creative writing describing blonde hair

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Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

400+ Words to Describe Hair: A Word List for Writers

(Discover even more words in The Writer’s Body Lexicon .)

Why Should You Worry About Your Characters’ Hair?

Audrey Hepburn said, “The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.”

Audrey was right, but people still judge others and make snap assessments based on appearance. Hair reveals personality and lifestyle. Along with the eyes and prominent facial features, it makes a huge impact. I suspect it’s part of the reason somebody coined the phrase bad hair day.

Capitalize on that in your writing.

Does your protagonist have blonde hair with dark roots? Maybe she’s a hard-working businesswoman with no time to make a salon appointment; or perhaps she’s a harried mother who can’t afford a dye job because of a financial crisis in the family.

An affluent hotel magnate could flaunt a perfectly styled toupee, every strand in place. A homeless person’s mane might be unkempt, with patchy straggles that smell like mold or trash.

Match the hair to each character’s persona. The way people maintain or ignore their hair provides clues about their life.

From some of the word lists that follow, I created three short paragraphs.

Dionne’s gunmetal ponytail flowed behind her while she sprinted after her prey — me. I crouched behind the trash bin, holding my breath , as she swished so close I could smell the death in her hair.

What do you see? Perhaps a cold-blooded assassin or serial killer? Now contrast with another paragraph.

Helena’s voluminous champagne curls cascaded over white shoulders, wafting a delicate aroma of honeysuckle into the sitting room as she swished in my direction.

Another woman, perhaps affluent, in a long dress. This could work for the heroine in a Victorian novel.

Eddie’s pumpkin-orange hair bounced as he waddled toward me. The sickening stench of cigar smoke wafted from what I quickly realized was a poorly constructed toupee.

Did you envision a chubby man who chain-smokes cigars?

Judicious use of descriptors can augment a piece. However, beware of stacked modifiers . Consider these two paragraphs.

Bill’s balding, scraggly, dandruff-flecked salt-and-pepper hair barely covered his scalp, which reflected the fluorescent lights and made him look decades older than his professed age of thirty years.

All the commas in the description scream too much . Let’s try rewording it.

The fluorescent lights reflected off Bill’s scalp, which peeked through scraggly salt-and-pepper hair flecked with dandruff. Thirty years old? What a liar. He had to be at least fifty.

Same man, same basic description. Better phrasing. Although salt-and-pepper is cliché.

B to D balding, beautiful , bleached, bouncy, bristly, broken, brushed, buoyant, burnished, burnt, bushy, cascading, clean, clipped, clumpy, coarse, coiffed, combed, cropped, curly, damaged, damp, delicate, dirty, dull, dyed

F to P feathery, fine, flat, flowing, fluffy, frizzy, fuzzy, gelled, gleaming, glossy, greasy, groomed, heavy, highlighted, kinked, ironed, lacquered, limp, luscious, moussed, nappy, nubby, patchy, permed, plush, polished, puffy

S scorched, scraggly, severe, shaggy, shimmery, shiny, short, shoulder-length, silky, singed, slicked-back, slimy, sparse, spiky, springy, stiff, straggly, straight, straightened, streaked, sweaty

T to W teased, thick, thin, trimmed, uneven, unkempt, untamed, velvety, voluminous, wavy, wet, windswept, wild, wiry, wispy

Hair is usually a combination of a base color with highlights and lowlights that appear different in light or shadow. Study people on the street and in shopping malls. Visit YouTube. Scrutinize the offerings in a wig shop.

Some colors are considered cliché. Whenever you’re in doubt, click over to Google.

For instance, try the following searches, leaving the phrases in quotes for accuracy. The figures in parentheses are the number of results I received as I wrote this post.

“bleached blond” (1,010,000)

“champagne blond” (641,000)

“wheat blond” (348,000)

“bottle blond” (277,000)

“sun-kissed blond” (834,000)

“electric blond” (29,800)

Considering the frequency of each phrase, electric blond would be a more suitable choice than bleached blond.

Note: Although blond can describe the hair of either males or females, many writers prefer blond for males and blond e for females. Likewise with the hair or fur of gender-identified pets and animals.

Better than direct replacements, however, try exploiting the following suggestions as kernels, and brainstorm new color descriptions.

Blond/blonde amber, ash, blanched, bleached, bottle, brassy, bronze, champagne, dirty, electric, flaxen, frosted, gilded, ginger, golden, honey, peroxide, platinum, sand, straw, strawberry, sunkissed, Trump blond/e, wheat

Brown almond, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, dun, espresso, fawn, mahogany, mocha, mouse, nut, russet, sienna, taffy, tawny, umber

Black anthracite, charcoal, coal, crow, ebony, ink, jet black, midnight, obsidian, onyx, pitch, raven, sable, soot, tar

Grey/gray ash, charcoal, dove, graphite, gunmetal, iron, pewter, salt-and-pepper, shark, silver, slate, steel, tweed grey, wolf-grey, zinc-grey

Red auburn, brick, burgundy, candy, carrot, copper, crimson, fire red, fire-engine red, flame, flaming, ginger, maple-leaf red, pepper red, pumpkin, roan, rouge, rust, rusty, sorrel, titian, tomato

White angel, chalk, eggshell, foam, frost, gardenia, ghost, ivory, lily, lotus, paper, porcelain, Samoyed, sheet, skeleton, snow, starch, sugar, talc, wedding veil

See also 1000+ Ways to Describe Colors .

Styles and Cuts

A bowl cut imparts an instant image. Can you think of other everyday objects that would do the same?

Revise. Innovate. Invent.

A and B afro, beehive, Bettie Paige, Bieber cut, blunt cut, bob cut, bouffant, bowl cut, braided, brush cut, bun, burr, butch cut, buzz cut

C Caesar cut, chignon, chonmage, comb over, conk, cornrows, crew cut, cropped, crown braid, Croydon facelift, curtained

D to F devilock, dice bob, Dido flip, dreadlocks, ducktail, emo, Eton crop, extensions, fade, fallera, feathered, finger wave, fishtail braid, flattop, flipped, French braid, French twist, frosted tips, full crown

G to M G.I. cut, half crown, Harvard clip, hime cut, hi-top fade, induction cut, Ivy League, Jheri curl, layered, liberty spike, marcel waves, military cut, mod cut, mop-top, mullet

O and P odango, oseledets, pageboy, parted in the middle, payot, pigtails, pinned up, pixie cut, plaited, pompadour, ponytail, Princeton cut, psychobilly wedge, puffball, punk

Q to W queue, quaff, rattail, razor cut, recon, shag, shape-up, shingle bob, side parted, spiked, surfer hair, taper, tied back, tonsure, topknot, undercut, updo, wings

Hair damaged by over-perming won’t sway; it might ruffle, snarl, or tangle. Short hair could fluff, frizz, or spike. Curls might bounce, coil, or twist. Try the words here as starters for alternative suggestions from your favorite thesauruses.

B to R bounce, cascade, coil, curl, drape, drip, dangle, draggle, drift, droop, flap, flow, fluff, frizz, flutter, glide, knot, pour, puff, ripple, ruffle

S to W slap, slop, smother, snag, snarl, spike, spill, spiral, spring, stick, straggle, stream, sway, swing, tangle, trail, twist, unravel, wave, whirl, wiggle

Hair absorbs scent from the environment. House painters, garage mechanics, busy mothers, and hairstylists could smell of paint, grease, sour milk, or perm chemicals. You can often show readers a protagonist’s occupation without using a single word of tell.

Start with these ideas and analyze your characters’ environment for others.

A to C ammonia, antiseptic, apples, an ashtray, a bakery, bar vomit, beer, blackberries, bleach, car exhaust, cheap perfume, cigarettes, cigars, citrus, cotton candy

D to J death, decomposition, a forest, fresh-cut grass, a garage, gardenias, grease, gunpowder, honeydew melons, honeysuckle, a hospital, jasmine

L to S lavender, lemon cleaner, lilac, magnolia, mint, mold, moss, outdoors, paint, peaches, perm chemicals, pine, raspberries, roses, smoke, sour milk, sweat

Frequent Repetitions of Hair Will Annoy Readers

What about replacing it with nouns from this list?

B to W bristles, cap, cascades, coils, cloud, corona, corkscrew curls, fall, hairpiece, halo, mane, mass, mop, ribbons, ringlets, river, rope, snakes, spikes, spirals, sheet, spill, straw, stubble, tendrils, torrent, toupee, tresses, tufts, waterfall, weave, wig

Props to Augment Your Descriptions

Think of people you’ve met. What did you notice about their hair? What do you know about your own? Try these props.

• dandruff, flakes, flecks, lice, nits
• hair transplant, hair plugs
• fringe, bangs
• receding hairline, high forehead, sideburns
• split ends, humidity frizz, bald spot, alopecia
• itchy scalp, burning scalp, hives in hairline
• hairpins, barrettes, tiebacks, elastics, headbands
• feathers, flowers, garlands, bows, ribbons
• hats, berets, caps, kerchiefs, scarves, crowns, tiaras, fontanges

Now can you explain Lily Tomlin’s quote about hair? “If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in the library?”

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12 thoughts on “ 400+ Words to Describe Hair: A Word List for Writers ”

Please help me with this; describing a long luscious braid.

Well, Mahnoor, that would depend on context.

A long braid could be tight or loose, messy or neat, flyaway or smooth …

Does your character respond impulsively? Maybe make the braid flyaway and swinging.

Is your character priggish? The braid could be neat and secured by several elastics or bows.

The possibilities are many.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay safe!

