isn’t it?”

Two days before the war ended the sarge was killed trying to rescue a soldier pinned down by enemy fire. As far as Luke knew, he never got a medal. Luke was decorated twice afterwards for bravery as sergeant of his company

There was a crowd of young people around the old man. The same stars were flaring in and out of his consciousness, winking then disappearing. He could see the emblems on their trainers-Nike, Reebok, and Adidas. Snatches of conversation came to him, mostly boys and one girl. There seemed to be an argument.

“. . . . shouldn’t have done it,” said the girl.

“. . . . an accident”, said one of the boys.

“. . . .  did the same yesterday. . . at least call an ambulance”.

“. . . . . got no credit, have I?”

A deep, male voice shouted in the distance and the trainers disappeared.

He remembered his dog was alone and sadness overcame him. The words on his wife’s epitaph came to him then:

“I loved you so

‘Twas heaven with you”

and he cried for the first time in over half a century. A couple of adult voices were getting closer and he could hear fragments of their conversation as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

“. . . . who were they?”

“. . . .  that Billy Highcross and his gang”.

“. . . why would they do something stupid like that?”

The last words the old man heard before he slipped away was. . . . “It’s what they do around here, isn’t it? The saddest part about it is that his grandfather was a war hero. ”

Share this:

Posted August 9, 2013 by liamo in Uncategorized

Tagged with describing a grandfather or grandmother , describing a homeless person , describing an old man , describing an old woman , descriptive books for students

31 responses to “ Describing an Old Man ”

Subscribe to comments with RSS .

I found this list very useful. Thank you. 🙂

Hi BunKarydo: I hope you’re well. Thanks for the friendly comment and I’m delighted you found the post useful. Cheers for now. Liam.

You’re welcome, Liam. I was looking for a suitable word for something I was writing and had found nothing suitable at Thesaurus.com. In desperation I tried a Google search but with very low expectations. I was delighted when your post appeared because it was exactly what I needed. There was a wealth of good stuff there. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference too.

I hope you have a great week. Bun (pron. Boon!) 🙂

I loved reading your page!

Hi Nameless: Thanks for taking the time to post such a nice comment. It’s much appreciated and I wish you the best. ‘Bye for now. Liam.

Thank you on level for i was struggling for words but this page was just what i needed

Hi Spike: I hope you are well. Cheers for the comment and I’m glad the post helped you. Be well and thanks again for the kind words. ‘Bye for now. Liam.

can you make a paragraph an ugly old man

Thank you so much for this blog. It has helped me sharpen my creative writing skills.

Hi Chukwuezue: I hope you are well. You’re very welcome and I’m glad it helped you. Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind comment and I wish you the best. Cheers for now. Liam.

Need hyphens 😢😢😢

Great information! Read my book called #Tween Tales it will really help with descriptions too… Thanks once again.

Hi mmt: I hope you are well. I will read the book as soon as time permits and thanks for telling me about it. Thanks for the nice comment and ‘bye for now. Liam.

I’ve got one too: Now I’m living with Fagin, an ancient elderly who looks like a fossilized mummy with the face of a deflated balloon derived from a walnut. ( from Oliver Twist- re-describing Fagin.)

Hi Joshua: What an interesting comment. It shows humour, intelligence and perception all in one go. Very impressed. Go you. cheers for now. Liam.

This post is really helpful and it help me to write what I wanted. Thanks you😊

Thank you.it helped me alot

Hi Prateek: I hope you are well. You’re very welcome and thanks for commenting. Cheers for now. Liam.

Fuck this website you are shit you are shit

this was so helpful,thankyou so much and god bless.

this was so amazing thanks it was truly wonderful

it was the best website i have ever seen

Hi all: Thamks very much for the enthusiastic comments. Very much appreciated. Cheers for now. Liam

AMAZING. surprised (in a good way) that someone was willing to make a website like this. Good job.

Hi Yl: Thanks for taking the time to post a kind comment. I’m glad it helped you in some way. ‘Bye for now. Liam.

loved the website

nice website. suited me and helped me

Hi Sajeel: Thanks very much for the kind comment. Liam.

Thanks for the page!

Hi erisss: You’re very welcome. Thanks for the kind comment.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Search for:
• Describing a Beautiful Black Woman
• New Joke Book Free for Teachers and Students
• Describing a lake video
• Blue-Sky Thinking 1- Free Book
• Ireland in 8,000 B.C.

