When we introduce a new character in a story, we (should) describe their facial features (sharp cheek bones, hooked nose, straight eyebrows, etc.), skin/hair/eye color, and body (slender, curvy, petite, tall, stocky, etc.), but we should look past the common traits and get a little more intimate with our characters.
Going beyond the normal descriptions can paint better
images of our characters, and also make them not just more
relate-able but also memorable.
One of my characters in a WIP had a slight gap between her front teeth and a freckle on the bridge of her nose.
Avrianna Heavenborn (introduced in Ghost of Death) the MC in my unpublished series has a slightly crooked middle finger with a freckle on it. She got that from me. ;)
Both of my characters in my wrestling romance story have tattoos with meanings personal to my characters.
And in my Disaster Crimes series, Beth has a scar across her chest from a tree branch that cut her in Hurricane Crimes.
When it comes to your characters, think about their
personality and job to figure out if a tattoo, birth mark or scar could
enhance their appearance.
For Example: a strong hero could have a scar cutting
through his eyebrow. A quirky teenager could have a tattoo of Perry the
Platypus. And a sexy woman could have a freckle between her breasts.
We aren’t clean slates. We have imperfections and body
art, so let’s give them to our characters too!
QUESTION: Do any of your characters have noticeable
tattoos, birth marks or scars? Do you?
I have a dragonfly tattoo on my arm and a foot long scar across my right side from spine surgery.