Kathy, this is my attempt at describing hair. A tad unconventional possibly: “To tell the truth, Tulip didn’t feel exactly qualified for the post of beautiful maiden right now. After her tortuous trek through the Swamp, getting scratched by thorns, caked in mud, covered in evil, stinky, sticky slime, perhaps she wasn’t as attractive as she might have been. Worst of all, she could feel some creepy-crawling thing had taken up residence in her hair. She didn’t like to think what her once-beautiful hair looked like now. Probably like it had been dragged through a hedge backwards. The toad was thinking along similar lines. His idea of a beautiful maiden fitted the traditional view. Modern thinking had not reached as far as the Swamp. He had been expecting her to turn up a supreme vision of loveliness in a pretty dress, looking fresh and clean, and smelling of roses. She’d have long, shiny black hair, an ample bosom and, most important, full, red, luscious lips especially designed, with one kiss, to rid unfortunate creatures like him of witches’ curses. The sight of this mud imp, however, was a bit of a shock. He wasn’t thinking her hair looked as though it had been dragged through a hedge backwards; rather it looked more like the hedge it had just been dragged backwards through!”

I love it, Peter. A touch of the familiar with a twist of humor. Or maybe the prince-turned-toad is a Brit? It’s humour then. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

thanks! I’m writing a book about alienation and being ‘nomal’ and this has really helped.

Great to hear from you, Lu. Good luck with your book!

Thank you for sharing with us this very helpful post! I’m a romance writer working on my next book, looking for new ways to describe hair. And I found the perfect resource here! Kindest regards Jackie

Thanks, Jackie.

Best of luck with your next book!

It really helped me do my descriptive Essay

Thanks, Lusanda!

I’m looking forward to your book of all of these!

Thanks, David. It should be released by the end of the month if all goes well.

Tricks for Describing a Character’s Appearance (With Examples)

Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult. There’s a lot that goes into it, and to make matters worse, you only have one chance to give readers a good (and memorable) first impression of that character. One of the ways you can do this is by giving them a distinct appearance, but many writers tend to fall short of describing appearance well. 

We’ve all heard the same cookie-cutter descriptions for characters a million times before. Golden hair, a heart-shaped face, a chiseled body, piercing eyes, yadda yadda… The problem with these descriptions is that they’re bland, they’re cliché, and they don’t really help your characters stand out. 

However, if you break from clichés, you can create uniquely vivid descriptions that will give your characters life. There are endless ways you can describe characters, and I’m not going to walk you through how I would describe every single possible human feature (or humanoid, animal, alien, etc). For one thing, that would take too long, but for another thing, descriptions are based on more than just the character’s physical appearance—their personality plays a part too. 

Tips for Describing a Character’s Appearance in a Story

There are a number of things to keep in mind when describing a character’s appearance. Here are just a few general tips before we dive into some more specific techniques for describing different parts of a character’s appearance. 

Don’t Make Everyone a Supermodel

This is probably one of the most (if not the most) important things to remember when describing a character. You should never objectively describe your characters as flawless. Humans aren’t perfect, so if you describe your characters like perfect little supermodels, they just won’t feel authentic. Worse still, they won’t stand out from the protagonists of every single young adult novel out there. You need to make them distinct, and to do that, you need to give your characters flaws . And I mean real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws. 

Don’t Dump Everything Out at Once

Describing your characters is important, but you need to be able to keep it concise. No one wants to read a 7-page summary of every detail of a character’s appearance. You can go in-depth, sure, but don’t put your readers through a word-avalanche just for them to figure out what the character looks like. 

Remember, you can reveal more about the characters over time. When you introduce a character for the first time, you should focus on the things a person would naturally notice first, such as their face, hair, clothing, voice, and general energy. You can further elaborate on their appearance later when it is relevant, and describe their gait, posture, temperament, and more. 

There is one exception here I want to highlight. If you are telling a story from the first-person perspective, and you want to illustrate a character’s obsession with another person, hyper-fixating on the details can be a good way to show this. It can make the character seem creepy , and it can foreshadow the protagonist doing something bad to the person they are obsessing over. 

Don’t Sell Them Short

Opposite to the point above, you shouldn’t make your introductions too short. To some extent, it can be good to leave some parts of the character’s appearance up to the reader’s imagination. However, you should give them something to help them visualize the characters in the beginning. Otherwise, if you later reveal that the character has dark hair, all the readers that imagined them with light hair might have a difficult time accepting that. 

Descriptions are important, and they help to include a reader in the narrative. Like a well-described setting, vivid characters can help immerse readers into the world and make them part of the story. 

Use Their Personality

A character’s personality can have a large impact on how they are perceived, and therefore should alter the words you use to describe them. Two characters might have similar features, but based on their personality, you would describe them differently. 

For example, two characters might both be tall, but one would be described as “awkward and long” while the other is “towering.” In this case, the characters’ levels of confidence impact how they are perceived. For another example, think about two characters who both have light skin. You could describe one as looking like “porcelain” and describe the other one as “pasty,” depending on their other traits. Those two descriptions create very different perceptions from each other.   

Use the Point of View

If the character in question is being described from the first-person perspective of another character, then the protagonist’s opinions should sneak into the description. Your protagonist probably isn’t going to objectively evaluate the other person—they’re likely to rely on stereotypes, biases, and things they have heard from others about the character they’re looking at. Rely on that to make the description fit into the story more organically. 

Here are some examples: 

• She had no right to have such a disarming smile.
• His expression was empty—just like his head.
• His dark, tangled hair reminded me of a swamp.
• She didn’t even wear any makeup! But even more frustratingly, she didn’t really need it.
• They looked divine… like I wasn’t even worthy to look upon them. 
• He looked like the type of person to stare at his own reflection before getting in the shower. 
• They were short and stocky, but they could still probably beat me in a fight. 

Remember, your protagonist can make speculative judgments about the character they’re looking at. You’re telling the story as they experience it, so their judgments are part of the narrative!

“…he was greeted by the barista—a young teen who had not yet matured enough to be handsome. Once his soft cheeks hollowed and his jaw squared, and the childish optimism fled his eyes, then he would have the chance to smolder. That crooked smile would win over many hearts in the blink of an eye, but not just yet.”  – excerpt from a draft

Keep the Description Balanced

A good rule of thumb when describing characters (or anything else really) is to create a balance of concrete details and flowery imagery. You should alternate between those two, as well as general and more specific details, to make the description flow more naturally, and to make it more interesting to read. 

Imagine reading a description like: 

“His hair was red and curly. His eyes were large and green. He had freckles, but they weren’t that noticeable. He was tall but very thin.” 

That’s so dry, and it’s not fun to read. Compare that to a description that varies how the information is provided:

“His hair was like a massive red bush surrounding two wide, green eyes. Freckles faintly dotted his cheeks, but they were only really visible in the sunshine. His long, lanky body and large hair made him look a bit like a big red lollipop—which was only heightened by his tendency to blush often.”

Wasn’t that a lot more fun to read? Not only does it make the character description more interesting, but it also influences a reader’s perception of what the character is like. Certain words help readers to gauge what kind of person this character is. The first example gives no indication of personality, but the second one uses words like “sunshine” and “lollipop” to associate the character with lively, happy things. Additionally, using words like “lanky” and “blush” suggests that the character is awkward or shy, saving you the time of having to spell that out for readers. 

Give them Something Special

One helpful thing that I’ve learned over the years is that you should give your main character some distinctive feature that sets them apart from the other characters around them. Diverse descriptions are great, but it never hurts to make your main character a little more unique. This could be something like a distinctive scar, a tattoo, a weird eye color, a patch of silver or white hair, a missing or extra finger, a birthmark, or something else along those lines. That can make them stand out more, and it can be a really clear indicator that they are special. 

Although your story won’t suffer if you don’t give your main character a distinct feature like this, it is usually a good bet—especially if you think your story could ever conceivably be adapted into a visual medium, like a comic, animation, or film. That character could become iconic. People may just see your character somewhere and that alone could motivate them to read or watch the whole story. As another plus, it could give you a cool opportunity for your story’s cover. 

How to Describe a Character’s Face

When describing a character’s face, the easiest way to do that is to first break the face down into its essential parts: the eyes, the mouth, the nose, and the facial structure.

So let’s start with the eyes since they are the focal point of the face. Stay away from the descriptions you’ve heard a million times, like “piercing” or “doe-eyed.” The eyes are the window to the soul, and they can tell a reader a lot about a character. Instead of “piercing,” try “icy” or “sharp,” and instead of “doe-eyed,” try “wide,” “innocent,” or “full of wonder/awe.” The goal is to describe the character in a unique way to make it more interesting to read, while still creating a vivid image of that character. 

You can describe the shape, color, and depth of a character’s eyes, but you should be careful not to rely on insensitive generalizations. For example, instead of “Asian” eyes, use “almond-shaped” or “mono-lid.” Not all Asian people have mono-lids, so simply using the word “Asian” to describe the character’s eyes doesn’t actually narrow down what they look like. 

That goes for all the other features of the face, too. Though it is true that some features are more prominent in certain races, nothing is inherent. You shouldn’t rely on the character’s race or ethnic background alone to be the basis of your description. Saying that a character is Japanese or Jamaican without giving other details doesn’t do any more for the character’s description than saying they are European or white. Doing this only encourages your readers to stereotype your characters, even if that wasn’t your intention. 

With that said, don’t get too caught up in describing every detail of a character’s face. Give the most important information, such as the eyes, face shape, scars, and other notable details or imperfections, then move on. If a character has an exaggerated feature, such as a large nose or bushy eyebrows, then that’s important to mention too.

How to Describe a Character’s Hair

There are lots of different types of hair colors, textures, thicknesses, and shines, so try not to make all your characters have the same kind of hair—unless they’re related or part of a small, isolated community, of course. Hair can be curly and blond, sleek and black, coily and auburn, and even dyed wild colors. Making your characters’ hair more distinct will make them easier for readers to visualize, especially if you introduce many characters at one time. 