Descriptive Posts

• Entries feed
• Comments feed
• WordPress.com
• 9,802,170 hits
• descriptive writing
• English comprehension for Junior Cert
• free descriptive writing books
• The Beach At Dawn
• Uncategorized

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

Recent Posts

• The passenger pigeon: a comprehension worksheet
• Describing Autumn Worksheets (11-15-year olds)
• Describing Curraghmore Estate (Updated)
• A descriptive writing comprehension for 11-15 year olds
• Describing a Beautiful Woman worksheets
• Describing a meadow
• 2014 in review
• Best descriptive words for an essay
• Describing a handsome man
• Free book for english teachers
• Teaching life skills to teenagers
• Describing a calm sea
• Describing life in the trenches
• How to write a descriptive essay
• Describing the genesis gene in all of us.
• Making a personal statement
• Describing a tree
• Describing a cat
• Best horror sentences: monsters, mist, deserts, dark forests and thunder and lightning.
• Fish, frogs and cows falling from the sky?- from the book ‘Blue-Sky Thinking’
• Best descriptive sentences: rivers, mountains, beaches, waterfalls, forests, lakes and the 4 seasons.
• Teaching different intelligence types: from the book ‘Blue-Sky Thinking’.
• FREE CREATIVE WRITING BOOKS FOR TEACHERS
• Free poetry lesson plans for secondary students
• JCSA free resources: from the book ‘Blue-Sky Thinking’
• Teaching the five senses
• Describing the four seasons: from the book ‘Writing with Stardust’
• Teaching descriptive writing
• Teaching animal sounds
• Sounds of the city: From the book ‘Blue-Sky Thinking’
• Junior Cycle Student Award English Books
• Teaching Flash Fiction: From the book ‘Blue-Sky Thinking’
• Free diary entry
• Junior Cycle Student Award English Resources
• Descriptive Writing Narrative Styles
• Junior Cycle Student Award English books
• How to self-publish a novel
• Describing the seaside
• Teaching Point of View to students
• How to Plan a Short Story
• Best Creative Books For Teachers
• Describing a Dark Forest
• Best descriptive writing books
• Best Creative Writing Books
• Best Descriptive Sentences

Blog at WordPress.com.

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

10 Words to Describe an Old Man’s Face

By Ali Dixon

Do you have an elderly male character in your novel? Are you currently thinking about what features to give to this person? Here are  10 words  to describe an old man’s face to help you.

1. Wrinkled

Bearing wrinkles ; ridges or furrows on the skin that generally form with age.

“Although his eyes were bright and engaged, his  wrinkled  face gave away his true age.”

“The man’s face was  wrinkled  and his smile was welcoming—she felt she could trust him immediately.”

How It Adds Description

As people they older, they get more and more wrinkles on their faces. You can describe the old man in your story as being particularly wrinkled if he’s very old. This will show readers without needing to state outright that the character you’re describing isn’t a young person.

Turning gray ; having grey hair.

“The man was old and  graying  with wisps of white hair.”

“Although he moved around efficiently, he could tell the man was old, especially because of his  graying  face.”

Along with gaining more wrinkles, people who get older also tend to have hair that turns gray or white. Perhaps the old man you are describing has a head full of gray hair, or maybe he has a big gray beard. Either way, you can describe his face as graying to help emphasize his age.

Lacking in brilliance ; slow in perception.

“She was speaking directly to him, but his face remained  dull  and impassive.”

“His face was  dull  and aged, but when she asked him questions later, he was perfectly responsive and remembered everything that had happened.”

If someone’s face is dull, then that can help to show readers that the person you are describing lacks youth and enthusiasm. If you want to surprise your reader, you can describe an old man’s face as being dull and uninterested and later in the story have the old man take up a pivotal role and act much more involved.

Lacking in energy or spirit ; uninteresting.

“The old man’s  vapid  expression made her think that he must not care about what was going on around him.”

“At first, he seemed distant and  vapid , but the more they all spoke to him, the more they realized that he was extremely aware and intelligent.”

If the old man you are describing is perhaps going a bit senile, then you can describe his face and expression as vapid. This will tell readers that mentally, he may not be entirely present.

Having no energy or strength ; worn.

“The man in front of them had a  tired  look on his face, and he seemed unwilling to move very much.”

“The  tired  old man in front of her wasn’t very responsive.”

The word tired doesn’t just have to refer to a person’s physical state. When people are young, their expressions tend to be quite vibrant and excited. Older people, on the other hand, may appear perpetually tired. You can use this word to describe how old your character looks as well as to describe his general personality.

6. Sparkling

Lively or animated .

“The man was so old he could hardly walk or move at all, but his  sparkling  expression told of his internal youth.”

“He sat in a wheelchair in the corner of the room, and she would have almost missed him entirely if not for his  sparkling  eyes.”

This is a very fun word to use, as you can use it to subvert your readers’ expectations. The man in your story may be quite old, but if you describe some features of his face like his eyes as sparkling, this shows an inner youth that he may have.

Dried or shrunken, often with age ; failing vitality.

“She took note of the man’s  wizened  face, which over many years had become tired and wrinkled.”

“Although his face was  wizened , his mind was sharp, and he still remembered specifics of the event even all those years later.”

If the old man in your story appears particularly old or wrinkled, then describing his face as wizened can demonstrate that to your readers. It can help show readers that the old man may be very near the end of his life.

