coraali

[coraali]

crash

[coraali]

Could we crash tumblr if we all posted the word "crash" on the 1st of april 2022, 12:35 EST?

[coraali]

How to (Write): Physical Appearance

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

01 - Focus on what makes them special

While it's quite okay to write about the general appearance at first (brown eyes, dark hair, blah blah), talk about something that makes them uniquely them afterwards — do they have little freckles peppering their face? Is their smile slightly lopsided? Was one half of their left eyebrow cut off because of a knife accident? Perhaps you can write about what your character resembles (a doll for someone talented with makeup, a mannequin for someone plain-faced but with a (somewhat) desirable body, a 1960s Hollywood actor, etc.). (And so on and so forth.)

There are infinite 'quirks' you can give your character without it being too basic. Mentioning that the character has brown eyes like sixty times in a single book can get a bit boring, and doesn't really quite paint a mental picture of what the character looks like.

extremely short or tall (Also, don't make them all tall! Sometimes tall may be a bit attractive to some, but gnome representation matters, too.)

cool birthmark (that might resemble a dino or something)

abhorrent eyesight (another sidenote: some people use contacts, too, if you don't want to use glasses)

a bunch of tattoos on their back

an overly long nose (& other physical extremes)

02 - Give them "Imperfections"

"Nobody is perfect": that saying goes for fiction, too. We can't all be walking around with perfect skin and hairless legs, even if we wanted to. Fictional characters should not just have desirable traits but also traits that doesn't fall under the beauty standard (which varies region to region).

With that being said, some (quite) internationally recognized beauty "imperfections" may include:

acne (most common are whiteheads, blackheads, pimples)

hair that isn't smooth or abundant

dark eye bags (though they are, arguably, very hot on certain people)

eyes that look like they're constantly on crack/bloodshot

gap tooth

(Just to be clear: I'm putting "imperfections" in heavy quotations because they aren't really imperfections — more like things that society thinks are imperfections.)

HOW TO DESCRIBE

Don't dedicate an entire paragraph to describing a single character, it can bore the reader out really quickly. Instead, mention their appearance in passing ("- her crimson dragon tattoo poked its slanted eyes out of the slit in her dress -") so the reader can slowly gather information and will not be overwhelmed with it.

Linked to the first point, little description is often better than too much. Too much description can lead the writing away from the actual story and refocus the attention on unimportant things.

Relate description to the story. I'm not really sure how to expand on this point, but just don't throw in that [character] has a broken leg when there's a heated discussion going on (unless if the argument is talking about legs or something happens to the leg).

i'm begging you please don't describe eyes as 'orbs.'

Eyes don't need to be just described by colour. They can be compared to things (windows, almonds) or they may be described by the feeling they give off (penetrating, suspicious). You can also describe the eyes by using verbs — like, "his eyes were lit up with mirth" which could describe eyes that are often joyful.

(I couldn't get many ideas out for this post, so feel free to add on!)

[coraali]

Concept: pov book from alien with universal translater who think human names are quirky cuz it translates them automatically so you get things like Bear Friend of Strength or some such when the names just- Arthur Alvin Bernard

like my name translates - Ice Star Glen-Walker

and that's just so badass lol

[coraali]

my dear friend, you are a genius.

How to (create): a hate-able character

A hate-able character, for this post, is more of a side villain than the main antagonist—something like a school bully. However, some of these points can still be applied to the main ant., too!

constantly seeks to harass the people around them

most of their friendships (if they have any) are usually out of fear/respect for their power or people who genuinely have moral issues

let them be the one in power—the one who wields the most influence—so they can have things their way most of the time

if people stand up to them, they use the most self-centered excuses to shut down criticisms

make them prejudiced. not just against the main character(s) or the “good guys,” but also groups of people (minorities, typically)

give them annoying, distinguishable traits (ex. eye-rolling, smirking, pretending to be polite)

lacks gratitude (not thankful for what they have & don’t thank people who help them).

brushes off other people’s emotions if it doesn’t concern themself

[coraali]

How to (create): a hate-able character

A hate-able character, for this post, is more of a side villain than the main antagonist—something like a school bully. However, some of these points can still be applied to the main ant., too!

constantly seeks to harass the people around them

most of their friendships (if they have any) are usually out of fear/respect for their power or people who genuinely have moral issues

let them be the one in power—the one who wields the most influence—so they can have things their way most of the time

if people stand up to them, they use the most self-centered excuses to shut down criticisms

make them prejudiced. not just against the main character(s) or the "good guys," but also groups of people (minorities, typically)

give them annoying, distinguishable traits (ex. eye-rolling, smirking, pretending to be polite)

lacks gratitude (not thankful for what they have & don't thank people who help them).

brushes off other people's emotions if it doesn't concern themself

[coraali]

How to (create): a bubbly and cute character

very appreciative (saying 'thank you' consistently) and often returns favors

"wide-eyed" "broad grin" [and maybe descriptions similar to animals like birds, butterflies & bunnies]

heavily invested in their own interests and the interests of others

[interest ideas]: roller skating, knitting for charity, baking, creating miniature clay figurines, garden (or just taking care of plants in general)

willing to help others in need at a moment's notice

eager to learn and volunteer

[coraali]

[coraali]

when she says she doesn’t send nudes

[coraali]

I was having writers block and so I took a break and soon enough it was 3 in the morning and I had impulsively sewn together a tiny mouse you’re welcome