Beyond the basics, you can use words to describe a character’s hair that reflects who they are as a person. For example, describing a character’s hair as springy or bouncy could indicate the character is upbeat and moves excitedly. Slick, greasy, or wispy hair could suggest an untrustworthy or sneaky character. The words you use to describe the character’s hair will be subliminally applied to the character themself. 

How to Describe a Character’s Clothes

Clothing is an important element of self-expression, and what your character decides to wear can reflect a lot about them. However, unlike with the character’s face, you should not spend a lot of time describing their outfit. For one thing, they’re probably going to change their outfit at some point in the story—likely more than once. Secondly, readers just won’t care unless you give them a good reason to. 

If you want to describe what your character is wearing, make sure to keep it short. If it’s just a simple way of helping the reader visualize the character’s style, present the information objectively and in only a paragraph or two, such as: 

“She wore short-shorts and a denim jacket, and pink thigh-high socks that she had to keep pulling up because they always slipped down to her knees. Her tennis-shoes were white and bulky, as was the belt bag she wore off to one side. This free, laidback style was completed by the two messy buns her faded purple hair was pulled up into.”

However, there are a few times in which you can use clothing to explore more complex ideas in the story. For example:

• An article of clothing might have special significance to a character. It could have been handed down from a relative, it could be a favorite shirt, or it could be meaningful in other ways. That would merit drawing more attention to it. 
• An article of clothing might have special significance to the story. This could be a type of ceremonial outfit, a piece of magical armor, or something along those lines. That would require a more thorough in-depth description of the item. 
• An article of clothing may be unfamiliar to most of your readers, such as a specific cultural outfit or an unusual costume, in which case a descriptive explanation could help illustrate what it looks like. 
• A particular outfit could draw attention to a character, such as an attractive or surprising outfit, that could merit taking more time to describe it (and explain why it garners the character extra attention). 

How to Describe a Character’s Body

Describing a character’s body is fairly straightforward. Like with many other aspects of a character’s appearance, there are a few methods you can use to approach describing their body. You could take the objective approach, which would do just fine in most cases, or you could toy with your readers’ perceptions. 

I’ll start out with a word of caution. Too many times, I’ve seen unrealistic descriptions of characters’ bodies. Whether it’s a waist that’s impossibly thin or muscles like a bodybuilder on a teenager, people tend to push the boundaries of what the human body is even capable of. You need to keep your characters within the limits of what’s actually possible, unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise (genetically modified supersoldier, not actually human at all, etc). 

Now, as with some other aspects of the character’s appearance, you can get away with a simple, objective description, like “tall and muscular” or “short and curvy.” Honestly, that’s usually all you’ll need to do. However, bodies are commonly associated with physical attractiveness, and if attraction is the point of your description, you need to take a different approach. 

Writing about attraction is tough (which is why I go more in-depth about how to write about attraction in my other article, Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love ). You’ll want to highlight the positives of the character’s body—the elements of them that have caught your protagonist’s attention. Whether it’s biceps, legs, or a large chest, you’ll want to describe it in detail, as well as highlight what it is about them that has the protagonist so interested. Here’s an example:

“He was tall and sturdy, and even in this relaxed environment, his pose held power. The way his shirt stretched taut around his shoulders when he shifted snagged and held my attention—I couldn’t help but stare. Did he pick that shirt on purpose? He had to know the thin fabric clung close to his body, showing off every rippling muscle underneath…” 

How to Describe a Character’s Posture and Body Language

Body language is an often overlooked element of describing a character, but you should give it some thought even if you don’t intend to draw a lot of attention to it in the story. How does your character stand? How do they emote? Do they gesture when they speak? Do they fidget? Try to envision what they look like when they are waiting, actively engaged in a passionate conversation, and when they are uncomfortable. 

People move in different ways, even if they aren’t thinking about it. Come up with a list of movements and behaviors that are typical for the character, and utilize those movements to make dull scenes and conversations more interesting. Instead of just dialogue, you can give readers more to imagine as your character shifts their weight, runs their hand through their hair, or twists the hem of their shirt. This can also help to establish the tone of the conversation.  

A person’s body, personality, and mood will all influence how they move. If you establish a baseline for how the character stands and behaves when they are in a neutral mindset, this will help you keep them consistent over time by casually mentioning their body language throughout the story. As a bonus, it can also help you tip readers off if you want them to notice that something is bothering the character. If you have established that a character is pretty relaxed in most situations, readers will instantly notice if they exhibit anxious body language even if you don’t draw a lot of attention to it. 

How to Describe an Attractive Character

Describing an attractive character isn’t all that different from describing any other character. You still shouldn’t make them flawless, but you can put off mentioning their more negative qualities until later—especially if another character is looking at them through rose-colored glasses . 

One recommendation that I have for describing a character who is supposed to be extremely attractive is to keep their description vague. Beauty is subjective, so each reader is going to have a different idea of what “attractive” means. By all means, describe the basics of their appearance, such as hair color, eye color, skin tone, and whatnot, but don’t dive deep into the shape of their features. This will leave a little bit up to the reader’s imagination, and they will fill in the gaps in the character’s description with the traits that they find most attractive. 

Another helpful tip is to utilize the reactions of background characters to establish that the character is, in fact, attractive. Other people staring at the character or nudging and whispering to each other about them would help your reader understand that the character is good-looking, and alter their mental image of them accordingly. 

The Importance of Creating Vivid Visual Descriptions for your Characters

Creating vivid visual descriptions for your characters is incredibly important for a number of reasons. For one thing, being able to imagine the characters will help draw your readers into the story and immerse them in the world. Additionally, by giving your characters more distinct appearances, they will stand out more from each other, and from characters in other stories. The more complex and interesting the character, the more likely they are to stick in a reader’s mind for years after they finish reading the story. 

Good luck with writing your descriptions! I know you’ll write something great.

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How to Describe Hair in Writing: Tips, Examples & Techniques

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Writing effective descriptions of hair can be challenging, but it is an important skill to master if you want to write vivid, captivating stories that draw readers into the world you’ve created. Whether you’re describing a character’s hair or the setting of your story, it’s essential that you know how to accurately portray this important element. In this article, we’ll explore several tips and techniques to help you describe hair in writing with clarity and precision.

Using Sensory Language

When describing hair, it’s important to use words that evoke the senses. This will help readers get a clear image of what you’re trying to portray. For example, when describing curly hair, you could say “it was tightly coiled like a spring” or “it cascaded down her back in gentle waves.” You could also use words such as “silky” or “lustrous” to evoke a feeling of smoothness and shine. Additionally, you could incorporate sound and smell into your descriptions by saying things like “the wind made her hair rustle like a field of grass” or “her hair smelled of freshly cut lemons.”

Comparing Hair to Elements in Nature

Nature is full of wonderful elements that can be used to effectively describe hair. To find the best comparisons, think about the texture, color, and movement of the hair you’re trying to portray. For instance, if you’re describing dark, straight hair, you could say “it was as black as a raven’s wing” or “it hung like a curtain of midnight.” You could also use elements from the sea to describe wavy hair, such as “it crashed against her shoulders like a stormy ocean” or “it shone like the sun on a ripple of waves.”

Focusing on Texture and Color

Texture and color are two of the most important aspects of hair that need to be accurately portrayed in writing. When it comes to texture, there are many different types, such as curly, wavy, straight, coarse, fine, and more. Make sure to use specific words that clearly convey the texture you’re trying to describe. For example, you could say “her hair was a wild tangle of curls” or “it was as soft and silky as a feather.” When it comes to color, try to use words that accurately describe the hue. For instance, you could say “it was a deep mahogany brown” or “it was a bright, fiery red.”

Incorporating Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes can be incredibly effective when describing hair. They provide readers with a vivid image of what you’re trying to portray. For instance, if you’re describing long, blonde hair, you could say “it was a river of golden silk” or “it cascaded down her back like a waterfall.” To make your metaphors and similes even more effective, you could use elements from nature, such as “it shone like the sun on a field of wheat” or “it was as wild and untamed as a thunderstorm.”

Utilizing Personification

Personifying hair can help make your descriptions even more vivid and captivating. To do this, you could give the hair its own personality or characteristics. For example, you could say “her hair was rebellious and unruly” or “it seemed to have a mind of its own.” You could also use words such as “playful” or “mischievous” to give the hair a unique personality. Additionally, you could use verbs such as “dancing” or “twirling” to give the impression that the hair is alive and has a life of its own.

Describing the Way It Moves

The way hair moves is an important aspect of hair that needs to be accurately described in writing. To do this, you could use words such as “swirling” or “undulating” to give the impression of movement. You could also use words such as “billowing” or “flowing” to evoke a sense of gracefulness. Additionally, you could use phrases such as “it swayed in the breeze” or “it blew in the wind” to give the impression that the hair is being moved by an outside force.

Describing hair in writing can be a challenge, but with the right techniques, you can create vivid, captivating descriptions that draw readers into your story. By using sensory language, nature comparisons, metaphors and similes, personification, and descriptions of movement, you can accurately portray any type of hair. With practice and patience, you’ll be able to craft beautiful descriptions that bring your stories to life.

