Describing the physical traits of your characters no matter their age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.
A few years ago, on a writing forum, I was engaged in a conversation on describing character’s physical traits. The two major points that were raised in this discussion were A. how to describe physical traits without using the same old same old terms, B. how to respectfully describe characters of differing races.
As a white woman, I had never given much thought to describing characters of other races, a fact which bothered me once I realized it. So, I dove into the web and I did my research on describing characters of color respectfully. I realized, in the literary world, there were other character groups that could benefit from more versatile and respectful terms used to describe their physical traits.
Importance of Describing Your Characters
Some writers I’ve talked to will say that they don’t describe their characters, allowing the readers to conjure up images in their mind as they read. I have a few things to say about this, especially when it comes to working towards an all-inclusive literature world.
The first problem that comes to mind is that a reader’s imagination can be biased. Without character descriptions, every character that appears in a book could automatically be assumed to be white, straight, young, cisgender, etc. This is an incredibly exclusionary way to write and I believe the literary world, and those who want to be part of it, should be more conscious of inclusionary writing.
Now, if you still want your readers’ imagination to primarily drive the way they envision a character, the best balance between the two is offering enough physical description for the reader to determine the character’s race, age, gender, etc. without describing them from head to toe.
The second problem I see is that a fully developed character includes physical features and traits because the way someone looks – and how those looks are perceived by themselves and their society – can impact their character development. A fully developed, multidimensional character includes their physical features. Without them, the characters can come up flat and uninteresting because they are missing a huge portion of what makes them well, them.
While this last bit isn’t so much a problem as a benefit to writing, it still falls under important reasons to describe characters’ physical features. Lots of writers will talk about their characters’ actions, the way they grasp a hand, the way they run their fingers through their hair. These actions can be enhanced by adding in physical descriptions. It brings a more immersive visual experience to your readers and adds more depth to the characters.
Take these two examples:
He ran his fingers through his hair.
He ran bony fingers through thin, greasy strands, slicked back like a used car salesman.
The two sentences cover the same action, however, the second sentence gives the reader a much more immersive experience around the action as well as the character’s appearance, and thus the kind of character they are.
Respectful vs. Disrespectful Terms
In that same conversation I had on the writing forum, one of the most universally agreed upon disrespectful way to describe character features was by using food terms. Saying a character has almond-shaped eyes, chocolate skin, cinnamon colored skin, etc., are considered disrespectful terms.
I was surprised to learn this, though I admittedly shouldn’t have been. The surprise was because I’d read so many books that included food shape and color descriptions for characters. Though, based on my research and that conversation I had, the general consensus was that food descriptors were disrespectful.
On another writing forum I was a part of, there was a huge portion of writers that said when they wrote characters of racial or ethnic minorities, they would describe them simply by their race – describing them as Asian, black, Hispanic, or some such. I could definitely understand the disrespect behind this. It is essentially implying that all people of a specific race, ethnicity, or demographic look the same and don’t have individual features.
Of course, this extends beyond race and ethnicity too. Like describing a character as old implies all old people have the same telltale features that make them appear old. In reality, every old person is an individual and has their own identifying traits and physical features.
I’ve encountered a lot of writers who say they won’t write characters of color or differing age ranges or sexual orientations because they aren’t comfortable describing them. That is what inspired me to come up with my list of descriptions. No one should feel “uncomfortable” describing human features across age, race, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, and so on.
The List
My list of traits includes the most commonly described body parts and features. This list is primarily geared towards human-based characters as the options and variations for fantasy, sci-fi, and supernatural characters is infinite.
I acknowledge that this isn’t a complete list, because the possibilities are quite literally endless. Its purpose is to primarily give you ideas and spark your own imagination. Just to shake things up for physical descriptors you use with your characters and remind you that describing characters of all walks of life and backgrounds isn’t something to shy away from.
