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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46190
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46190
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I think it is a job for rewrite. I do not even THINK about my character's physical traits very much until such a trait becomes necessary to the plot -- Say for example I have actor characters, and I want my male character to be rejected as the romantic interest. One way of doing that is by making him too short for the female lead, the producers want somebody at least 3 inches taller than the actress they have already chosen. I decide my character is 5' 9", the actress they cast is 5' 8", and that is why he loses out. (Though I will probably never mention the specific heights in the story; more like "we're looking for somebody at least 5' 11").

But instead of describing this THERE, in the second Act, if I think 5' 9" would be a workable trait, I go back and put it where it belongs: In the first half of Act I, the setup of the world and the characters where the reader is _expecting_ all sorts of new information to appear. I will likely have to invent some excuse to have his height **matter** , so I do that, and double-check the rest of the story to ensure this new height doesn't make any other scenes feel unrealistic.

The first half of the first act is where you have pretty much complete freedom to do anything and be forgiven by the reader. That is where we introduce magic, fantasy worlds, space travel, aliens, psychic powers, miracles, Gods, immortality, anything that demands a suspension of disbelief for the reader/viewer, in order to accept and enjoy the story. The same goes for physical traits, skills, or innate abilities **that will matter** to the plot line, like the male actor's height in my example.

Once that window closes (usually with the inciting incident) the reader's openness to new critical information fades quickly. New information increasingly comes to be seen as a deus ex machina that breaks the suspension of disbelief and jerks the reader out of their immersion.

I am sure some great writers might get away with it; but rather than relying upon my genius writing ability, it is easier for me to just follow the standard rules: Go back and rewrite, get it into Act I, and preferably before the Inciting Incident; it only takes a little creativity and a line or two of text.

> Richard had to jump a few inches to grab the new box of coffee filters from the top shelf of the cabinet.

_Ah, Richard is not very tall._

Original score: 6