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Physical Attribute Entry: Hair

March 9, 2013 by BECCA PUGLISI

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel ‘list-like’, while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight.  One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help ‘tell the story’ about who your character is and what they’ve been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character’s physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions. Descriptors :  curly, ringleted, straight, kinky, wavy, wild, lank, blunt, tame, bushy, frizzy, silky, long, short, flowing, buzzed, cropped, chopped, coifed, styled, gelled, loose, flat, shiny, dull, bouncy, thin, thick, wiry, dyed, streaked, layered…

Things Hair Does  (and other words/phrases to describe those actions)

• Flip : toss, jerk, flick, shake,
• Blow (in the wind) : float, flutter, sail, waft, fly, skim, whip, tear, thrash, twirl, buffet, lash, shimmy, sway, slap, flap

Key Emotions and Related Hair Gestures:  

• Though hair doesn’t do much on its own, people often touch their hair to indicate certain emotions. When nervous or feeling insecure,  people do pretty much anything with their hair, such as touching, patting, twisting, pulling, compulsively braiding/unbraiding, pulling, jerking, and finger-combing their locks.
• At times of high anxiety or stress.. .

Clichés to Avoid : Bleached blondes that are dumb or gullible; sexy, sassy redheads; lice as a sign of dirty hair…

HINT:   When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty.  Example:  I tried not to stare at the matriarch’s hair but didn’t quite succeed. It was the color of rich loam without a hint of white—a glossy shade that inspired both envy and debate among the village women. My mother liked to say that no one Bentri’s age kept such hair naturally .

BONUS TIP: The  Color, Texture, and Shape Thesaurus  might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

Describe your character’s features in a way that reveals more than just a physical description. Show what he looks like while also reinforcing his personality and emotional state, thereby doing more with less.

Need concrete examples of how to describe your character in a compelling, magnetic way? Good news!  This thesaurus has been integrated into our online library at  One Stop For Writers . There, you can find help with  metaphors and similes , as well as the best ways to  describe your character using movement.  The entire Physical Feature collection is cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you’re interested in seeing a  free  sampling of the updated Physical Feature Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!  

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers —a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

November 6, 2013 at 9:44 pm

I used to chew my hair. I liked the crunchy texture.

March 10, 2013 at 6:01 pm

Great one Becca–there is so much we do with our hair–it really is a way of expressing who we are!

March 10, 2013 at 3:26 am

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

March 9, 2013 at 4:55 pm

Cynthia, you’re right. That’s a point I hadn’t considered, which would bring the percentage of redheads higher. Even considering that, though, I stand by my opinion that there are far more redheads in literature than are represented in the general population :).

March 9, 2013 at 3:27 pm

Nice. This is the kind of thing I try to work on with on edit pass.

March 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm

Always find these posts very useful. Thank you=)

March 9, 2013 at 1:12 pm

My character does tons of stuff with her hair. How much is too much!Trying to figure it out. It is definitely her tic. Great post.

March 9, 2013 at 11:33 am

Are red heads really that rare? That makes me feel special 🙂 Stereotypes aside I think certain hair colors DO give impressions. I gave each of my characters their hair and eye color for a reason. My heroine has big brown eyes, because I wanted them to capture, and be all-encompassing. Her honey-blonde hair too, was meant to give an impression of softness.

March 9, 2013 at 10:21 am

My cheerful counter to the 2% statistic is that it doesn’t seem to consider that not all redheads have been that way since birth.

There was an MFA class at Vermont College that had a half dozen redheads.

Many of my friends are redheads. How many of them are natural? I’d never ask. But if you’re scanning the general U.S. populace…

March 9, 2013 at 10:20 am

Good stuff. Keep ’em coming:)

March 9, 2013 at 9:25 am

Thanks for sharing your tips.

March 9, 2013 at 8:07 am

Excellent, as always.

March 9, 2013 at 6:14 am

Great one!!

March 9, 2013 at 5:58 am

This comment has been removed by the author.

[…] Hair […]

ExplainFor.Me

Describing Blonde Hair: Different Ways to Describe Blonde Hair Color and Texture

Written by: Scot Dillinger

Published on: February 16, 2024

Blonde hair is often associated with a sunny and vibrant personality. It comes in various shades, ranging from honey and bleached to ash and straw. Each shade has its own unique charm and can complement different skin tones.

One of the most popular shades of blonde hair is the light and flaxen color. This shade is reminiscent of golden wheat fields and gives off a natural and effortless beauty. It is often described as a soft and delicate hue that adds a touch of femininity to any look.

For those who prefer a more daring and bold look, platinum blonde is the way to go. This shade is characterized by its icy and almost silver-like appearance. It is a statement color that demands attention and exudes confidence. Platinum blonde hair is often associated with high fashion and is favored by many celebrities.

Another stunning shade of blonde hair is the golden hue. This color is warm and radiant, resembling the color of pure gold. It adds a touch of luxury and elegance to any hairstyle and can instantly brighten up the face. Golden blonde hair is often described as vibrant and glamorous, making it a popular choice for those who want to stand out.

• 1.1 Golden Tones
• 1.2 Platinum and Ash Undertones
• 2.1 The Golden Ratio: Complementary Colors for Golden Blonde Hair
• 2.2 Caring for Golden Blonde Hair: Tips and Tricks
• 3 Platinum and Pale: The Edgy and Cool Blonde
• 4.1 Golden Honey Blonde
• 4.2 Rich Caramel Blonde
• 5.1 The Pale and Light Aesthetic
• 5.2 Straw and Ash Undertones
• 6.1 Straw-Like Texture
• 6.2 Light and Flaxen Texture
• 6.3 Platinum and Pale Texture
• 6.4 Golden Texture
• 6.5 Ashen Texture
• 6.6 Honey Texture
• 7 Voluminous and Bouncy: Describing the Fullness of Blonde Hair

Light and Bright: The Classic Blonde

Blonde hair is often associated with lightness and brightness, and the classic blonde shade embodies these qualities perfectly. This shade of blonde is pale, almost straw-like in color, and gives off a radiant glow.

One of the most iconic images of the classic blonde is the bleached blonde hair of Marilyn Monroe. Her golden locks were a symbol of beauty and femininity, and her hair color became synonymous with the classic blonde shade.

Golden Tones

The classic blonde shade can range from a pale, almost platinum color to a warm golden hue. It is often described as having a sun-kissed glow, reminiscent of a summer day at the beach.

Golden blonde hair has a natural shine and radiance that catches the light, giving it a luminous appearance. It can range from a light, flaxen color to a deeper, honey-toned shade.

Platinum and Ash Undertones

While the classic blonde shade is often associated with golden tones, it can also have platinum or ash undertones. Platinum blonde hair is extremely light and almost white in color, while ash blonde hair has a cool, silvery hue.

These undertones add depth and dimension to the classic blonde shade, giving it a unique and edgy look. They can be subtle or more pronounced, depending on the desired effect.

Sun-Kissed and Golden: Warm Tones of Blonde Hair

Blonde hair comes in various shades and tones, and one of the most sought-after and beloved shades is the sun-kissed and golden blonde. This warm and radiant hue is reminiscent of the golden rays of the sun, giving the hair a natural and vibrant appearance.

Golden blonde hair can range from a light, almost bleached shade to a deeper, more saturated hue. The lighter tones often have a platinum or ash undertone, while the deeper shades lean towards a straw or pale gold color. This versatility allows individuals to find the perfect shade that complements their skin tone and personal style.

The Golden Ratio: Complementary Colors for Golden Blonde Hair

Caring for golden blonde hair: tips and tricks.

Maintaining the vibrancy and health of golden blonde hair requires proper care and attention. Here are some tips and tricks to keep your golden locks looking their best:

By following these tips and tricks, you can ensure that your sun-kissed and golden blonde hair remains beautiful and radiant for longer periods of time.

Platinum and Pale: The Edgy and Cool Blonde

Platinum blonde is a bleached and pale shade of blonde that is almost white in appearance. It is achieved by lightening the hair to its lightest possible shade, removing all pigmentation. This creates a striking and dramatic look that is sure to turn heads.

One of the key characteristics of platinum blonde hair is its straw-like texture. The bleaching process can strip the hair of its natural oils and moisture, leaving it dry and brittle. It is important to use nourishing hair care products and treatments to keep the hair healthy and hydrated.

Another popular variation of pale blonde is the honey or golden blonde. This shade has warmer undertones, giving it a softer and more natural look. It is often described as a sun-kissed hue, reminiscent of golden rays of sunshine.

Flaxen blonde is another term used to describe pale blonde hair. This shade has a slightly yellowish undertone, resembling the color of flax fibers. It is a versatile shade that can complement a wide range of skin tones.

Light blonde is a more general term that encompasses various shades of pale blonde. It can range from a light, almost white, blonde to a slightly darker, more golden hue. Light blonde hair is often associated with youthfulness and innocence.

Honey and Caramel: Rich and Sweet Blonde Shades

Blonde hair comes in a variety of shades, and one of the most popular and sought-after tones is honey and caramel blonde. This rich and sweet blonde shade is reminiscent of golden honey and creamy caramel, giving it a warm and inviting appearance.

Golden Honey Blonde

Golden honey blonde is a lighter shade of honey and caramel blonde. It is often described as a warm and sunny color, resembling the golden hues of honeycomb. This shade is perfect for those who want a natural-looking blonde with a touch of warmth.

Golden honey blonde hair can be achieved through various techniques, such as balayage or highlights. The result is a multidimensional color that adds brightness and radiance to the hair.

Rich Caramel Blonde

On the other hand, rich caramel blonde is a deeper and more intense shade of honey and caramel blonde. It has a luxurious and decadent appearance, resembling the rich tones of caramelized sugar.

Rich caramel blonde hair can be achieved through techniques like ombre or full-color application. This shade is perfect for those who want a bold and statement-making look, while still maintaining a warm and inviting vibe.

Both golden honey blonde and rich caramel blonde can be achieved through bleaching and toning processes. These techniques help to lighten the hair and remove any brassy or unwanted undertones, resulting in a beautiful and vibrant blonde shade.

