Create memorable characters using carefully chosen details

by Ruth Harris

 

The 20^th Century architect, Mies van der Rohe, designer of iconic contemporary buildings like Crown Hall in Chicago and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, and classic chairs like the Barcelona and Brno, said: “God is in the details.”

His observation also applies to fiction: the details we provide about our characters bring them into clear focus.

On-target details, carefully chosen, judiciously used, and sparing deployed, give the reader powerful clues to the emotions, memories, fantasies, goals and aspirations that make our characters real.

Without using a single line of dialogue or indulging in long, windy descriptions, the writer who has learned the skill of using the well-considered detail can project a distinct character or different aspects of the same character in a way the reader will immediately understand and relate to.

Clothing and appearance, scent and sensibility provide powerful metaphors for a character’s inner life—turbulent or tumultuous, serene or contemplative. Specific, relevant details, precisely described can be trademarks, too—a useful form of short hand the writer can and should use (but never over-use).

Signature Details: From the Hoodie to the Wand.

• Mark Zuckerberg and his hoodie.
• Steve Jobs and his black turtleneck and jeans.
• Hillary Clinton and her pants suit.
• Donald Trump and The Hair.
• Michael Jordan without hair.
• Queen Elizabeth and the color-coordinated purse over her arm.
• Humphrey Bogart and a cigarette held at a jaunty angle.
• James Bond and his Beretta.
• Audrey Hepburn and her Little Black Dress and sunglasses.
• Sherlock Holmes with his pipe and deerstalker hat.
• The Phantom of the Opera and his mask.
• Superman and his cape.
• Harry Potter and his wand.

Who are they without the hoodie or the cigarette, the hair or the mask? Would we recognize them? Might we be less interested? Would we remember them?

Your characters may not be world famous (yet), but whether you’re writing romance or horror, sci-fi or fantasy, your characters do need to be memorable and relatable. Whether you’re writing about a fashionista (or is sh/he a fashion victim), or a suburban Mom with (or without) secret superpowers, a 1920’s flapper, a 1930s femme fatale, a 1950s mad man (or woman), a big wave surfer, a Brooklyn trendoid or royalty, modern or otherwise, their wardrobes and props offer an immediate clue to their identity.

Create Memorable Characters with Clothing Details, from Shoulder Pads to Bullet Bras.

Joan Crawford’s shoulder pads project one kind of character. Lace, ruffles and rhinestones project another. James Bond’s Savile Row evening wear still another.

Whether you’re writing about Madonna or Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney or Ray Charles, about Catherine the Great or Madame Curie or the girl next door, details about their wardrobes, including their underwear, are a writer’s secret weapon and a way to bring your characters into focus for yourself—and for your readers.

• More than pearls, a bag and a crown: inside the queen’s closet.
• 29 bra styles.
• Vintage corsets and girdles.
• Evening wear, sportswear, dressing for success.

Contemplate shoes and everything a pair of shoes can contribute to creating character, plot, and story.

The Power of Shoes.

• A runner in new Nikes/old Adidas/vintage Chuck Taylors. Is s/he training for the Olympics? For the Boston Marathon? A local charity run? Is s/he running toward something or away from someone? To meet the cute guy or girl glimpsed on Chicago’s Lakefront Path or because the pounds were creeping up?
• The fashionista (or is she a fashion victim?) in her sky-high stilettos. Do her Manolos make her feel sexy? Do her feet hurt? Can she out run the robber/mugger/bad guy who is out to assault her/steal her purse/tell her that she’s won the Oscar or that there’s lipstick on her teeth?
• Surfer in flip-flops. Does s/he ever take them off/leave the beach/take on the biggest waves/suffer sunburn or board burn? What happens if s/he stubs his/her toe or falls in love with a mountain climber? What if s/he actually needs to get a job? How would sandy, beat-up flip-flops work at a job interview?
• A dancer in pink satin pointe shoes. Does she tiptoe through life? Rise to heights? Will she and her partner fall madly in love or grit their teeth to play the love scenes in Romeo and Juliet? Do her shoes tell us that she talented/hard working/accustomed to bouquets and accolades? What happens when the applause stops?
• Star chef in kitchen clogs. Does s/he burn through life and lovers or does his/her love life resemble a perfect gourmet meal? Will s/he set foodie trends/run a restaurant/experience a run of bad luck have to work in a diner or hash joint?
• Do clogs make a good weapon? Can clogs help bail out a sinking ship? Would an Irish clog dancer add interest? Are these boots made for walking—or for dancing?
• The lounge lizard in polished, hand-made-in-Italy loafers. Are those loafers made for walking? Does the LL have many pairs of those pricey loafers lined up in an architect-designed closet or just one pair, bought on credit, waiting to help our character take the next step? Will that step be up or down?

