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Q&A Describe a main character

There are several techniques for doing this, as Lauren Ipsum illustrates, but consider that the first person narrator is also a character and how they narrate the story is part of how their charact...

posted 9y ago by Mark Baker‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2020-01-03T20:41:49Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/20831
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T05:01:15Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/20831
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T05:01:15Z (almost 5 years ago)
There are several techniques for doing this, as Lauren Ipsum illustrates, but consider that the first person narrator is also a character and how they narrate the story is part of how their character is formed in the story. So if the narrator describes their physical appearance, the fact that they are doing so says something profound -- and not necessarily very complimentary -- about their character. It may paint them as vain or self obsessed, for instance.

Also consider that by choosing a first person narrator, you are inviting the reader to adopt the narrator as a substitute self -- to see the world through that character's eyes, rather than to observe them directly. Therefore it may not matter much what they look like unless some aspect of their appearance is inescapably relevant to the story.

In short, it may not need doing, and will almost certainly have side effects that you may not want.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2016-02-07T18:20:45Z (almost 9 years ago)
Original score: 2