When describing honey and caramel blonde hair, words like golden, bleached, honey, platinum, flaxen, light, straw, and ash can be used to capture the essence of this rich and sweet color. Whether you choose a lighter golden honey blonde or a deeper rich caramel blonde, these shades are sure to turn heads and make a statement.

Ashen and Icy: Cool and Subtle Blonde Hues

The ashen and icy blonde hair color is often achieved through a bleaching process, which lightens the natural hair color to a platinum or almost white shade. This creates a striking and ethereal look that is sure to turn heads.

The Pale and Light Aesthetic

What sets the ashen and icy blonde apart from other blonde shades is its pale and light aesthetic. This color is reminiscent of a cool winter’s day, with its soft and delicate appearance. It exudes a sense of calmness and tranquility, making it an excellent choice for those who want a more subtle and understated look.

The pale and light nature of ashen and icy blonde hair can complement various skin tones, adding a touch of sophistication and elegance to any complexion. Whether you have fair, medium, or dark skin, this cool and subtle blonde hue can enhance your features and create a harmonious balance.

Straw and Ash Undertones

The straw undertones bring warmth to the ashen and icy blonde, preventing it from appearing too cool or washed out. They create a beautiful contrast and provide a natural-looking effect that is both eye-catching and flattering.

Describing the Texture of Blonde Hair

Straw-like texture.

Some blonde hair may have a straw-like texture, resembling the dry and brittle nature of straw. This texture can give the hair a slightly rough feel and appearance.

Light and Flaxen Texture

Blonde hair with a light and flaxen texture is often described as being soft and delicate. It has a gentle and silky feel, similar to the texture of flax fibers.

Platinum and Pale Texture

Golden texture.

Golden blonde hair has a texture that is often described as radiant and glowing. It can have a soft and smooth feel, resembling the texture of fine silk.

Ashen Texture

Ashen blonde hair has a cool and muted texture. It can feel slightly matte and have a subtle, understated appearance.

Honey Texture

Honey blonde hair has a texture that is often described as warm and inviting. It can have a soft and smooth feel, similar to the texture of liquid honey.

Voluminous and Bouncy: Describing the Fullness of Blonde Hair

Platinum blonde hair is known for its strikingly light color and its ability to catch the light, giving it a luminous and voluminous appearance. This shade of blonde is often associated with a cool, icy look that can be both elegant and edgy.

On the other end of the spectrum, straw blonde hair is characterized by its warm, golden tones. This shade of blonde is often described as having a sun-kissed and beachy look, with a natural bounce and fullness that is reminiscent of summer days spent in the sun.

Flaxen blonde hair, on the other hand, is a lighter shade of blonde that is often described as having a soft and delicate appearance. This shade of blonde is often associated with a youthful and innocent look, with a natural bounce and fullness that adds a touch of femininity to any hairstyle.

Golden blonde hair is another shade of blonde that is often associated with a full and voluminous appearance. This shade of blonde is characterized by its warm, honey-like tones, which give it a rich and luxurious look. Golden blonde hair is often described as having a natural bounce and fullness that adds a touch of glamour to any hairstyle.

Light blonde hair, on the other hand, is a shade of blonde that is often associated with a soft and ethereal look. This shade of blonde is characterized by its pale and delicate appearance, which gives it a natural bounce and fullness that is both romantic and feminine.

Ash blonde hair, on the other hand, is a cool and subtle shade of blonde that is often associated with a sleek and sophisticated look. This shade of blonde is characterized by its muted and ashy tones, which give it a natural bounce and fullness that is both elegant and understated.

Honey blonde hair is a warm and rich shade of blonde that is often associated with a natural and effortless look. This shade of blonde is characterized by its golden and honey-like tones, which give it a natural bounce and fullness that is both glamorous and inviting.

Pale blonde hair, on the other hand, is a light and delicate shade of blonde that is often associated with a soft and romantic look. This shade of blonde is characterized by its pale and ethereal appearance, which gives it a natural bounce and fullness that is both dreamy and feminine.

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About Scot Dillinger

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How to Describe Hairstyles in Writing

By Isobel Coughlan

Do you need some help in describing the hairstyle of a character in your story? In this post, we explain how to describe hairstyles in writing using the following 10 words.

1. Extravagant

Something that’s impressive , elaborate, or costs a lot of money.

“The young girl looked into the salon and admired the extravagant hairstyles. She wished she could have her hair professionally styled.”

“Your hair is looking rather extravagant this morning. Did you take inspiration from the latest fashion show?”

How it Adds Description

“Extravagant” shows that the character’s hair is elaborate and detailed, and therefore, it might impress other characters in the book. An “extravagant” hairstyle might have more volume, lots of color, or many accessories. Sometimes, “extravagant” hairstyles might cost a lot, and this may frustrate the character who has to pay for the service.

2. Conventional

Something that’s normal or ordinary .

“John’s hair was always conventional . Many thought he was a square for ignoring the trends, but he wasn’t comfortable with taking risks.

“Penelope secretly wished her daughter would opt for conventional hairstyles. But she had to admit, there was a strange charm to her neon yellow mohawk.”

Not all hairstyles are dramatic or unique, and you can show a character plays it safe with their locks via “conventional.” Characters with “conventional” hairstyles might follow the rules and avoid making controversial statements. They could also value tradition, and therefore, they don’t try out any modern hair trends.

3. Flammable

Something that catches fire or burns easily.

“Do you need any more hairspray, Ella? Your hair is positively flammable !”

“Wendy had to steer clear of the smokers outside of the club due to her flammable hair.”

If a character’s hairstyle uses a lot of hairspray, it’s more likely to catch fire . In pop culture, it’s common to call these kinds of styles “flammable.” This shows they’re at risk of burning, but it also portrays how much time and effort has gone into styling it via hairspray. Characters with “flammable” hair might value style over comfort, which shows they care what others think of them.

Something that might shock or anger others.

“Andrew stocked up on bleach, dye, and scissors. He was ready to create the most daring hairstyle in the world.”

“The woman looked around the room at the young students. Each had a daring hairstyle, and she wondered how they all persuaded their parents to approve the cut.”

Hairstyles that are deliberately shocking can be called “daring.” For example, this could include bright colors, shaved patterns, or experimental cuts. Sometimes, a “daring” hairstyle will even anger a more conservative character, as it doesn’t fit within their traditional worldview.

5. Minimalist

A style that takes inspiration from minimalism and uses simple elements.

“The boy wanted his life to be simple and straightforward, so he opted for a minimalist haircut.”

“Verity’s blunt bob was endearingly minimalist . Not many people could pull off such a simple hairstyle.”

You can show a character has a very simple hairstyle via the adjective “minimalist.” This shows that the cut is very simple or doesn’t include over-the-top details. A “minimalist” cut doesn’t mean they’re boring, though. It can be a style statement that illustrates their commitment to being fashionable without effort.

6. Feminine

Something that had qualities associated with women .

“Grace tied an ornate bow onto her head to complement her feminine haircut. She instantly felt silly and longed to cut it all off.”

“Billy’s long, hippy locks made everyone stare. Some even called his hair feminine , but he knew he was channeling the rock legends of the past.”

The adjective “feminine” can show your reader that the hairstyle in question mimics qualities typically associated with womanhood. This could be because it’s long or delicately styled. Some characters might embrace the “feminine” style. In contrast, others might be uncomfortable with it, especially if they don’t resonate with womanhood.

Hair that looks shiny, smooth, and healthy .

“The TV showed images of dancing girls and their sleek hairstyles. This enraged Jenny, even though she knew their hair didn’t really look like that.”

“Maintaining sleek hair was Beth’s only life goal. Every morning, she woke up, brushed her tresses fifty times, and generously applied argan oil.”

“Sleek” describes hairstyles that are very healthy and shiny, which further implies that the character either takes care of their hair or uses expensive products to keep it looking smooth. Other characters might be jealous of someone with a “sleek” hairstyle, as they may secretly wish their hair looked better.

Something that is very firm and doesn’t bend.

“Hailey, you’ve gone overboard with the gel again! Your hairstyle’s so stiff that it’s not even moving with the wind!”

“The makeup artist made sure the actor’s hairstyle was stiff enough to withstand the on-set wind machine.”

If a hairstyle has lots of products in it (e.g., gel, mousse, or hairspray), it becomes hard or “stiff.” “Stiff” hairstyles are great if you want to keep everything in place, but they don’t always look good. Therefore, a character with “stiff” hair might be unhappy with their look, and others might laugh at their failed hairstyle.

Hair that’s very tightly curled or unruly .

“Sam wanted to leave the salon with beachy curls, but instead, she was left with a rushed and frizzy hairstyle.”

“We need to get out of the humidity now. My hairstyle has turned frizzy !”

When a hairstyle becomes “frizzy,” it means the style is either losing shape or becoming curlier than planned. This can happen due to humidity, time, or lack of product. A character will probably become annoyed or upset when this happens, as “frizzy” hair isn’t usually in fashion.

10. Voluminous

Something that’s extremely large .

“Every day, Simon backcombed his hair until it reached his trademark voluminous style.”

“As the old man walked down the street, he couldn’t help but notice the kids were all wearing their locks in voluminous hairstyles.”

“Voluminous” shows that the fictional hairstyle is very tall or wide to the point that it stands out from the rest. If a character chooses to wear a “voluminous” style, they might like attention and look different. This may also imply that they’re confident, as they’re not scared of being different.

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19,898 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

blonde girl - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• blonde hair

Blonde hair and blonde freckles upon skin that was as white as a new page. She was a dream from an Irish glen, born of the clover and green fields.

Blonde girl, white skin, bright soul... I loved her. How could I not? She was so very easy to love.

Buttermilk and moonlight had woven together to make hair that flowed by day and shone by night.

Honey hair and honey skin, that blonde girl is sweet from sun-kissed lips to soulful gentleness.