The Secret Language of Clothes.

From formal to casual, vintage to thrift and far, far beyond, there’s a blog for almost any style or historical period you can imagine. If you don’t already have your favorite, try a search at Pinterest, sample 50 Best fashion blogs, choose from 99 most influential blogs, or 25 Street Style blogs to get started.

Does your character have a closet bulging with clothes but has “nothing to wear? Is her indecision a sign of a much more general sense of anxiety and insecurity? Has s/he maxed out the credit card or is s/he using stolen plastic? Does she want to dress to seduce and succeeds—but ends up with Mr. Wrong? What about her jewelry, handbag, briefcase or eyeglasses, and what do they convey about her?

Do worn, shabby, clothes project a “poor me” look? Not necessarily. Maybe the character is poor but perhaps s/he is indifferent to clothes, has vision difficulties, is in hiding or disguise or is color blind. Cargo shorts with a yacht club blazer? Overalls with a tiara? A plaid tie with a paisley shirt? Matched or mismatched? Dressed in the dark? Perhaps his/her mind is on more important things? Was Einstein a fashion plate? Nope. He was thinking up e=mc2.

What about your character’s jacket? Is it a blazer, a bomber, a doublet or a duffel, loden or denim, a parka, a windbreaker, a smoking jacket?

And what about his/her coat? A lab coat, trench coat, duffle, chesterfield, rain coat, car coat, frock coat?

What your character wears when s/he is alone can tip off his/her self-image. A stained, threadbare bathrobe? Maybe a coordinated lounging ensemble complete with satin slippers and a designer label? Sweats? Worn but clean and comfy PJs? His/her old Army uniform? Tattered, ancient t-shirt, a hand-me-down from Dad or an old boyfriend, a purchase at a long-ago Rolling Stones concert with good (or bad) associations?

Hair, makeup and grooming.

A $$$$ cut, color and blow out from Monsieur Le Snob? Hacked at home? By a friend, boyfriend, Mom? Miss Clairol or Lose That Grey? The result of a bad breakup? Prep for a new job or a new romance?

Dragon Lady red lips that can be seen a mile away? A dab of tentative pastel? Lip balm only? Plastered on pancake? Tarantula lashes or smudged mascara? Crying binge or tears of joy? Make up blogs and videos abound.

Scruffy beard? Or well-groomed stubble? Goatee or Van Dyke? Men’s grooming blogs like Urban Gent have the scoop.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and beyond.

Piercings and body jewelry.

The Invisibles 

Don’t forget about the powerful details that can’t be seen.

Your character’s playlist can be an expression of his tastes and attitudes. Mozart or Metallica? Rock band or steel band? The Beatles or the Bossa Nova?

Consider your character’s voice.

• A come-hither tone à la Lauren Bacall?
• An insinuating, seductive purr of Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector?
• The high pitch of a scream? Or are we hearing a giddy, giggly teen-ager?
• An unpredictably changing voice of a boy entering adolescence?
• A spooky whisper, an authoritative baritone, or a memorable bass?
• Are we hearing the sound of command or capitulation?
• Would changing a character’s voice help turn him/her from weak into strong or vice versa? Confident or insecure? Hesitant or decisive?

How does your character smell?

Smell, more formally known as olfaction, is considered the fifth sense, and is powerfully connected to memory, mood, and emotion. Is she doused in a sexy, man-trap Oriental? Does s/he reek of the latest pricey designer creation? An innocent floral? Sporty after shave? Spices and sandalwood or health-store herbals?

Perfume blogs like Now Smell This and Bois de Jasmin offer lots and lots of information and ideas about fragrance and excel at describing the particulars of scent.

Is your character sweating? Are we talking flop sweat, sweating the details, or anti-perspirant failure? Sweat resulting from physical labor, athletic endeavor, or just BO? Summer in the city? Bangkok or Brisbane? After a set of tennis? Singles or doubles? At a public court, a snooty country club, or hitting solo against a barn door?

Are we smelling salt water and sun tan lotion at a beach? Popcorn at the movies? Are we in a field of lavender in the South of France, a leather-upholstered Rolls in Hong Kong, a lobster shack on the New England coast? Is our character drawn to the smell or repelled by it? What memories and fantasies do they trigger in your character?

In fiction, as in architecture, details make the difference. There is a wide world to choose from but use them wisely and choose them carefully. Your taste, style, and judgment will tell you how much is too much and how much is just enough. As Mies also said: “Less is more.”