Unkempt ; not well maintained or cared for; messy.

“The man had not shaved his face in a long time, and his patchy,  scruffy  beard was proof of that.”

“Although his face was  scruffy , he was well-dressed which made him presentable enough for the event.”

As people get older, they may find it more and more difficult to perform personal grooming tasks. This can lead to things like an overall unkempt appearance. Using this word to describe the old man in the story will demonstrate that he may not be as good at maintaining his appearance as he once was.

9. World-Weary

Demonstrating boredom or fatigue at material pleasures or other aspects of the world .

“His  world-weary  expression made her hesitant to try talking to him.”

“He had seen many things in his life, but his  world-weary  appearance made him seem unenthusiastic about his adventures.”

The old man in your story may have seen many things in his life, and at this point, he may find the world boring because of it. If that’s the case, world-weary is a great word to use to describe the way he looks.

Overworked or exhausted to the point of fatigue ; apathetic or cynical because of past experiences.

“His eyes were  jaded  by the knowledge he held and the many experiences that came with old age.”

“The old man appeared  jaded  at first, but the more she spoke to him, the more he began to open up and tell more stories about his youth.”

When someone has many experiences, especially negative ones, they can become jaded and unhappy with the world. This makes it a great word to describe someone who is old and who has been through many difficult things.

Search for creative inspiration

19,890 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

a man - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• a handsome man
• a middle aged person
• a young man
• characterization
• clean cut looks
• ex boyfriend
• men's rights
• mysterious man
• mystery man
• People walking
• quotes of love for him

A man who puts his kids first, before you and everyone else, is worth your time. For if his love is strong there, it bodes well for his capacity for love in all respects.

There are infinity ways to be a man, as there are infinity ways to be a woman, for all personality traits exist in both. Yet this man had both empathy and a very masculine form of strength. He was divine. I'm not sure how else to say it. It was easy to fall in love and there was no reverse gear.

We are all born to protect and nurture, to show empathy and grit, yet if I had to speak of masculinity vs femininity, it would be that the recipe is different though the ingredients are the same. That said, the "mama bear mode" is as formidable as any man or more, because this is nature's fail-safe, the backstop, what comes to the fore in a woman if she senses no reliable male protector.

Bigorexia - the wave of young men damaging their bodies with steriods to gain big muscles - is founded on a misconception. If they are a guy who wants to attract gals, here's the thing. I say this as a straight biological female. Women, beyond a sense of averageness, don't care what their man looks like. They don't. Once a guy is somewhat average other factors take over. They are looking for a great partner who would make a great father. It's biologically hardwired. Women don't chose mates based on looks. By all means, be healthy, do a sport or whatever makes you feel good... but a lot of women actually don't like big muscles in real life. That's what's real.

The sexiest thing about the man was his determination to be a good father. Empathy, nurture, caring... that's where the good stuff is.

He was all man, so macho and so full of empathy. It is the most sexy combination, the mark of a true alpha.

His accent was such a playful tune, as if he were the star of his own movie. I could have sat there all day simply to listen and smile.

Some folks wear a smile, this guy was the smile. Everything about him was a soft and understated joy as he greeted each person. I went to there for the coffee, but I got so much more. Me and all those other people were the patients in his surgery as he asked us about our day, our lives and welcomed the emotions that tiptoed out. I wondered how many went on to be better friends, better bosses, better parents for his care, a spreading out of goodness from just one man. That barista, he was the safest person around and I never thanked him for all that he gave.

I'm not sure Mark ever said, "Yes," to anything, it was always a "maybe" with a cheeky grin. Yet he always came through... it was always a warm possibility, something loving, inviting. He was the kind of guy that wouldn't take an order but never needed to; whatever he was supposed to do, he did it. He told bad jokes and danced with moves humanity hasn't had the pleasure of seeing for some time - and in my embarrassment I'd never loved him more. He was the kind of guy to ask me to guess which hand the ring was in, hiding his nerves behind an angel's bluff.

"Man," in terms of gender, denotes being born with a potential to father children -yet there are as many ways to express how you are a man as there are men in the world. We are all born with fairly blank brains as infants, and thus we need gender-specific role models for healthy development, yet these role models are only a canvas, a starting point, how we create ourselves after that is up to us.

I have never seen Chester ruffled, and today is no exception. His voice has a husky drawl and every step he takes is in slow motion compared to almost anyone else I know. His idea of hurrying is to bend his head downward a little as he saunters, the pace of his footfalls not changing one iota. That's just the way the man is, born calm, can't change him, wouldn't want to.

The sexist thing about that man is that he is his own man. He's confident in who he is. That kind of ownership of masculine and feminine traits is hot. Very, very hot.

Sign in or sign up for Descriptionar i

Sign up for descriptionar i, recover your descriptionar i password.

Keep track of your favorite writers on Descriptionari

We won't spam your account. Set your permissions during sign up or at any time afterward.