Skin Tone/Color
Black
White
Beige
Brown
Tan
Pink
Umber
Ebony
Sepia
Ochre
Russet
Terra-cotta
Caucasian
Tawny
Taupe
Fawn
Khaki
Gold
Sandy Brown
Sunkissed Brown
Rich Ebony
Dark Brown
Warm Beige
Golden-Hued
Alabaster
Pale
Olive (both a color and a food)
Ivory
Reddish-brown
Reddish-tan
Suntanned
Fair
Amber
Hazel (both a color and a food)
Rosey
Flushed
Sallow
Undertones for Skin
Yellow
Golden
Bronze
Copper
Orange (both a color and a food)
Orange-red
Coral
Red
Pink
Blue
Blue-red
Magenta
Rose
Sapphire
Silver
Eyes
Close-set
Wide-set
Narrow
Angled
Round
Wide
Puffy
Thin
Bulging
Prominent
Hooded
Deep-set
Triangular
Small
Large
Beady
Heavy-lidded
Sunken In
Eye Colors/Descriptors
Blue
Black
Brown
Gray
Green
Hazel
Gold flecked
Ice blue
Amber
Liquid gold
Liquid sapphire
Azure
Cerulean
Coal-black
Deep brown
Light brown
Blue-green
Gray-green
Restless
Bright
Dull
Sad
Old soul
Verdant
Emerald
Stormy
Sunken In
Bag Underneath
Face Shape/Descriptions
Round
Heart-shaped
Square
Angular
Pointed chin
Square jaw
High cheekbones
Pudgy
Fleshy
Sharp features
Soft curves and angles
Wrinkled
Spotted with age
Youthfully round
Flushed
Red
Haggard
Thin
Lips
Full
Thin
Narrow
Prominent
Puffy
Bee-stung
Swollen
Puckered
Sharp
Firm
Soft
Dark
Light
Pink
Brown
Red
Glossy
Dark-skinned
Plush
Lush
Firm Line
Noses
Long
Short
Hooked
Upturned
Button
Beak-like
Prominent
Bulbous
Lumpy
Crooked
Flat
Narrow
Broad
Pointed
Dainty
Aquiline
Teeth
Straight
Crooked
White
Yellow-stained
Pitted
Neat
Decaying
Gapped
With Braces
Pointed
Sharp
Hair Color
Black
Brown
Blond
Red
Gray
White
Silver
Silver Fox (generally reserved for men)
Salt and pepper (a hair color and also a food)
Golden blond
Strawberry blond
Auburn
Deep red
Light red
Light brown
Dark brown
Ash brown
Mousey brown
Jett black
Ebony
Raven
Crimson
Bleached
Bleach blond
Platinum blond
Dyed (unnatural hair color)
Frosted Tips
Two Toned
Highlights
Hair Style/Texture
Straight
Wavy
Curly
Corkscrew curls
Pin straight
Glossy
Silky
Long
Short
Medium length
Shoulder length
Course
Frizzy
Fuzzy
Untamed
Brittle
Fragile
Thick
Stringy
Thin
Greasy
Mohawk
Dreadlocks
Half-shaved
Bald
Shaved Head
Comb-over
Toupee
Balding
Thinning
Wig
Synthetic Hair
Hair Extensions
Bob
Pixie cut
Weave
Bee-hive
Afro
Braid
Plait
Ponytail
Messy bun
Tight bun
Pigtails
Cornrows
Unruly
Crimped
Receding Hairline
Spiky
Shaggy
Widow’s Peak
Facial Hair
Course
Prickly
Soft
Curly
Chinstrap
Clean-shaven
Five O’clock Shadow
Mutton chops
Soul patch
Goatee
Full beard
Sideburns
Mustache
Beard
Handlebar mustache
Thin mustache
Foo Manchu
Unkept
Trimmed
Styled
Wiry
Ears
Small
Large
Dainty
Prominent
Rounded
Pointed
Large-lobed
Small-lobed
Noticeable
Concealed
Body Type
Thin
Slender
Thick
Fat
Large
Athletic
Muscular
Trim
Lanky
Gangly
Hourglass
Curvaceous
Voluptuous
Withered
Wizened
Wasp-waisted
Anorexic
Emaciated
Curvy
Potbellied
Lean
Pudgy
Short
Tall
Petite
Rubenesque (usually used for women)
Chest
Broad
Muscular
Voluptuous
Flat
Narrow
Well-endowed
Prominent cleavage
Wide bust
Rounded bust
Muscles
Athletic
Trim
Thick
Defined
Flabby
Sculpted
Chiseled
Bulging
Tense
Knotted
Cords
Loose
Flimsy
Weak
Strong
Hands and Fingers
Slender
Pudgy
Meaty
Beefy
Dainty
Slender fingers
Piano fingers
Elegant
Smooth
Course
Rough
Wizened
Thinning
Frail
Long
Bony
Short
Stubby
Other Features for Individualization
Scars
Birthmarks
Piercings
Tattoos
Dyed/ Unnatural hair color
Physical deformity
Physical disability
Muscular or Facial tics
Conclusion
There are lots of ways to describe characters’ physical traits and ways to work those descriptors craftily into your writing. I think one of the hesitations writers have in describing their characters is they don’t want to do a huge “info-dump” when introducing their characters. They don’t want to drop 3-4 paragraphs of intricate details of that character’s physical traits.
I understand this completely, and my list isn’t meant to be used as a means to support info dumps. Instead, it offers a wide variety of descriptors that can be used in a variety of ways, depending on your needs and your writing style.
Remember your characters are multidimensional people, just like real-life people. That includes their physical traits and characteristics. Don’t let your writing fall flat by avoiding physical descriptors.
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