describing a character

a writer gives us an impression of the

character’s personalitypersonality by the way he describes him or her

a good writer makes the reader respondmakes the reader respond to the character in the way he intends: eg

with sympathy dislike or fear

Some authors like to draw their Some authors like to draw their characters before they startcharacters before they start.

They like to know They like to know what they look like to what they look like to help them imagine:help them imagine:

how they speak

what they would like or hate

how they would react to events

sometimes authors tell us what characters look like to give us clues about personality

The vampire was dressed in a long, flowing dark cape, fastened at the neck by a scarlet silk cloth, his face was whiter than new-fallen snow. His cruelly thin grey lips drewback revealing a pair of amber-coloured fangs. His eyes had no whites, they were blazing red like some savage animal.

The vampirevampire was dressed in a long, long, flowingflowing darkdark capecape, fastened at the neckneck by a scarlet silkscarlet silk cloth, his face was whiter whiter than new-fallen snowthan new-fallen snow. His cruelly thin cruelly thin grey lipsgrey lips drew backrevealing a pair of amber-coloured amber-coloured fangsfangs. His eyes had no whiteseyes had no whites, they were blazing redblazing red like some savage savage animalanimal.

The ghost came out of the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers. It oozed out, a grey, cloudy shape about three feet long smelling faintly of woodsmoke, sat on a chair and began to hum to itself. It looked like a bundle of bedclothes, except that it was not solid: you could see, quite clearly, the cushion on the chair beneath it. It took out a ball of wool and some needles and began to knit

The ghost came out of the bottom drawer of a

chest of drawers. It oozed oozed out, a grey, cloudy shape about three feet long smelling faintly smelling faintly of of woodsmokewoodsmoke,, sat on a chair and began to hum to itself. It looked like a bundle of bedclothes, except that it was not solidnot solid: you could see, quite clearly, the cushion on the chair beneath it. It took out a ball of It took out a ball of wool and some needles and wool and some needles and began to knitbegan to knit

Glam was a huge unkempt man, with a shock of white hair and great grey staring eyes, uncanny to look on. He was enormously tall and horribly large of head: the hair was wild and the eyes were great

and glassy. The rafters creaked under him, and the whole building groaned with the strain when he walked.

Glam was a hugea huge unkemptunkempt man, with a shock shock of white hairof white hair and great great grey grey staring staring eyes, uncannyuncanny to look on. He was enormously tallenormously tall and horriblyhorribly large of large of headhead: the hair was wildhair was wild and the eyes were

great great and glassy.glassy.

The rafters creaked creaked under him, and the whole building groaned groaned with the strainwith the strain when he walked.

Mr Fast was neatly dressed in black, with a short round hat that resembled the stopper of an ink bottle. Considering his age, he seemed remarkably spry. He wore ancient black garments that hung about him like decrepit wings, and with his creased old neck stretched forward, he resembled a very shabby vulture that, for reasons of health and vanity, had taken to wearing a dark hat.

Mr FastMr Fast was neatly dressed in black, with a short round hat that resembled the stopper of an ink bottle. Considering his age, he seemed remarkably spry. He wore ancient black garments that hung about him like decrepit wings, and with his creased old neck stretched forward, he resembled a very shabby vulture that, for reasons of health and vanity, had taken to wearing a dark hat.

Tom tossed and turned before his eyes finally opened.  There at the foot of the bed he saw a a strange white shapestrange white shape. It was standing quitestillstill.. The head nodded slowlyslowly, and the white hairwhite hair moved in the darkness. Black eyesBlack eyes stared at Tom, and the mouth opened as if to speak. It was a terrible sight!

Tom tossed and turned before his eyes finally opened. There at the foot of the bed he saw   a sinister, shifting pulsating presence that seemed to emanate evil.

Quite still, it hung midair, about to about to pounce, motionless and waiting.pounce, motionless and waiting.

Nothing else moved in the empty blackness. He was aware of nothing but a terrifying, threatening force.

To his horror he saw a hideous, contorted mask of terror. Where there should have been a mouth there yawned a gaping black emptiness. It loomed over Tom as if to speak. A freezing mist iced over his face.Petrified, he froze with fear. Somewhere in the room he heard a strangled scream. His own!

Tom was twelve years old. He was small for his age, but strong.He had red hair and very white skin. His eyes were dark blue and small. He had a miserable look on his face because he hadn’t wanted to leave the only place he had ever known as home, and come to live in the old cottage which his father had bought.

Tom was only just twelve years old. He was a small, slight boy, delicate and under-developed for his age, though despite his fragile appearance deceptively strong and tough. His fierce red hair contrasted with his deathly white skin – a sign of the fact that he was rarely allowed out of doors. His nervous, darting eyes were dark blue and suspicious under fluttering dark lashes.

His face was set in an expression of abject misery. The terrifying thought of leaving the only place he had ever known as home paralysedhim with dread. He hardly dared contemplate coming to grind out a living in the ancient and sinister ruin of a house his strange and, distant father had somehow managed to acquire – or why he had done so.

What Jamie’s Mother Does

Jamie winced as his mother grabbed him, pulling him into the house as she carried on nagging him. In the space of the next ten minutes Jamie had his entire face, neck, cheeks and ears scrubbed, then his hands. His shirt was pulled from him and a clean one replaced it. A fresh handkerchief was stuffed in his pocket, pills and a drink of water forced down his protesting mouth; his teeth were rebrushed, clean socks thrust on his feet and his trainers sprayed with scuffguard.

 

What Jamie’s Mother Does

Jamie winced as his mother grabbed him, pulling him into the house as she carried on nagging him. In the space of the next ten minutes Jamie had his entire face, neck, cheeks and ears scrubbed, then his hands. His shirt was pulled from him and a clean one replaced it. A fresh handkerchief was stuffed in his pocket, pills and a drink of water forced down his protesting mouth; his teeth were rebrushed, clean socks thrust on his feet, and his trainers sprayed with scuffguard.

 

Louis took out the suitcase from beneath his bed and opened it. He went to his chest of drawers and started to gather piles of clothes which he thought he might need. He also went to his book shelves and chose a few books and CDs. He went back to the suitcase and started to pack the items, putting the clothes at the bottom. He looked around his room before he went downstairs.

Louis took out the suitcase from beneath his bed and opened it. He went to his chest of drawers and started to gather piles of clothes which he thought he might need.

He went back to the suitcase and started to pack the items, putting the clothes at the bottom.

illustration

He looked around his room before he went downstairs.

Faces