# Picturing Your Characters



## Gyarachu (Aug 3, 2014)

I struggle to picture my characters in my head. Like, _really _struggle. At best I can get a very vague glimpse, though without being able to really nail down any specifics. At worst I picture a video game character I know, or a TV/movie character/actor. At the moment my two female leads look like Emma Watson and Bridget Regan. Obviously.* :friendly_wink:

I just can't do it. I can't visually create a person, and when my characters end up involuntarily looking like ones I know, it really hamstrings my ability to develop them as their own person.

Is this normal? Can writers usually picture their creations? Can YOU do it? If so, is there anything you find kick-starts/expedites the process?





*And obviously my three male leads are all me.


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## Smevel (Aug 3, 2014)

Well from I've had in my thought bubble when it comes to characters its entirely possible for most newly "birthed" characters to have lots of resemblances to whoever or whatever your idea was as their basis when they were brought up. A trick I found is one where everything is set in stone (things such as handwriting, favorite music, clothes, etc.) really vague things and the character(s) preference while things such as (eye color, hair, backstory inserts, etc.) can be left out so your character doesn't get the "2-D" treatment and so that you can have those to build up on.


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## Morkonan (Aug 3, 2014)

Gyarachu said:


> ...Is this normal? Can writers usually picture their creations? Can YOU do it? If so, is there anything you find kick-starts/expedites the process?..



I don't know about other writers, but I don't have any problem imagining what my characters look like. Then again, what they look like usually isn't an important part of the story, so even my own mental image of them is subject to change. But, yes, I can easily imagine what they look like.

Maybe you're placing far too much importance on physical appearance? Unless there's a story hook, particular narrative style or a character or plot device involved, there's nothing special about what a character "looks like." I find it a fairly simple matter when it comes down to picturing characters - If what I imagine they look like needs to be changed, then their appearance changes.



> *And obviously my three male leads are all me.




It's not unusual for writers to empathize with their characters or even to put part of themselves into a character. But, it gets boring writing about yourself all day, doesn't it?


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## garza (Aug 3, 2014)

My characters never have faces at the beginning - only personalities. Who they are is defined by what they say and do, but I have no idea how they look. 

After the story is written and has been set aside for a while I'll read it again and that's when images of the characters form in my mind.


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## T.S.Bowman (Aug 3, 2014)

I know what my MC looks like. However, I leave it to the reader to form their own picture of him. I give only a bare minimum description of any of my characters even though I have a pretty good idea of what they look like.

If a physical description doesn't do anything to move the story along, or is a VERY integral part of the character, like a limp or some physical deformity or something, I don't describe much.


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## voltigeur (Aug 3, 2014)

One suggestion that a friend in my critique group made was a photo album for your characters. 

I'm writing a historical thriller so my characters look like regular people. I found pictures of Salvadoran Guerrillas and my intelligence office I had pictured as crew cut horn rim glasses etc. Michael Douglas in Falling Down near dead ringer for who I envisioned. 

The one girl who is a guerilla fighter I did 3 pictures showing her at different stages of the story. 

It did have the effect of making my characters more real in my head. At first I thought is was a foo foo idea but it really works!


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## Gyarachu (Aug 3, 2014)

Smevel said:


> Well from I've had in my thought bubble when it comes to characters its entirely possible for most newly "birthed" characters to have lots of resemblances to whoever or whatever your idea was as their basis when they were brought up. A trick I found is one where everything is set in stone (things such as handwriting, favorite music, clothes, etc.) really vague things and the character(s) preference while things such as (eye color, hair, backstory inserts, etc.) can be left out so your character doesn't get the "2-D" treatment and so that you can have those to build up on.



Thanks for the suggestions, Smevel. I will try them. And welcome to the forums!



Morkonan said:


> I don't know about other writers, but I don't have any problem imagining what my characters look like. Then again, what they look like usually isn't an important part of the story, so even my own mental image of them is subject to change. But, yes, I can easily imagine what they look like.
> 
> Maybe you're placing far too much importance on physical appearance? Unless there's a story hook, particular narrative style or a character or plot device involved, there's nothing special about what a character "looks like." I find it a fairly simple matter when it comes down to picturing characters - If what I imagine they look like needs to be changed, then their appearance changes.



