Donn, the point about leaving out most physical description makes a lot of sense to me. Your example of the glasses worked because that detail did a job later, instead of just filling space. I think readers remember signals like that more than hair color or height. It also takes some pressure off the writer. You do not need to pin down every inch of a person for them to feel real. A few telling details can carry a lot.
Absolutely! I have not thought about it until Kevin explicitly mentioned it, but I have tended to do that same thing with my characters, including just enough for people to begin to form their own picture, especially with anything that will make a difference later. Thanks for the comment!
Donn, the point about leaving out most physical description makes a lot of sense to me. Your example of the glasses worked because that detail did a job later, instead of just filling space. I think readers remember signals like that more than hair color or height. It also takes some pressure off the writer. You do not need to pin down every inch of a person for them to feel real. A few telling details can carry a lot.
Absolutely! I have not thought about it until Kevin explicitly mentioned it, but I have tended to do that same thing with my characters, including just enough for people to begin to form their own picture, especially with anything that will make a difference later. Thanks for the comment!
"... don’t assume that describing more creates a more vivid character. Just use the details that tell us something."
Good reminder that you've gotta let your reader fill in some of the details.