How To Describe Hands In Writing (100+ Examples & Words)

Describing hands in writing is an art, capturing the essence of a character’s emotions, actions, and personality.

Whether they’re clasping a loved one’s hand, crafting a masterpiece, or expressing agitation, hands play a pivotal role in storytelling.

This guide provides over 100 examples and words to help you learn how to describe hands in writing.

Types of Hands to Describe in Writing

Table of Contents

When describing hands in a story, it’s crucial to consider their type.

The type of hand can reveal a lot about a character’s background, profession, and even their emotional state.

Here are some common types of hands you might encounter in your writing:

• Rough, Calloused Hands : Often belonging to characters who perform manual labor, these hands symbolize hard work and resilience. They may have thickened skin, scars, or callouses.
• Delicate, Slender Hands : Typically found in characters of refinement or those not accustomed to manual labor. These hands can indicate a life of privilege or a focus on intellectual pursuits.
• Aged, Wrinkled Hands : The hands of an older character, telling a story of a life lived. They might be spotted with age and have prominent veins.
• Childlike, Petite Hands : Small and often chubby, these hands belong to children or characters with a youthful innocence.
• Artistic, Expressive Hands : Belonging to artists, musicians, or creatives, these hands are often characterized by their fluidity and grace.
• Strong, Muscular Hands : These hands are often found on characters who are physically strong or athletic, indicating power and capability.
• Injured or Scarred Hands : These hands tell a story of past trauma, injury, or hardship. They can be a physical manifestation of a character’s struggles.
• Nimble, Agile Hands : Commonly seen in characters who are skilled with intricate tasks, like sewing or lock-picking. These hands are quick and precise.
• Clammy, Sweaty Hands : Often depicting nervousness or anxiety, these hands can reveal a character’s inner turmoil or stress.
• Soft, Well-Manicured Hands : Indicative of characters who take care of their appearance, often associated with wealth or vanity.
• Cold, Pale Hands : Can indicate a character’s poor health, fear, or even a supernatural element in the story.

9 Hand Characteristics to Describe in Writing

Here are different characteristics of hands that you can describe in your writing:

• Size and proportion
• Texture and skin
• Movement and gestures
• Strength and grip
• Color and temperature
• Scars and markings
• Jewelry and accessories
• Hair and growth

Size and Proportion

The size and proportion of hands in your writing can convey a lot about a character.

Large hands might suggest strength or a commanding presence, while small hands could imply delicacy or youth.

Proportions also play a role; long fingers could indicate elegance or artistic ability, while short, stubby fingers might suggest a more brutish or unrefined character. Paying attention to these details can enhance the reader’s understanding of your characters and their world.

• “Her hands were small and birdlike, fluttering as she spoke.”
• “His large, bear-like hands engulfed the delicate teacup.”
• “The child’s hands were tiny, barely wrapping around my finger.”
• “His fingers were long and slender, dancing over the piano keys with ease.”
• “Her hands were surprisingly large for her petite frame, a contrast that always caught me off guard.”
• “His stubby fingers were inelegant but surprisingly dexterous.”
• “She had the hands of a pianist – long, graceful, and delicate.”
• “His hands were massive, with fingers thick as sausages, exuding raw strength.”
• “Her small, chubby hands were a stark contrast to her mother’s slender ones.”
• “Despite his age, his hands were still strong and imposing, with broad palms and thick fingers.”

Texture and Skin

The texture and condition of a character’s skin can be incredibly revealing.

Rough, calloused hands might tell of hard labor or a rugged life, while soft, smooth hands might suggest a more sheltered existence.

Scars can indicate past injuries or battles, adding depth and history to your character.

The skin’s texture can also reveal age, health, or even emotional state, like clammy hands during nervousness.

• “Her hands were rough, the skin cracked and weathered from years of toil.”
• “His palms were soft, untouched by the hardships of physical labor.”
• “A web of scars crisscrossed his knuckles, each one a testament to battles fought.”
• “Her hands were clammy with anxiety, sticking slightly as we touched.”
• “The skin on her hands was smooth and unblemished, like porcelain.”
• “His hands were dry and chapped, the nails bitten down to the quick.”
• “Age had left its mark on her hands, the skin thin and papery.”
• “His hands felt like sandpaper, roughened from years working in the sun.”
• “Her hands were always cold, the skin pale and almost translucent.”
• “Sunspots dotted his hands, a lifetime spent under the open sky.”

Movement and Gestures

The way a character moves their hands can say a lot about their personality and current emotional state.

Quick, jerky movements might suggest nervousness or impatience, while slow, deliberate gestures could indicate confidence.

The use of hands in communication, like gesticulating while speaking or fidgeting with objects, can also add layers to a character’s portrayal, revealing their inner thoughts and feelings.