So you mean you can picture the details even? Nose shape, eyebrows, etc? I so wish I could do that...

It's not that I feel it is all that important what they look like. It's that my mind automatically forms a picture, and since I don't have something of my own, it gets filled in by a character I already know. The problem with that is, since I then can only picture that pre-existing character, it is extremely difficult for me to think what _my_ character would do, rather than this borrowed one. My creation gets hijacked.



Morkonan said:


> It's not unusual for writers to empathize with their characters or even to put part of themselves into a character. But, it gets boring writing about yourself all day, doesn't it?



'Twas a jest regarding the dreamy-factor of the aforementioned females. (I couldn't tell if you thought I was serious or not. Darn internet.)



garza said:


> My characters never have faces at the beginning - only personalities. Who they are is defined by what they say and do, but I have no idea how they look.
> 
> After the story is written and has been set aside for a while I'll read it again and that's when images of the characters form in my mind.



Ah, sounds like a luxury. As mentioned above, I just can't stop my characters from being filled in by those I've already encountered.



T.S.Bowman said:


> I know what my MC looks like. However, I leave it to the reader to form their own picture of him. I give only a bare minimum description of any of my characters even though I have a pretty good idea of what they look like.
> 
> If a physical description doesn't do anything to move the story along, or is a VERY integral part of the character, like a limp or some physical deformity or something, I don't describe much.



Agreed on that. As a reader, I prefer minimal description. Problem is what I've mentioned above. Any ideas on how to fix it? Perhaps I should just make better characters...

Also, same question to you as to Mork: how much of your character are you able to visualize?

Thanks guys.


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## tepelus (Aug 3, 2014)

I can, and sometimes I even attempt to draw my characters, even though I can never get them just right on paper as to how I see them in my head.


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## popsprocket (Aug 3, 2014)

I don't have a picture of my characters. They're usually just vaguely-good-looking people with non-specific features. I don't care what they look like really, and the most description they receive in my writing is passing comments about hair or height or over all appearance. I guess you could say that attitude toward describing characters is reflected in not being able to picture them myself.


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## Morkonan (Aug 4, 2014)

Gyarachu said:


> So you mean you can picture the details even? Nose shape, eyebrows, etc? I so wish I could do that...



From fleeting moment to moment, yes... But:



			
				garza said:
			
		

> My characters never have faces at the beginning - only personalities.



^--- This is really what's going on.

My characters are malleable in appearance, in some respects. However, I _know_ my characters by how they feel. I pay attention to the important stuff, like what drives them, what makes them special, what they're thinking and feeling and what their hopes and dreams are. Roll all of that up into a ball and put some spackling paste on it and THAT is what my characters look like to me. I don't "see" them as much as I "feel" them. From that, I can give you a general idea, at any one time, what they may look like. If I wish to focus harder, I can give you details. But, it's not physical details that are important, is it?


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## T.S.Bowman (Aug 4, 2014)

Gyarachu said:


> So you mean you can picture the details even? Nose shape, eyebrows, etc? I so wish I could do that...
> 
> It's not that I feel it is all that important what they look like. It's that my mind automatically forms a picture, and since I don't have something of my own, it gets filled in by a character I already know. The problem with that is, since I then can only picture that pre-existing character, it is extremely difficult for me to think what _my_ character would do, rather than this borrowed one. My creation gets hijacked.
> 
> ...



My best suggestion on how to "fix" the problem would be to just allow your mind to see what it wants to see...but to change a couple of things like hair, or height or weight.  Stuck seeing Emma Watson in your head? Then go ahead and use her as the basis for your female lead...but make your lead taller...darker skin tone...longer/shorter hair than your original image...etc. Basically, picture your story as an ongoing movie that she is starring in, then make her look like your main.

That may help free you up from the stuff you re stuck with. 