There were so many hues to her blonde hair, from new day light to hearth-glow-golds, yet woven too with such heavenly browns.

That blonde girl was all the gold in the world to me, for she'd let me into her soul.

The girl was blond from root to tip, born to bring more golden sunshine into this world. It showed too. It showed in those soulful blue eyes as bright as any glacier yet so very warm.

She stepped out into the light, that girl with the blond hair, a thousand shades of gold that made new mosaics each moment in the warm summer air. I guess from afar you could say her soft curls were the colour of rich cream, but up close it was a chorus of hues.

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How to describe hair in writing to readers [2023].

Describing hair in words is not easy for a reader without a picture.

Phrases for Hair Movement

You must find great phrases to convey a person's hair movement and hairstyle to a reader. It can also be related to the activity, whether natural hair movement or movement due to dancing.

Some phrases to describe hair movement are:

• Flowing in the wind
• Breezing in the air
• Blown on the wind
• Moving fluidly
• Featherweight 
• The wind running through hair
• Spectacular 
• Swinging side-by-side
• Lightweight

Phrases for Beautiful Hair 

To describe beautiful hair requires positive phrases and adjectives and should be used with other words on hair texture and length for readers to visualize.

Some phrases to describe beautiful hair are

• Silky smooth
• Alluring wavy hair
• Magnificant
• Lovely Tresses

Phrases for Hair Colors

For describing hair color, one tip is to look at hair dye colors for ideas too.  

How to describe hair color in writing 

• Light Golden Brown
• Umber Brown
• Ebony Brown
• Raven Brown
• Snowy White
• Silver Gray Hair
• Bleach White
• Ombre Purple
• Chestnut Red
• Crimson Red
• Mahogany Red

You should also be familiar with the different textures of the hair and different styles of hair. 

What you should keep in mind is that when using the adjectives to describe the hair, you should not overdo it, just make sure that you are giving enough description of the hair for the purpose of the writing.

You can do research about the phrases that can be used in the description of the color or the texture and the style of the hair, using the specific phrases that are understandable in the world of beauty is very important. You should also note the colors of the hair, they are different.

Tips used in writing hair descriptions

• Combination of words

You should know well how to combine different phrases to give a detailed description of the hair you are trying to describe. 

A combination of different phrases is able to give a reader a full description of the hair, for example, using a description like; ‘braided black hair’ or 'straight hair' will let a person knows more about the black hair.

• Find the work that has been done 

If you just can’t describe hair well it is advisable that you check out the descriptions that have been done to see how things are done.

The hairstyle could be dreadlocks on African American hair,  natural afro Hair common in black women, cute hairstyles with short hair, box braids, crochet braids, pixie cut, plaited, ponytail, permed hair, French braids, Dutch braids (read our posts on the different in   French and Dutch braids  and   history of European braids ).

How to describe hair texture

There are very many textures that you need to check out because you will need to know every before attempting to describe any, you should check on the thickness of the hair, check on the density, and determine how the hair is curly. There are three types of texture that you will have to dwell on in your descriptions; these are the thick texture, the medium texture, and the fine texture.

• Thick texture - this is the kind of hair that has all the layers of hair, if you make a description as thick then the hair is really a lot of the head. The hair holds water for a long time compared to other textures
• Medium texture - the hair might not be as thick as the first texture but it has just enough to cover the head well, it has two layers unlike the thick texture, The hair is lighter then the thick texture, this means that it can be changed into many styles.
• Fine texture - the hair has only one layer, this means it is very light; it is very delicate just like that one of a young child, this hair cannot be able to stand straight on the head. It can have a problem with using many products.

How to describe the smell of hair

Describing smell can be difficult for a reader to relate because unless you get the right words to describe the smell.

A good way is to use food like honey, refreshing cucumber which is infused in shampoo.

Observe the smell, then you will need to find the right description words to able to describe, check out for better adjectives and nouns that can fit the description. You should note that only accurate descriptions will communicate the intended message.

How to describe curly hair

Here are some ways you can describe curly hair:

• Her curly hair cascaded down her shoulders in tight, glossy ringlets.
• His voluminous, corkscrew curls gave him a distinctive and charming look.
• She had shoulder-length hair with loose, beachy curls that framed her face beautifully.
• The little girl's adorable face was accentuated by her bouncy, golden curls.
• His thick, curly mane seemed to have a life of its own, adding to his charismatic personality.
• Despite the slight frizz, her long, S-shaped curls added a touch of elegance to her appearance.
• The natural shine of her coiled curls gave her hair a lustrous and healthy look.

Hope you find this guide useful for your writing ideas.

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English Words and Expressions to Describe The Colour of Hair

Home | English Vocabulary Lessons | Adjectives | Looks and Appearance | Hair Colour | Next »

blonde - pale, yellow hair.

Synonyms: flaxen hair, platinum hair ( very light blonde ), fair hair, light hair.

peroxide blonde - very light blonde hair that has been bleached.

Famous peroxide blondes include Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and Madonna.

Synonyms: bottle blonde, bleached blonde.

strawberry blonde - pale yellow hair with a hint of ginger.

Synonym: gingery blonde.

golden blonde - light brown hair with golden highlights.

Synonyms: dark blonde, honey blonde, sun kissed.

mousy - drab, mid brown hair.

Mousy is a slightly negative word to describe hair. Mid-brown is more diplomatic!

ash brown - light to mid brown hair, with cool tones.

red - hair that is orange.

A person with orange hair is a redhead .

Synonyms: ginger hair ( bright red ), sandy hair ( soft red ), auburn hair ( dark red ), carrot-top ( mildly impolite ).

brunette - dark brown hair.

Synonyms: chestnut, tawny, chocolate ( brown ).

jet black - very dark hair.

Synonyms: raven haired, ebony.

salt and pepper - an even sprinkling of grey and dark hair.

Synonyms: greying, going grey, turning grey.

silver fox - an attractive person with grey hair.

Mainly used to describe older men who have aged well, and kept their good looks.

Examples: George Clooney, Anderson Cooper.

bleached - hair that has been lightened (bleached) by one or more shades.

Lightening is a permanent method of changing your hair colour.

dyed - hair that has been changed to a different shade.

Synonyms: coloured, tinted. Semi-permanent and temporary hair colours ( or rinses ) wash out. Permanent hair colours need to grow out.

highlights ( plural, noun ) - strands of hair that have been bleached, to make hair look lighter.

Synonyms: streaks, foils.

lowlights ( plural, noun ) - strands of hair that have been tinted a darker colour.

Differences in Spelling - UK vs US English

British English: grey, colour

American English: gray, color

Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing.

A Comprehensive Guide To Writing About Hair

The most popular post here at WITS is a very early post from Sharla Rae on writing descriptively about hair. This post is so amazing, we pulled it up from the archives and buffed it up a bit for you. What's included? Everything from basic descriptions and colors to word choices and hairstyle names. and descriptions.

Let's have a hair party!

A few basic do's and don't's.

The #1 thing about hair descriptions is Do Not overuse them. You do not want to be known as "hair girl "or "hair boy!"

#2 on the essential List: Hair descriptions are a part of the character so make them work harder by using them to describe the person “inside,” not just what the person looks like outside.

•  A tomboy might have a very short, non-nonsense haircut. Then again, she might hide long tresses under a ball cap, because secretly she’d like to be noticed as the girl she really is.
• A man who works as an executive might conform to a short, and very tailored look. Or, he wears expensive suits but he wears his hair a little too long because on the weekends he caters to his passion and joins his buddies for motorcycle road trips.

Alternative Generic Names For Head Hair

Descriptive Hair Phrases

Bangs obscured her eyes like a sheepdog Flaked with snowy dandruff Bleached, bottle baby Braid like a thick black rope Bundled at the nape Bun resembled a cow patty Cascading down her back Chemically damaged Coiled in a top-knot Crowning glory Curls foamed luxuriously Tendrils danced on the breeze Disheveled Downy hair sprinkled her arms Dramatic widow’s peak Elaborately dressed with ribbons Electrified Kewpie curls Smelled like burnt chicken feathers Snow drifts of dandruff Veiled her expression with Greased into a ducktail Flaming locks fluttered to the floor Fluffy Frizz job, bad perm Glossy locks lifted on the wind Grew like a thatch of straw on a roof Grizzled, gray hair Hair drooped around pale cheeks Hair like Rapunzel Hairy as a dog Hung like a dark river Kinky perm Knotted Left unbound to tumble Like a clown wig, artificial red, plastic shine and fuzzy Like a thatched roof Like she put her finger in a light socket Limp and lifeless Long, shaggy hippy look Lustrous as onyx stone Marcelled into fingerwaves Matted to the scalp Perm fried Prematurely gray Puffed like a bubble around her head Ragged bangs Rat’s nest Ringlets Shock of hair stood straight up Slapped her face like wet worms Sleek and chic Smooth honey dripped over her shoulders Spiky Mohawk style of a punk rocker Spilled out of the hat Spread like feathers on a pillow Standing on end Stiff in front like a cockatoo Straight as a wire Streaked, highlighted Stuck to her sweaty nape Tangled mane Tousled pixie Two-toned dye job Unconquered curls sprang loose Unruly swirl Old-lady blue rinsed hair Vibrant color and shine Wet with sweat White Pigeon Wings at temples Wispy ringlets Wondered what rubble lay beneath that mess Wreathed her face

Hair Texture Phrases

Baby fuzz Bleached hair like mushy wet works Blue feather hair of old lady Bristle top Broom chopped Cat-fur fine Cotton candy hair, fine Cottony Dandelion fuzz Down Gummy Horsetail coarse Moldy hay Short-cropped and stiff Soft and lush Soft curls and waves Yellow straw

Descriptive Hair Color Words & Phrases

Grays and Whites

Here is a wonderful link, shared with us by Erin Michelle (see comment below) from Writing With Color: Describing Natural Hair .