• “He gestured wildly as he spoke, his hands painting pictures in the air.”
• “Her fingers tapped an impatient rhythm on the tabletop.”
• “He folded his hands calmly in his lap, the picture of composure.”
• “Her hands shook slightly as she reached for the cup, betraying her nervousness.”
• “He had a habit of twisting his ring when deep in thought.”
• “Her hand gestures were fluid and graceful, accentuating her words.”
• “He clenched his fists tightly, knuckles whitening with tension.”
• “She fidgeted constantly, her hands never still for a moment.”
• “His thumbs circled each other, a sign of his underlying anxiety.”
• “She snapped her fingers impatiently, demanding attention.”

Nails can be a subtle but telling detail in character descriptions.

Well-manicured, polished nails might suggest vanity or status, while bitten or dirty nails could hint at anxiety or a more rugged lifestyle.

The state of a character’s nails can also reflect their profession, like pristine nails in a professional or chipped paint in an artist. These small details can significantly enhance the authenticity of your characters.

• “Her nails were perfectly manicured, a soft pink that matched her lipstick.”
• “His nails were short and bitten down, edges ragged with nerves.”
• “Dirt was caked under his nails, evidence of his work in the garden.”
• “Her nail polish was chipped and faded, a remnant of last week’s glamour.”
• “His nails were immaculate, buffed to a subtle shine.”
• “She had a nervous habit of picking at her nail polish when anxious.”
• “The paint on her nails was splattered and uneven, a testament to her artistic endeavors.”
• “His cuticles were ragged, nails uneven from lack of care.”
• “Her nails were adorned with intricate designs, a display of creativity.”
• “His fingernails were long and unkempt, an afterthought in his rugged appearance.”

Strength and Grip

The strength and manner of a character’s grip can convey a lot about their personality and current emotional state. A firm, confident

handshake might suggest assertiveness, while a weak, limp grip could indicate insecurity or disinterest.

A protective, gentle hold can show care and affection, whereas a tight, crushing grip might reveal anger or control.

The way characters use their hands to interact with others and their environment plays a significant role in shaping their image in the reader’s mind.

• “Her handshake was firm and confident, conveying her strong personality.”
• “His grip was weak and fleeting, barely making an impression.”
• “He held the baby with a gentle, protective touch, cradling her tenderly.”
• “Her grip tightened around the pen, knuckles turning white with frustration.”
• “He had a habit of gripping the armrests when anxious, leaving imprints on the soft fabric.”
• “His hands enveloped mine, a warm and reassuring presence.”
• “She gripped the railing with a strength that belied her petite frame.”
• “His handshake was overpowering, almost crushing in its intensity.”
• “She held the flower delicately between her fingers, careful not to crush its fragile petals.”
• “His grip on the steering wheel relaxed as he settled into a more comfortable driving rhythm.”

Color and Temperature

The color and temperature of a character’s hands can be indicative of their emotional state, physical health, or environmental conditions.

Pale, cold hands might suggest fear, poor circulation, or a cold environment, while warm, flushed hands could indicate embarrassment, exertion, or a hot climate.

These details can subtly enhance the realism of a scene and provide insight into a character’s inner state.

• “Her hands were icy, a stark contrast to her warm smile.”
• “His palms were sweaty, betraying his nervous anticipation.”
• “The cold had turned her hands a reddish-purple, stiff and numb.”
• “His hands were warm and comforting, radiating a sense of security.”
• “Her hands turned white as she gripped the edge of the table, trying to compose herself.”
• “In the heat, his hands felt clammy and sticky.”
• “Her hands were always cold, like she was perpetually chilled from the inside.”
• “After working in the sun, his hands were hot to the touch, skin slightly reddened.”
• “His fingers were tinged blue from the freezing temperatures outside.”
• “She rubbed her hands together vigorously, trying to restore warmth and color to them.”

Scars and Markings

Scars, markings, and tattoos on hands can tell a story about a character’s past experiences, cultural background, or personal beliefs.

Scars can be reminders of past injuries or significant life events, while tattoos might represent personal or cultural symbols.

These visual elements add depth to a character, hinting at their history and personality without the need for explicit exposition.

• “A faded scar ran across his palm, a memento from a childhood adventure gone awry.”
• “Her knuckles were marked with tiny tattoos, each a symbol of a significant life event.”
• “The burn scar on his wrist was a stark reminder of the accident years ago.”
• “Intricate henna designs adorned her hands, a celebration of her cultural heritage.”
• “His fingers bore the calloused marks of a guitarist, strings etching their history into his skin.”
• “A small, discreet tattoo of a star was nestled between her thumb and forefinger.”
• “The scar tissue was rough under my fingers, a permanent record of his time in the war.”
• “Her hands were a canvas of scars, each one a story of survival and resilience.”
• “He had a small mole on his wrist, a distinctive mark he often fidgeted with.”
• “Her finger bore the faint line of a ring long removed, a ghost of her past.”

Jewelry and Accessories

Jewelry and accessories on hands, like rings, bracelets, and watches, can be reflective of a character’s personality, status, or affiliations.