As for myself, I only see about 50% of my character's physical attributes. I know my MC in my WIP is about 5'8" tall...stocky build...thick dark hair....and that's about it. For me, it's like I see my characters from behind almost the entire time I am writing about them.


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## Bishop (Aug 4, 2014)

Gyarachu said:


> Is this normal? Can writers usually picture their creations? Can YOU do it? If so, is there anything you find kick-starts/expedites the process?



I sometimes find myself recognizing them as particular actors, but generally I am able to find an original image in my head of the character. I'm not sure why or how, but when the image forms it just sticks. There are even moments where I originally wrote a character one way, and then began to 'see' them differently and had to rewrite some aspects of their character to fit my head's image.

Most of it, for me, might come from the fact that I daydream about my stories A LOT. I just sit and think about the characters in X situations and play it out in my head out of boredom.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Aug 4, 2014)

Why does it matter how they look? I can't picture characters in anything I read, whether it's my own book or others.  But, as others (and you as well, I believe) have said, appearance is rarely crucial to the story anyway, so it's not a big deal.


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## Sam (Aug 4, 2014)

What Gamer said. 

Why should it matter what they look like? A character defined by looks alone isn't much of a character.


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## Pidgeon84 (Aug 4, 2014)

Yeah, I can visualize my characters well.


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## Terry D (Aug 4, 2014)

A character's behavior and actions are often influenced by their appearance (just like in real life), so I find it helpful to have an idea of my character's appearance even down to the most insignificant character. I rarely describe them in detail, only commenting on the aspect of their appearance which drives the story forward, or helps in defining major characters. For instance in _Chase_ the protagonist, Gabriel Ryder, is described as being small for his age. No other description is given. His size matters to his self esteem, so I mention it. By leaving the rest of his appearance vague I let the reader conjure an image which means something to them. One other character, and FBI agent, is described as looking like the actor William H. Macy. I did that because that's who I pictured when I first wrote of him and it gives me the opportunity to inject some humor into the story as other characters react to him. Doing that, however, puts the story at risk for getting dated very easily. It was a risk I was willing to accept because the character, while major, is not one of the primary drivers of the story.


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## bazz cargo (Aug 4, 2014)

I agree with Sam, the reader will quite happily fill in details using only the smallest of hints. I suspect  a writer trying to foist their own detailed images onto the reader will only end in failure.


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## stormageddon (Aug 5, 2014)

Free rein to ramble  you're amazing, Gyarachu <3

Depends what world I'm writing in. On the rare occasions I venture into our world, I rarely bother with character descriptions, and while I have a vague mental image of all my characters at the time of writing, that image will change each time I sit down to write. They tend to keep to the same gender, but rarely so much as the same ethnicity.

But the characters from the worlds of my own devising are always set, and incredibly vivid; I can picture my characters better than I can picture my friends. I think it's because I go into a lot of description of the world - it'd feel odd not to describe the characters in the same way. It's also partly because I have a habit of making up a new "race" for each and every character, and want to do the character more justice than a simple "scaly with fur". And it traces back to when I was but a wee bairn; my chief pet peeve in those days was lack of character description. I was reading to discover new people and places, not to explore more of my own.

There are a fair number of characters whose impact would be lessened without at least some description - GRRM's Brienne is a good example, or perhaps Bilbo Baggins. It's an excellent means to enhance characterization in my opinion. Hobbits are inclined to be fat around the middle - that supplements the idea of a comfortable folk, unaccustomed to violence or hardship. A character needn't be defined by their looks, but they can be enhanced by them - or at least, one's portrayal of them can be.

As Terry D said (correct me if I've wildly misinterpreted), many if not most people's personalities and actions will be in some way influenced by their appearance. Height especially - I, for example, am somewhat stunted in growth, and have developed an unfortunate habit of freezing on the spot whenever an excessively tall person approaches.