Professional Hair Color Descriptions

Ash blond -- Lacks red or gold highlights (verges on green tones); light mousy blond, medium and dark blond, dishwater, beige

Ash brown -- Browns lacking warm/red tones tones; light mousy brown, medium and dark brown

Black -- Different shades of black vary according to the amount of highlighting or pigmentation shadings present in the hair; black lacking all highlighting will be duller, ash shade; black containing a lot of red may appear as deep burgundy

Red -- Warm shades; berry, russet, strawberry (red-blonde), rusty orange, wine, carrot top, etc.

Towhead -- Whitish blond; usually an ash blond lacking warm tones but not always

Warm blond -- Blond with touch of gold and red; whiskey, wheat, honey, strawberry, brassy, golden etc.

Warm brown -- Brunette, dark or light brown that contains red or gold tones; varies from light to nearly black; reddish brown, chestnut, dark amber, auburn etc.

Hair Styles Modern And Historical

It’s impossible to name all the hairstyles but the selection here should be a good start. Many listed here also are known by other names.

[See of some these hairstyles here .]

Afro -- Unisex style borrowed from African-Americans; short and very curly, forming a bowl shaped profile; a pick is used to pull the hair away from the head and shape it

Asymmetric -- Hair is cut long on side of the head and short on the other.

Bedhead -- Popularized in 1990s by starlet Meg Ryan; short to mid-length shaggy cut worn jelled or moussed in tossed fashion

Beehive   -- A 60’s French twist coiled at the back of the head and rising above it to form a cone shape (see upsweep)

Bob -- Introduced in 1915 this short cropped hair style was popular during the 1920’s; also called the shingle bob, the shingle, the Eaton crop. It is often cropped at the jawline and aligned close to the face.

Bouffant -- Puffy hair style’ hair is backcombed or ratted then barely smoothed, resulting in a bubble affect

Bowl -- Most commonly worn by young boys. The bang area cut straight cross the forehead as if measured by turning a bowl upside down on the head. The top layers are longer and cut along the this bowl line around the head.

Braid -- Plaited hair

Bubble -- 60’s hairstyle, short to mid-length, ratted/backcombed to appear like a football helmet or bubble surrounding the head

Butch/flattop/crewcut -- A man’s style; usually cut with electric shears; very short and stands on end at the front of the head and his shaved close to the head on the sides; sometimes called a GI cut.

Buzz -  Modern slang for a hair shaved close to the head

Chignon -- Bun, usually at the nape or top of head; topknot

Conk -- African-American textured hair that is straightened

Cornrows -- Small tightly braided rows of hair that hug the scalp

Duck tail -- 50’s style worn by girls and boys alike; hair on either side of nape combed toward the center of the head; reminiscent of Elvis Presley, Fabian, Doris Day, Debbie Reynolds etc.

Farrah Fawcett -- Long layered hair flipped or feathered back off the face with a bang that feathers or rolls off the face as well; made popular by the TV star of the same name; late 70’s and early 80’s

Finger waved -- Usually short haircut in which a stylist uses lotion and her fingers to create deep waves that circle the head. Popular in the 1920s and 30s.

Flip -- Feminine hair style of the 50’s and 60’s; long hair usually shoulder length turned up at the ends, sometimes in a roll.

Fontange -- Worn 1690’s to 1710; a towering fountain of frills and complex, lacy intertwining shaped around a wire frame and considered the height of fashion; nicknamed by disdaining men, the “tower and the comet”

French twist/seam -- Hair swept back from both sides the head (front to back) and rolled down the center of the head into a roll or tucked to make a seam

Fringe -- Curly bangs worn in the 1880’s; in 1900’s worn straight; alternate name for bangs

Kiss curls -- Seen immediately after Civil War; ringlets of curls on the cheeks or forehead

London Cut -- Short female cut popular during the 1960s and early 70s. The hair was cut over the ears, leaving a fringe in front of the ears, often brushed toward the face or straight down. The nape hair was cut along the hairline like a boys but more rounded instead of squared off like a man’s neckline.

Mohawk -- Shaved head with a strip of hair growth down the center of the head from forehead to the nape

Pads -- Late 1830’s long coiled curls over the ears (looked like ear muffs); at the back of the head they were called a Grecian knot or psyche knot

Pageboy -- Introduced in late 1930s early 40’s; long, hair turned under, usually just touching the shoulders

Pigtails -- Same as pony tail only the hair is parted down middle and each section is cinched into its own tail above or below the ear

Pixie -- Female short cut; feathered around profile of face and onto cheek, short at the nape line; usually with full bang and combed forward onto face; also called an Italian cut; permed version called a poodle cut

Pompadour -- Style of wearing the hair high over the forehead usually in some type of rolled affect; in 1940’s women used rats (nylon mash) to roll the hair off the forehead and puff it; a version of this also worn during the 1700’s and early 1800’s by most and women; name comes from a lady of this era called Madame Pompadour

Ponytail -- Hair gathered together and cinched with a rubber band or barrette to make a tail at the back of the head; worn high or low; worn low it’s sometimes called a George (referring to George Washington) or a Paul Revere

Poodle cut -- Short, curly haircut

Powdered hair/wigs -- Unisex style worn from about 1760’s to 1820; after 1740 men were wearing shorter, simpler wigs and began to powder their own hair

Punk -- Usually short on top and styled with lotion to stand up off the head; often a mohawk fashion from forehead to nape; sometimes dyed bright neon colors of pink, purple, blue, orange etc.

Queue -- Pigtail, esp. that of a Chinese. (Chinese queue was braided) Men of Colonial America wore these as well, usually tied back with a ribbon and in some cases men wore a periwig styled with a queue

Roach -- Hair brushed into a roll

Sausage curl -- Long tube-like coils of hair; popular in early 1800’s; in the early 1970’s these were piled on top of the head in a cluster, esp. for formal dress for teens.

Shag -- Like a pixie, only long at the nape. Lengths vary from short to long layered cut; popular during the early 70’s

Skin heads -- Group of radical racist youths, men and women alike, who shaved their heads

Spaniel’s curls -- Late 1840’s into the 50’s; long thick curls worn by the ear (as worn by Elizabeth Barrette Browning)

Spit curls -- First seen in 1831; flat curls on women in front of the ear

Tonsure -- Shaven part of a monk or cleric’s head

Updo/upsweep -- Generic term for long hair styled high on top of head; hair might petaled (layered curls), barrel curled, arranged in a chignon, backcombed into a beehive or styled in French roll etc.

Wedge cut -- Also called Dorothy Hamill cut; short cut worn mostly by women; sides feathered off the face, back cut longer from the drown to the occipital bone, where its layered into a wedge; nape is trimmed close the head and short; a late ‘70’s and early 80’s style.

Do you see anything missing from this list? Are there modern styles we need to add? How do you decide what kind of hair to give your characters?

* * * * * *

Sharla Rae passed away earlier this year, but she (and her amazing lists) live on at WITS. She published four amazing historical romances. The latest, How To Fell a Timberman , is available on Amazon .

You can read more about her here .

13 comments on “A Comprehensive Guide To Writing About Hair”

This is too, too perfect for me because one of the questions in the reader's guide at the end of my forthcoming novel QUEEN OF THE OWLS is about how HAIR is used to convey different aspects of what it means to be a woman!! The protagonist changes her hair to symbolize a change she wants to make in her life. Her less-tightly-wound sister is always letting her hair fall, effortlessly, to her shoulders. And so on. (You'll just have to read the book to know more.) As women, hair matters to us; we say something about who we are, through our hair choices. So this is a cool dictionary! Thank you!!

How cool, Barbara! That's sounds like a great story.

What a great post! So incredibly thorough. The only thing I can think to add is black hair that has a blue sheen to it.

I find the descriptive hair phrases particularly helpful.

Yes, Sharla was amazing at this. This post is a summary of 17 pages from her "magic notebooks."

This is a great list! I want to point out one spelling error in the descriptive phrases. "Cupie" curls are actually "Kewpie" curls. Kewpie dolls were very popular in the early to mid 20th century. Spell check probably won't catch that.

Excellent catch, Belinda! I made the change. 🙂

Great idea, but this post was pretty exclusionary of POC har descriptors and I think it was neglectful to leave this out of the conversation (I'm a while lady, but I pay attention to this stuff).

Just for example -- there's a difference between dreadlocks (not even on this list) and locs, with an important distinction:

"With the trans-Atlantic slave trade in full force during the 1600-1800s, Africans brought to America (and other places around the globe) were unable to perform their normal hair grooming practices, and so arrived looking unkempt. After traveling months on ships with no hygiene available, hair appeared matted and locked. It's said that slave owners referred to the "dreadful" sight of the captives, thus the term "dreadlocks" and its negative association." ( https://www.byrdie.com/locs-or-locks-400267 )

Hair and the description of hair is such a huge part of the black community in particular, and has so many connotations for other non-white cultures as well, it was remiss to not include at least some links for white writers to explore, ESPECIALLY if you ever plan to write a POC character.

This post is a great place to start: https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/94390338957/describing-natural-hair

Erin, I appreciate you taking the time to leave this thoughtful comment and point out this oversight. I've added that excellent link to Writing With Color into the post. Although many of these descriptors apply to hair from any ethnic background, the post did not pay special attention to hair from persons of color. Thank you for speaking up!

It should be noted that these descriptors come from Sharla Rae's personal notebook and she tended to write early American historicals with a focus on Norwegians and Texans.

Thanks so much for visiting us here at Writers In the Storm.