A wedding ring signifies a marital commitment, while flashy, expensive jewelry might suggest wealth or a desire for attention.

Simple, understated pieces could indicate modesty or practicality.

These adornments offer an additional layer of characterization, providing visual cues about the character’s identity and values.

• “Her fingers were adorned with multiple rings, each one sparkling with precious stones.”
• “He wore a simple, silver watch, its understated elegance a reflection of his personality.”
• “A thin gold band encircled her ring finger, a symbol of her recent marriage.”
• “His wrist was heavy with bracelets, each one a memento from his travels.”
• “She had a penchant for vintage brooches, attaching them to her gloves for a touch of elegance.”
• “The leather wristband he wore was frayed with age, but he never took it off.”
• “Her engagement ring was a statement piece, large and impossible to miss.”
• “A delicate charm bracelet jingled softly with her every movement.”
• “He had a habit of twisting his wedding ring when deep in thought.”
• “The watch on her wrist was more functional than decorative, its face scratched and worn from use.”

Hair and Growth

The presence or absence of hair on hands, along with its growth patterns, can reveal details about a character’s age, gender, and even hormonal levels.

Sparse hair might indicate youth or a feminine character, while thick, coarse hair could suggest masculinity or older age.

These subtle cues help paint a more vivid and realistic image of the character in the reader’s mind.

• “His knuckles were covered in thick, dark hair, a stark contrast to the rest of his arm.”
• “Her hands were smooth, the skin unmarred by hair.”
• “A light dusting of hair covered his hands, barely noticeable unless up close.”
• “Age had thinned the hair on his hands, leaving them almost bare.”
• “Her hands bore the fine, soft hair characteristic of her youth.”
• “He had unusually hairy wrists, the hair creeping up to his fingers.”
• “Her fingers were hairless, the skin smooth and unblemished.”
• “The back of his hands were covered in coarse hair, a trait he was self-conscious about.”
• “She noticed the first signs of aging in the thinning hair on her hands.”
• “His hands were surprisingly hairless for a man of his stature and age.”

Watch this video about how to describe hand gestures in writing:

Best 30 Words to Describe Hands in Writing

Read through some of the best words to describe hands in writing:

Best 30 Phrases to Describe Hands in Writing

Consider using these phrases to describe hands in your stories:

• “Hands like weathered leather”
• “Fingers danced with grace”
• “Palms sweating with nervousness”
• “Gentle as a feather’s touch”
• “Clumsy, uncoordinated movements”
• “Fingers entwined in a loving embrace”
• “Hands shaking with unspoken fear”
• “A firm, commanding grip”
• “Delicate as porcelain”
• “Hands roughened by hard labor”
• “Fingers drumming in impatience”
• “A protective, enveloping hold”
• “Artistic hands, stained with paint”
• “Fingers tapping a silent melody”
• “Hands cold with dread”
• “Elegant, long-fingered pianist’s hands”
• “Hands that tell a story of hardship”
• “Palms open in surrender”
• “Fingers quick and precise”
• “Hands worn with age and wisdom”
• “A healer’s gentle touch”
• “Fingers curled in anger”
• “Steady hands under pressure”
• “Hands that have nurtured and cared”
• “Clutching hands in desperation”
• “Hands warm and reassuring”
• “Fingers skilled in crafting”
• “Callouses speaking of hard work”
• “Hands trembling with excitement”
• “A reassuring pat on the back”

3 Full Examples of How to Describe Hands in Different Genres

Here are examples of how to describe hands in different kinds of stories.

As Detective Larson interviewed the suspect, he noticed the man’s hands: they were surprisingly delicate, incongruent with his rugged exterior. Each finger was slender, the nails well-manicured, but there was a slight tremor in them, a tremble that seemed out of place .

It was as if his hands betrayed a secret nervousness, a hidden anxiety that his calm demeanor tried hard to mask. Larson couldn’t help but wonder if these hands had played a part in the crime he was investigating.

Julia’s hands were a testament to her gentle spirit. Soft and delicate, they moved with a grace that captivated Tom every time he saw them.

When they touched, her fingers seemed to dance lightly over his skin, sending shivers down his spine. Her touch was like a whisper of love, tender and loving, a stark contrast to the chaotic world around them. In those moments, it felt as if her hands spoke a language of love only they understood.

In the dim light of the abandoned warehouse, the hitman’s hands were steady as rock.

They were large and rough, each scar and callous telling a story of violence and survival. His fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of his weapon, a grip born of experience and unflinching resolve. There was no hesitation, no tremor in those hands – they were the hands of a man who had faced death and didn’t flinch, a man who knew exactly what he was capable of.

Final Thoughts: How to Describe Hands in Writing

Exploring the intricate details of hands can significantly enrich your storytelling.

For more insights on character development and descriptions, check out some of our other articles below.

