How to Write Amazing Character Descriptions: Tips and Techniques

Your characters are the heart and soul of your story. Readers don’t just want to know what they look like—they want to feel like they know them, to see them as real people with unique personalities, quirks, and emotions. A well-crafted character description does more than list physical traits; it breathes life into your characters and makes them unforgettable.

So, how can you write character descriptions that go beyond basic things like eye color? In this post, we’ll explore how to write compelling character descriptions that make your characters jump off the page!

Tips for writing character description

 Before you start writing, it may help to brainstorm a list of adjectives that describe your characters. This list can include personality traits as well as physical attributes. What would you see if you were to take a picture of a character? It may even help to look for photos online for inspiration or to draw your cast of characters. Being able to see them either on paper or in your mind's eye will help you create that image in the reader's mind as well.

Keep your list handy while writing the novel, and find ways to weave these descriptive details into your story naturally. Don't dump all of your character descriptions in at once! As with character development, the reader should gain a clearer picture of your characters as the story progresses.

Avoiding information overload

Less can be more when it comes to describing your characters. Instead of overwhelming your readers with a laundry list of character traits—from the number of freckles on their face to the exact shade of their shoelaces—select a few key features that define them. This allows your readers to use their imagination and engage more deeply with your story.

Think about what makes a character memorable. Is it the way they tilt their head when they're curious? The worn leather jacket they refuse to part with? The nervous habit of tugging on their sleeve? These small but powerful physical details can say a lot about a character without bogging down your prose.

For example, instead of writing:

She had long, wavy black hair, green eyes, a small nose, and a slender frame. She always wore jeans and a t-shirt.

Try something more evocative:

She pushed a stray curl behind her ear, smudging ink across her cheek—an unconscious habit from hours spent scribbling in her notebook. Her oversized t-shirt, peppered with paint stains, hinted at late-night creative bursts.

Notice how this version not only describes her appearance and body language but also gives insight into her personality and interests.

Creating a character profile

Adding vivid, unexpected details makes characters unique and memorable. One of the best ways to achieve this is by avoiding clichés. Ditch overused descriptions like “eyes as blue as the sky” or the classic “brooding bad boy with a leather jacket.” Instead, choose fresh, surprising details that bring your characters to life.

Before you write a description, ask yourself:

• What is the first thing people notice about this character?

• What unique physical or behavioral trait makes them stand out?

• How can I show their personality through their appearance?

By crafting a detailed character profile, you’ll ensure each character feels real and distinct.

Remember that great character description shouldn't be limited to your hero! Keep your secondary characters in mind as well, but be sure to focus on the details that are relevant to the story. You don't need long descriptions of each and every background character, but give the reader enough to fill in the blanks and picture the world your main characters inhabit. 

Tie their physical description to their personality or interests

A character’s physical appearance should reflect their personality, background, and lifestyle. Someone who grew up on a farm might have sun-kissed skin and calloused hands, while a city-dwelling artist might sport ink-stained fingers and paint-flecked jeans. 

These details add depth to your characters and give the reader insights into their personalities and interests. Connecting their appearance to their individuality transforms them from mere words on paper into vibrant beings with passions, quirks, and a unique impact on the story. So, go beyond physical traits and explore what their clothing, hairstyle, or accessories reveal about their true identity.

Let’s look at how the main character, Jade, is described at the beginning of My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones. 

Under her overalls there’s just a girl-cut Misfits t-shirt, probably technically too small if that matters, and her threadbare jeans, most of the holes in the thighs not from washing dishes at the pancake house or moving boxes in a shipping warehouse— Proofrock isn’t big enough for either of those places— but from scraping at the fabric with her fingernails during seventh period, her state history class, which she calls Brainwashing 101. Her fingernails are black, of course, and her hair is supposed to be green, that was the plan one hundred percent, it was going to look killer, but Indian hair doesn’t take the dye like the box says "all hair" should, so she’s got a bobbed orange mop to deal with, which was what started the fight at her house thirty minutes ago, spitting her up here.

We learn a lot about Jade's character and her life here. Her Misfits t-shirt, featuring a punk rock band, shows her love for the horror genre. The scraped holes in her jeans suggest she's bored and disinterested in her history class. Jade's hair color, initially orange due to a failed dye job, later transforms into electric blue and then bright pink, reflecting her willingness to express herself through bold choices.

By choosing specific details and tying them into your character’s personality or interests, you’re giving your readers a peek into your protagonist's soul, making them feel like they're getting to know a friend rather than just reading a story. 

Reveal how a character looks through another's eyes

Sometimes, the best way to describe a character is through another character’s perspective. How one character perceives another can reveal biases, emotions, or hidden aspects of their personality.

For example, in My Heart is a Chainsaw, Jade describes another character, Letha:

If this girl had an aura, it would be "princess," but the cut of her eyes is closer to "warrior," the kind of face that’s just made to come alive when a spatter of blood mists across those perky, flawless, no-acne cheeks.

Here, we don’t just see Letha; we see how Jade perceives her, colored by admiration and perhaps envy. This method adds depth to both characters and makes the description feel more natural.

When writing your own character descriptions, consider:

• How does the protagonist view this person?

• Does their perception change over time?

• How does the description reveal the observer’s personality as well?

Using sensory words to describe characters

We often rely on visual descriptions, but don’t forget to engage the other senses. A character’s scent, the texture of their skin, or the sound of their voice can make them feel more real.

• Scent: Does your character carry the lingering smell of cigarette smoke? Freshly baked bread? Expensive perfume?

• Touch: Are their hands rough from years of hard labor? Do they always wear soft, well-worn sweaters?

• Sound: Is their voice deep and commanding? Soft and musical? Do they have a nervous laugh or a habit of clearing their throat?

By incorporating sensory details, you make the reader feel like they’re standing next to your character, experiencing them firsthand.

Writing good character description in first-person POV

A common challenge for writers is describing what a character looks like in the first-person point of view style. How do you go beyond the cliche of your protagonist waking up, seeing their face in a mirror and describing their own blond hair, blue eyes, and grumpy facial expression? 

Let's look at an example. In the opening scene of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, the heroine and POV character, Starr, is at a party in her neighborhood: 

I didn't know it would be this many people. Girls wear their hair colored, curled, laid, and slayed. Got me feeling basic as hell with my ponytail.

A few lines later, we get more of Starr's description during her conversation with another character, Kenya:

"And it wouldn't kill you to not dress like..." She turns up her nose as she looks from my sneakers to my oversized hoodie. "That. Ain't that my brother's hoodie?"

From this scene, Thomas effectively relays to the reader an immediate sense of what Starr looks like, insight into her personality, and hints at the internal conflict Starr experiences throughout the novel. Even without the character herself saying so, it's evident that Starr feels out of place here. In this scene, Starr's character traits are revealed through her contrast to those around her. This is just one way to write amazing character descriptions in the first person! 

You’re ready to write compelling characters!

We've explored crafting vivid character descriptions that connect readers on a deeper level. With these strategies, you’ll create characters that feel as real as the people we meet in our everyday lives. Now, go forth and bring your characters to life on the page!