What am I trying to say? Hmm...while I agree that appearance isn't necessarily relevant, and that it does no harm to skip over it (even does good, for some readers) I don't agree with the school of thought (I don't know if anyone's put it forth here as I have not read the whole thread, so this is more a general point) that detailed character description could be in some way bad (beyond personal preference), unless shoddily executed. There will always be those who prefer a detailed description, and those who want to cry when they see one.

These days, I still prefer it when authors impose their own image of the character on me, because again, I want to read their story, not my own. I'm sick and tired of my own v.v


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## Jeko (Aug 5, 2014)

I care more about what my characters look on the inside. If they have a feature that's significant or useful for reference or effect, I usually visualize them with that. But otherwise, visualization isn't important; my image of a character is one of thoughts, feelings and relationships, as these are the catalysts for drama and the plot.


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## tabasco5 (Aug 7, 2014)

If it is vital to the story that you know exactly how the characters look, find a similar looking person online and print a picture for reference.  

Having said that, physical description beyond the basics (age, build, gender) is generally unnecessary unless it plays an important role in the story.  When reading, I tend to forget physical descriptions because I form my own anyways.  I just assume other readers do the same.


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## Apex (Aug 7, 2014)

Gyarachu,
I do as you do...my characters are either actors, or people I have known. I don't sit back and think, "Lets see, who should I build my character from?" it seems my brain picks them out as I go along. Take care, I may even build a character after you.


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## Gyarachu (Aug 7, 2014)

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I think my problem might be summed up best as this:



> It's not that I feel it is all that important what they look like. It's that my mind automatically forms a picture, and since I don't have something of my own, it gets filled in by a character I already know. The problem with that is, since I then can only picture that pre-existing character, it is extremely difficult for me to think what _my character would do, rather than this borrowed one. My creation gets hijacked._



Does that make sense? It feels unnatural to write what my character would do rather than the one I'm picturing. Everything comes out in the voice and mannerisms of who's in my head, and it makes it very tough to make the character my own.


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## count58 (Aug 8, 2014)

When you start an inspiring story, you have nice characters in your head.
You can picture big stars, members of your family, or your girlfriend if not your wife.
They will create a picture of your story so you have a setting.
The story flows with the pictures in mind.
Just ensure that you are not carried away by the pictures
but is writing a nice story as well.
Remember and most important of all is to get readers liking your story.


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## Newman (Aug 8, 2014)

Gyarachu said:


> I struggle to picture my characters in my head. Like, _really _struggle. At best I can get a very vague glimpse, though without being able to really nail down any specifics. At worst I picture a video game character I know, or a TV/movie character/actor. At the moment my two female leads look like Emma Watson and Bridget Regan. Obviously.* :friendly_wink:
> 
> I just can't do it. I can't visually create a person, and when my characters end up involuntarily looking like ones I know, it really hamstrings my ability to develop them as their own person.
> 
> ...



One way is to figure out what each character's function, role and arc is. Then you provide the signals.

For example, Jake in _Avatar_. He starts on the military side and ends up on the Naʼvi side. That helps you picture the beginning, end and the steps in between.


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## Marthix2011 (Aug 9, 2014)

I don't know about everyone else but I like drawing my characters.  I'm an artist at heart and I love to see a physical version of my major characters.  Anyone else do this?


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## Dallionz (Aug 9, 2014)

Gamer_2k4 said:


> Why does it matter how they look? I can't picture characters in anything I read, whether it's my own book or others.  But, as others (and you as well, I believe) have said, appearance is rarely crucial to the story anyway, so it's not a big deal.



I agree with this as well. I do provide descriptions of my characters but I find that I tend to visualize them by personality rather than physical characteristics, at least for the most part. I rarely picture characters in other books with a lot of clarity, either. Maybe it's just the different way people's minds work? I've read a few books that had such an amazing attention to detail from the shape of the nose to the slant of the eyes, but I still didn't picture them in my head any better.


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## JakeM (Aug 17, 2014)

The way I think of character's appearances is easy, first picture their clothes, then fill in the rest, but you don't want to be overly specific don't describe everything about the character, you need to let the reader play around with what they envision.


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