Read This Next:

• How To Describe Clouds In Writing (100+ Examples & Words)
• How to Describe Snow in Writing (100+ Examples & Words)
• How To Describe a Nose In Writing (100+ Examples & Words)
• How To Describe A Crime Scene In A Story (100+ Examples)

Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing.

Jawing About Writing and Writing About Jaws

By Sharla Rae

No, I'm not discussing sharks. We're discussing the jawline, and writing facial descriptions and emotions. And …  I have another description list for you, too.

Recently in her blog, When Writing Is A Full Body Workout , Orly confessed being caught acting out what she happened to be writing, that is, she was making faces and performing her characters’ body movements. Perhaps not so surprisingly is that many of you identified with her and this peculiarity – myself included.

It’s also not so surprising to learn “why” we do this either subconsciously or deliberately. Writers want fresh descriptions that hit the mark and don’t sound hokey.

What’s hoaky? Going overboard.

We all laugh at the facial contortions made by monkeys in a zoo, but we don’t want our characters making monkey faces! I touched on this in my blog, Body Language: An Artistic Tool .

When describing a character’s actions, facial or otherwise remember whose POV you’re in.

For example:

 If we’re in Franks POV, Frank wouldn’t think about tightening his jaw in anger. He’d just do it.

 But this might be said: A deep ache settled in Frank’s jaw and realized he was clenching his teeth.   Or simply: he gritted his teeth . I’ve seen: he set his jaw, trying keep from ….  This explains Franks mindset. My favorite though is having him feel the pain or strain of his actions.

 We don’t have to tell the emotion.  The facial expression, the scene’s action and the scene itself shows it.

  My descriptions of the jaw, aren’t just about showing emotion. They also describe facial shapes or types of jaws.  

Okay, I have to ask this: Have you ever noticed how most jawline descriptions pertain to men?  I believe that’s because most females find a strong jawline physically pleasing as well as a sign of strength and dominance.  It can also show that the man isn’t afraid of a taking up a challenge or throwing one out to others. This leads us down that Neanderthal road to the idea of protection. Yes, ladies, we are genetically programed to be attracted to the Master of the Universe – He Man.  But that’s another blog. See more about this in the links below.

Many times face shapes are defined by the jaw so it’s only fair to mention them.

 Seven Basic Face Shapes: oval, square, round, heart, oblong, triangle or pear.

Studying jaws of real people makes the task of describing a character’s jaw easier. Finding images of facial shapes on familiar people helps even more. Simply search google images and type jaw shapes or facial shapes. Lots of celebrity pictures pop up and if you click on the image there are explanations. Very cool.

Below I listed descriptions of jawlines, jaw movements and emotional expressions. Most are very basic, mere reminders to yank your creative chain. I included a few definitions because as I’ve mentioned in previous description blogs, definitions are descriptions. I’ve also included chins in the descriptions of jaws because they are part of the jawline.  Skin conditions and types are not included because that’s another blog.

Basic Jaw Descriptions

Bearded Bulldog jaw Carved/sculpted marble Caved in cheeks sharpened his jawline Chin like a shovel Chiseled jawline Chops – usually jaws of animals or slang for jaws Clean-shaven jawline Cleft and scooped like Kirk Douglas Cleft chin Delicately rounded and feminine Emaciated/wasted/starved/caved in Floppy double chins Glass-jawed – a jaw easily broken Hallow cheeked Hallow dimple Harsh,/sharp Indian-like cheekbones Heavy round jaw of a Russian peasant woman Jaw hallmarked his facial features Jaw narrowed into a pointed little chin Jawline disappeared in a doughy face Jowl – low hanging cheeks; hangs loosely Jutting chin Lantern-jawed – a long and thin lower jaw that sticks out; usually with hollow cheeks Large-boned features Lean-jawed and hungry looking (perhaps real hunger; perhaps hungry for action) Lock jaw – tetanus; tetanus of the lower jaw Mandible – lower jaw Masseter – lower jaw muscle Maxilla – bone of upper jaw Muzzle – mouth and jaws of an animal but can be slang for people Narrow jawline that arrowed into a pointed chin Nonexistent chin Pick-like Pugilistic jaw of a fighter Receding chin made his nose seem larger Saggy jaw that dropped into a turkey neck Scarred along the cheek from ear to … Spade of a chin Strong square jaw Triangular jaw with sharp edges Under-hung – lower jaw protruding farther than upper Under-jawed – prominent underjaw Undershot – lower jaw sticks out Weak chin beneath plump lips Whiskered/prickly/stubble Wobbly chins and cheeks

Jaw Movement & Expression

Braced or stiffened his jaw against the punch Came unhinged (surprise) Clenched his jaw Determined set of his jaw Dropped with surprise Jaw tensed with anger, expectation Jutted his chin Locked his jaw, refusing to … Loose-jawed with … Puffed up his cheeks with indigence Slacked jawed with amazement

Also see: Body Language: An Artistic Tool

Links: In discussions about the jaw, facial shapes and chins are almost always mentioned. There are a zillion websites on facial shapes and features. Here are a few to get you started.

