Do readers want to know what characters look like? - Page 2

Steven Lake · 11-10-2009, 02:17 PM

I tend to follow the rule of minimalism. IE, I only describe the look of the character as far as I feel is necessary to the story, and no more. In many cases they either get no description at all, or a very minimal, one liner. They only get more if the clothing, or their appearance is important to who the character is.

Heather Parker · 11-10-2009, 03:03 PM

I feel a lot better about the lack of physical description in my stories now - thank you!

How do people (readers and authors) feel about a lot of description in a book generally? I tend to get a little bored if it isn't necessary for the story - but I have noticed it seems very popular with judges of literary competitions. Perhaps just personal taste?

badgoodDeb · 11-10-2009, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather Parker

How do people (readers and authors) feel about a lot of description in a book generally? I tend to get a little bored if it isn't necessary for the story .....

I personally skim through descriptions that I don't think will matter to the story. That's why I hate Dickens..... SOOoooo much description. And when I skip the huge portions of description, I find myself in another city entirely and can't figure out why!

But then -- I have a physics background. I'm used to reading the text book with an eye for the equations -- and nevermind the background of the people involved! I was only once asked in a test, about the person who discovered XYZ rather than how to calculate PQR!

Steven Lyle Jordan · 11-10-2009, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather Parker

How do people (readers and authors) feel about a lot of description in a book generally? I tend to get a little bored if it isn't necessary for the story - but I have noticed it seems very popular with judges of literary competitions. Perhaps just personal taste?

Judges don't necessarily look at a book the way a reader does: They often look for certain elements that indicate the author's mastery of their craft, and involved descriptions are one of those elements that they like to use as a meter of quality.

In SF, writers often have to describe things in more detail simply because their settings aren't necessarily familiar to a reader... a naturalist can say "deciduous forest in the spring," and get an image across, but an SF writer has to describe growths that aren't exactly like trees, animals that aren't exactly like birds, colors that aren't typically green, etc.

When those things are needed because appreciating the setting is integral to appreciating the story, I add them. But I try not to be gratuitous about it, or leave the impression that I'm just "filling pages with prose." as a reader, I may go through a few of such descriptions, but if I get the impression they are not integral to appreciating the story, I start to skim past them.

Steven Lake · 11-11-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather Parker

I tend to get a little bored if it isn't necessary for the story...

You hit it right on the head. If it's not important for character development or the story, then it shouldn't be used.

Heather Parker · 11-11-2009, 01:54 PM

Really interesting points here - and pretty much how I feel about description too. I hadn't thought about the sci-fi aspect though. You really do need to describe your setting, if no-one has ever seen anywhere like it before. It must be quite difficult - a bit like trying to describe the proverbial elephant to someone who hasn't seen one...

Steven Lyle Jordan · 11-11-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather Parker

Really interesting points here - and pretty much how I feel about description too. I hadn't thought about the sci-fi aspect though. You really do need to describe your setting, if no-one has ever seen anywhere like it before. It must be quite difficult - a bit like trying to describe the proverbial elephant to someone who hasn't seen one...

It depends on what you're describing... it can be quite easy to actually describe (as in, "Much like looking at a typical forest on Earth, but through rose-colored glasses..." description done). Often it's more a matter of just making the reader aware that the setting or object is (significantly) different.

Moejoe · 11-11-2009, 06:05 PM

I find that when I have any doubt about this kind of thing I just fall back on the rule of 3's.

Never use anything more than 3 times. No more than 3 pargraphs of description, no more than 3 distinct characteristics when describing a character, no more than three characters in a scene....etc...etc...

The rule of 3's keeps everything in check

nomesque · 11-11-2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather Parker

How do people (readers and authors) feel about a lot of description in a book generally? I tend to get a little bored if it isn't necessary for the story - but I have noticed it seems very popular with judges of literary competitions. Perhaps just personal taste?

