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Introduction to Character
When introducing a character into fiction there are a plethora of choices for the writer. In times past, character entry was by way of a short summary of their physical attributes and a quick biographical sketch. There was enough information there for the reader to visualise the physicality of the character and glean information about their personality. This portrait introduction technique was used by Jane Austen and her ilk. In introducing Emma Woodhouse in Emma, Austen gives us a summary of Emma’s physical traits and also comments on her personality before giving the reader a quick family history.
‘Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition…
We know a lot about Emma from the first page. This does not, however, detract from what is to come. By the end of the page Austen has set up a dilemma for Emma so we know Emma is in for a rocky ride, despite her wealth and privilege. In more modern times, other techniques to convey physical appearance have evolved. You don’t have to describe your character’s physical appearance straightaway but you do have to let readers know what your character looks like and I would suggest doing this sooner than later. It can be quite frustrating getting four chapters into a manuscript not knowing what the character that you’re supposed to be following looks like.
Writers can introduce a character and that character’s appearance through dialogue, through the lens of another character, through observing them doing things i.e. being active, through their communication by technological means and by many other methods. What does your character look like? Yes, you can use that old trope of looking in a mirror, but it’s been done to death and when a manuscript comes across my desk with this tired, old technique in there it gets the red line through it.
A lot can be deduced through the description of a character’s physical appearance in terms of clothes and speech. Clothes and speech can be a barometer to social status, education levels, socio-economic levels, ideology, and so much more. Writers also have to decide on whether the character has an active entry or a more subtle one. There is no right and wrong in these decisions, but you have to decide what’s right for your writing. It’s a good idea to use a sliding scale when deciding how much description you are going to give to your characters. In another era you could taken two pages to describe a minor character. Naturally, your protagonist should be given the larger slice of the pie. After that,
Sometimes I read manuscripts where the writer has not given any information about what the character looks like or has left this information until a later chapter. I’ve had people say, ‘It’s not important what he/she looks like. It’s their personalities that count.’ This is not a good idea. The problem with this approach is that the reader has nowhere to ‘house’ the character. Remember, they will be traveling with your character for some time and holding them in their heads. The other problem is that readers will conjure up a physical description in their own heads and it may be totally different from what was in the author’s head. This will have an influence on how readers perceive the character. You don’t have to go into excruciating detail, but you do need to give the reader something to hold onto. Even if its love handles.