Just for fun: What your facial features say about your personality according to the Chinese 7 Face shapes Data Face: allows you chose a facial feature to study Character Creation: Physical build and Facial Features Place That Face: Interesting evaluation of facial features Learn Face Reading: On the surface it describes personality traits for all different kinds of facial feature shapes. But between the lines, you’ll discover all the different feature shapes and what they look like so it’s worth visiting. Pertaining to this blog, check out chin shape and face shape. Character Emotion: Is It Written All Over The Face Physical Thesaurus Attributes Entry: Chin and Jaws

Let’s have fun. What are some of the worst jaw/chin/face-shape descriptions or facial body language descriptions you’ve read?

When she’s not writing and researching ways to bedevil her book characters, Sharla enjoys collecting authentically costumed dolls from all over the world, traveling (to seek more dolls!), and reading tons of books. You can find Sharla here at Writers In The Storm or on Twitter at @SharlaWrites .

0 comments on “Jawing About Writing and Writing About Jaws”

This was really informative and concise. Terrific post. I hate when I read things like ... she threw her head back in laughter. I mean, who really does that? She might tilt her head back or lift her face up, but throw back? It makes you want to ask, how far?

I'm with you, Paula! And who really wants those quantifiers anyway? -Fae

Paula, laughed when I saw this. It's like the old story of eyes falling down the stairs when some one looking down stairs. 🙂

Sharla, can I tell you that your posts can become an invaluable reference for most of us stuck on how on earth to describe smiles, frowns and up-side-downs of the face, the waving of arms, the stance of disapproval, the clint of love, the every movement we ever wanted to dig out of our worn out brains? Yes, I can tell you and thank you as well. This is no less than wonderful. Thanks 🙂

Yep, when Sharla offered this post, I told her it was her best list ever. She didn't believe me. Glad you think so,too! -Fae

This is great for me right now because I'm at the end of the first draft and when I go back I want to arm myself with some good facial descriptions. Thank you.

Thanks for stopping by Patricia. It never fails when I need a descriptions like these, my mind goes blank.

Great post Sharla, and so much more than just terms! Lots to take away. I don't remember the worst description, but I get irritated that many are overused. Better to make yourself slow down, and think of something new.

Although, I can't help myself with the muscle jumping in the jaw....I write cowboys!

That's a good one Laura. 🙂

I like to plant lists like this in the mulch of my subconscious, trusting it to bring them back up when I need a strong-jawed woman to save the day.

I love this visual, Joel! Thanks! -Fae

Yikes, I'm picturing a woman with a square metal jaw like a robot. 🙂

Another great post, Sharla, and another keeper.

Wonderful information, Sharla. I plan on saving this for future use!

Thanks for stopping by Marsha and Sharon.

Reblogged this on Ella Quinn ~ Author and commented: Another fabulous post.

Thanks Ella. Have a nice Easter!

I love these posts. I learn so much. Tweeted and reblogged.

Thanks for sharing. I've been feeling like my writing is stale and lists like this will help revitalize it.

Enjoyed the post. Let me try to tweet now. (I'm a weee bit drunk--I was gardening)

Love the "chin like a shovel" description. Nice post. I'm sure I've never thought of half those ways to describe a jaw. Gosh, I hope mine is never described as 'wobbly'...LOL!

It would be great if you could do something similar with 'smiles & grins'. I know the different types when I see them, but they are so darn hard (for me) to describe without 'tell' words (like 'sad smile'...YAWN).

Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend.

When I was in the sixth grade, our teacher made us cut out pictures from magazines and write stories about them. I still have that original scrapbook over 40 yrs later! Now part of my writing process is to collect pictures of facial expressions and keep folders of them, which I use for inspiration while writing. If I'm writing a love scene, I pull out the hot shots. If I'm writing an argument, I go through the images of angry people. I even make slideshows and play them on the computer to get myself in the mood! It helps keep me focused, and also gives me a reference for what I'm writing about. I also have pix of landscapes, houses, and anything else that captures my fancy. Though not all get used, it's really helpful to instill fresh images in my mind before I write.

I'm a little late here reading this but ia is fascinating. I am keeping it as new so I can follow the links when I have time.

This post is great. I've read others of yours and always learn something new. I love it when you bring up things that I don't always think about. Thanks!

Glad to have you as a reader, Paisley. We're always learning and improving our craft, and we love to share new tips with you. -Fae Rowen

Subscribe to WITS

Type your email…

Recent Posts

• How to Kill a Character
• Take the Stage at WITS: Share Your First Lines!
• The Dos and Don’ts of Working with a Publicist
• Writers: Do You Know Your Audience?
• The Most Important Question to Ask Before You Indie Publish
• Ellen Buikema
• Jenny Hansen
• Lynette M. Burrows
• Lisa Norman

Copyright © 2024 Writers In The Storm - All Rights Reserved