Erin, I thought you might enjoy this book a friend of mine wrote for her daughter, Ava. It speaks about African-American hair in a very unique way. (Her daughter attends school in an Orange County district that is predominantly of Asian and Middle Eastern descent and Caucasian.)

https://www.amazon.com/Have-Make-Curly-Hair-Straight/dp/154306681X

Better than Thesaurus.com!!

Thanks, Karen! And things just got even more comprehensive some some great links in the comments. 🙂

spiral curls, popular in the 80s, but some of us have that in our natural curly hair

I think you're missing the mullet.

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watermark Member

How to write descriptions of beautiful women.

Discussion in ' Character Development ' started by watermark , Jan 12, 2017 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Right now I only know how to write them like this: Jane is beautiful. Jill is very beautiful. Jenny is beautiful too. As you can see, I obviously have a problem. I don't know how to describe beauty in women! (And while we're on the topic, how to describe handsomeness on guys too.) Of course, I can pull up a thesaurus too and change them to: Jane is pretty. Jill is gorgeous. Jenny is stunning. But somehow I think there's more to it than that. How would I go about describing women? Any examples? Any advice? Thanks so much!  

Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Ok, first of all, stop telling me she's beautiful. What is her beauty made of? What are the materials? Give me that.  

Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Eyes are always a good place to start, namely the way he/she looks at you and what that makes you feel. Or the way you feel when a beautiful man/woman speaks your name. The latter is my favorite. I used to work dressing rooms in a casino and I nearly melted when Shania Twain looked at me and said my name with a smile. I was down for the count for the rest of the day. Having said that you definitely do not want to go overboard with the description. Nothing brings a narrative to a screeching halt quite like a mini treatise on what a person looks like or what they are wearing (I'm looking at you George R.R. Martin). A blurb here or there is okay, particularly if you need to fill in a dialogue beat or something.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Homer Potvin said: ↑ ...Nothing brings a narrative to a screeching halt quite like a mini treatise on what a person looks like or what they are wearing (I'm looking at you George R.R. Martin) . Click to expand...

Lifeline South. Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Now, you can start by what is fascinating to the POV character. Why does he think her beautiful? Is it something in her stance and bearing, maybe her laughter? Or the way she seems always poised and elegant of movement? What does attract you about women? What does attract the POV character? 'Beautiful' to one is not beautiful to another. I know for a fact that I, personally, have always been more fascinated by the unusual and imperfect guys. I've never been fascinated by the 'perfect', or even the usually 'handsome' called guys. Good for me and my female friend, because we have never quarrelled over the same guys  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); But descriptions can make great signposts to cue the reader later on in a story. Say, you have serial killer (or something) that always wears an orange vest (nevermind that that would make the killer easy to identify for witnesses, cops, etc). The reader is aware of it, but other characters are not. So later in the story you can have Character A interacting with the killer (say they just met) in an otherwise innocuous scene. If you are in Character A's POV then she does not know he is the killer, and we the reader do not know he's the killer unless your omniscient voice blurts it out. Then in the middle of the scene you can drop a casual reference to the orange vest (remember, you are tight on Character A's POV here) and the reader is immediately cued. Character A has no clue, maybe she just comments that she likes the color, but the audience is like, "Oh no! Stabby stabby time!"  

Seren Writeaholic

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Lifeline said: ↑ Now, you can start by what is fascinating to the POV character. Why does he think her beautiful? Is it something in her stance and bearing, maybe her laughter? Or the way she seems always poised and elegant of movement? What does attract you about women? What does attract the POV character? 'Beautiful' to one is not beautiful to another. I know for a fact that I, personally, have always been more fascinated by the unusual and imperfect guys. I've never been fascinated by the 'perfect', or even the usually 'handsome' called guys. Good for me and my female friend, because we have never quarrelled over the same guys Click to expand...

xanadu Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); I agree with @Lifeline and @Seren . Use the POV character as your basis, not only for describing beauty, but for describing anything. The last thing I want when I'm reading description is a dry objective narration from the author. Give me the description of the character through the lens of the character whose eyes we're looking through. What matters to one character is not what matters to another. Here's the thing, though. By doing this, you're not only describing the "beauty" of the target character. You're also giving us characterization of the POV character. The things he notices vs the things he doesn't, how he chooses to describe them, how brief or how detailed of a description he gives, all factor into who this character is. And that's way more valuable than a laundry list of adjectives, no matter how poetic those adjectives may be.  

ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); watermark said: ↑ Right now I only know how to write them like this: Jane is beautiful. Jill is very beautiful. Jenny is beautiful too. As you can see, I obviously have a problem. I don't know how to describe beauty in women! (And while we're on the topic, how to describe handsomeness on guys too.) Of course, I can pull up a thesaurus too and change them to: Jane is pretty. Jill is gorgeous. Jenny is stunning. But somehow I think there's more to it than that. How would I go about describing women? Any examples? Any advice? Thanks so much! Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Thanks so much for the comments so far! Another question. Any books in particular you can recommend I study to learn how to write descriptions, esp of women, better? (I'm guessing not one of the ASOIAF books... ) Perhaps romance novels?  

amerrigan Active Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); I'm not sure of any books that would help you. But the people on this forum know a few tricks that you could learn. One of which is the writing technique of 'using description to tell a story'. It not only applies to environments, but to people as well. The following is a classic 'writers lesson' of using description to tell the story: 'In 300 words, describe a street in such a way that you know that one of your character's mothers has just died, without ever saying it.' When beauty becomes a part of the character's story and influences the actions of the people around them, then you start to figure out ways in which to describe the beauty in a storied way. So you could change it to, 'In 300 words, describe how your character looks in such a way that you know that your protagonist is obsessed with them, without ever saying it.'  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); I couldn't help myself but have a practice run: “…then Clare sat down at the dinner table. Clare had the brownest eyes I had ever seen. When you smiled at her, her eyes seemed to light up; and, as they did, I spilled gravy on the table. She laughed. I quickly mopped it up, embarrassed, but knocked over the salt as I wasn’t paying attention, watching her broad smile. Her lips were thin, small, and the top one came together to make a perfect M. She told me that I should pinch the salt and throw it over my shoulder. I did it clumsily, on purpose, tossing it against my shoulder, and asked her if she could show me how it should be done. A stupid game, I know, but she played along. She always played along. Her fingers were slender, nails cut short, she picked up the salt, and with a graceful movement the salt flew past her bare collarbone; exposed for all to see by her strapless floral dress. I watched as a single grain of the salt landed on her dark brown skin and rolled down to her underarm. My eyes traveled along the path of her long black hair back up to her eyes. She was still looking at me, waiting for me to try again. I mumbled something dismissive and quickly picked up my fork and started playing with my food, hiding behind the other conversations, and feeling guilty for watching a grain of salt roll down my wife’s sister’s body…”  

Phil Mitchell Banned Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); watermark said: ↑ Thanks so much for the comments so far! Another question. Any books in particular you can recommend I study to learn how to write descriptions, esp of women, better? (I'm guessing not one of the ASOIAF books... ) Perhaps romance novels? Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); @amerrigan Hey I really liked how you used a "guy does something and how girl reacts to that" to describe the girl. That's something I never thought of doing before!  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Thanks. I tried to capture some of the obsessive behavior within the description. The obsessed person's manipulation of their victims behavior. And also their reading of everything their obsession does as a positive reciprocation of their dark desires. I like doing writing exercises like these. I find them to be a lot of fun.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Don't describe a character as the most beautiful or perfect using omniscient pov,  

Oswiecenie Active Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); 1. Look at descriptions of other beautiful literary characters. 2. Describe what would make your character stand out in this sea of beautiful literary characters.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Romance novels don't always go into huge detail in their description, often because they have the whole novel to weave in little comments about certain features of the main characters. But I'm an avid fan of them, so if you do take a look, I'd highly recommend Sarah Morgan's stories, because she writes from the POV's of both the male and female protagonists. It should help you with writing descriptions about both. (She's written a lot of them to varying degrees of quality, so I'd go for one that's still available in paperback and published with either Mills & Boon or Harlequin.)  

123456789 Contributor Contributor

JLT Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); I can only add Francis Bacon's observation: “There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.” Oversized eyes, nose, or ears, long fingers, whatever. They're the features that you notice, that set your character apart from the rest of humanity.  

Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Lifeline said: ↑ 'Beautiful' to one is not beautiful to another. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Sack-a-Doo! said: ↑ My wife calls me 'handsome' but most would not because I'm not even close to 'movie average' let alone 'movie pretty.' So, yeah, it's subjective as hell and Hollywood has given us a standard so out of whack as to make some cry. But... When someone is truly attracted to someone else—and I'm talking soul-mate attracted—the first bite (to quote Kryton the mechanoid) is with the eye. Eyes are what I saw when I first encountered my wife across a crowded room... literally, it was a crowded corridor at university and for the first few seconds, all I saw was her eyes and I couldn't look away. I was peripherally aware of her smile (still gives me goosebumps, BTW, even after 31 years) but mostly it was that 'hey! how do I know this person?' thing in her eyes that I was aware of. Although time didn't stand still, we both did... and simply stared at each other like we'd both found a long-lost friend. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Wreybies said: ↑ pulchritude Click to expand...

big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); Wreybies said: ↑ The way he clearly did not wash his hair on a daily basis. . Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_4d0bea8fef7243c1df61febeb3429eb0'); }); big soft moose said: ↑ Seriously ? I wash mine about once a fortnight whether it needs it or not ( I do shower more often I hasten to add, its just that I'm very tall so my head doesn't go under the shower head without contortions) On the wider point I also look a bit like a werewolf , or if wearing my shapka 'like a deranged spaniel' this hasn't however over the years stopped various women from getting all fluttery over my looks and manly charm Click to expand...

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