It seems to be both a personal taste thing, and a changing trend. Some people LOVE vivid descriptions and beautiful prose. They'll happily gush in reviews about gorgeous, evocative language...

Personally, if the first sentence is 60 words or more long, there's a good chance I'll put the book down in disgust and never buy it. Unless, of course, it's a damn GOOD sentence!

BUT - I've noticed that the younger the reader, the less likely that they'll be a fan of much description. 'Pare it down to the bare essentials' seems a growing preference.

I'm in between. Good, simple description I like, overlong description is skipped.

jaxx6166 · 11-11-2009, 10:55 PM

I'm on the fence with it as well. How much is too much? Robert Jordan's descriptions were usually too much (a page on a dress?)

I understand the purpose in some of the works, but sometimes it just drags on enough to drive you nuts =)

I prefer a minimalist approach as well. I leave just the bare essentials in. Enough to visualize. I have my own image of "Sarge" but I want other people to have their own view of him. And so forth.

I actually tolerate Jordan's style more than Dan Brown's.

"The twenty-nine year old accounts receivable clerk scratched his blonde scraggily beard and stared with beaded eyes at the white monitor in front of him..." And so forth and so on

Steven Lake · 11-12-2009, 12:30 PM

"He studied their large, bulging, weevil like appearance..."

That's a great way to do a description. It gets the basics down and leaves the rest to the reader to decide. Or in the case of another character I did, I described him as a cross between a duck and an ostrich dressed in a rainbow of colors, which is all you really needed to know about him since his character and personality did the rest.

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11-10-2009, 02:17 PM	#16
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	I tend to follow the rule of minimalism. IE, I only describe the look of the character as far as I feel is necessary to the story, and no more. In many cases they either get no description at all, or a very minimal, one liner. They only get more if the clothing, or their appearance is important to who the character is.

11-10-2009, 03:03 PM	#17
Heather Parker Nameless Being	I feel a lot better about the lack of physical description in my stories now - thank you! How do people (readers and authors) feel about a lot of description in a book generally? I tend to get a little bored if it isn't necessary for the story - but I have noticed it seems very popular with judges of literary competitions. Perhaps just personal taste?

11-11-2009, 01:54 PM	#21
Heather Parker Nameless Being	Really interesting points here - and pretty much how I feel about description too. I hadn't thought about the sci-fi aspect though. You really do need to describe your setting, if no-one has ever seen anywhere like it before. It must be quite difficult - a bit like trying to describe the proverbial elephant to someone who hasn't seen one...

11-11-2009, 06:05 PM	#23
Moejoe Banned Posts: 5,100 Karma: 72193 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South of the Border Device: Coffin	I find that when I have any doubt about this kind of thing I just fall back on the rule of 3's. Never use anything more than 3 times. No more than 3 pargraphs of description, no more than 3 distinct characteristics when describing a character, no more than three characters in a scene....etc...etc... The rule of 3's keeps everything in check

11-11-2009, 10:55 PM	#25
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	I'm on the fence with it as well. How much is too much? Robert Jordan's descriptions were usually too much (a page on a dress?) I understand the purpose in some of the works, but sometimes it just drags on enough to drive you nuts =) I prefer a minimalist approach as well. I leave just the bare essentials in. Enough to visualize. I have my own image of "Sarge" but I want other people to have their own view of him. And so forth. I actually tolerate Jordan's style more than Dan Brown's. "The twenty-nine year old accounts receivable clerk scratched his blonde scraggily beard and stared with beaded eyes at the white monitor in front of him..." And so forth and so on

11-12-2009, 12:30 PM	#26
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	"He studied their large, bulging, weevil like appearance..." That's a great way to do a description. It gets the basics down and leaves the rest to the reader to decide. Or in the case of another character I did, I described him as a cross between a duck and an ostrich dressed in a rainbow of colors, which is all you really needed to know about him since his character and personality did the rest.

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