Thursday, September 22, 2011

Character Descriptions in 5 Words or Less

So one of my critique partners, Danielle (yes the very same Danielle we have here at Tangled), believes that people, and therefore, characters can be summed up in five words or less. At first thought of this, I balked. Just five words? You want me to describe my characters in only 5 words? Pfft!

But the more that I think about it, the more I can kind of see her logic. As much as I could use dozens of words to describe my characters, I could also narrow that list down to the five most prominent.

You can find Danielle's original post on this HERE

First, I think I'll try my hand at Noah Shaw from the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

Well, let's see. He's a very complex character. He's as desirable as fictional characters can be, and he's mysterious too. He's arrogant, even if it's rightful, and he's British. Did I mention sexy? 

Okay....okay....Five words: Smoldering, Conceited, Direct, Passionate, Wealthy


Okay, so now that I've done it for Noah, let's see how I do with my own characters.

Karina: She's lost a lot. She's convinced she's seeing things. She's unsure of who to trust. But she's also determined and strong. She's a devoted friend and will do anything for those she loves. 

Her words: Resolute, Remorseful, Loyal, Loving, Forgiving

Tina: Where do I even begin with Tina? She's lovable and fun. She's constant and loves shopping. She's a bright spot in the darkness and just an all around typical teenage girl.
Her words: Affectionate, Thoughtful, Shop-a-holic, Perky, Flirtatious

Eli: He's been around the block and has seen pretty much everything. There's hardly anything that can surprise him anymore, or so he thinks. He's handsome in that devastatingly dangerous way. He's charming when he needs to be and he knows more about you (read Karina) than you're comfortable with. 

His words: Experienced, Hazardous, Audacious, Enigmatic, Hot

So how about you? Can you sum up your characters in 5 words or less? Give it a try. You might be surprised. 

3 comments:

  1. audacious? resolute? Ah, why wasn't I born in a English-speaking country?
    I can't even think to try finding words for my characters. *sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  2. sneaky, naiive, stubborn, determined, passionate

    So fun!

    Hey Tangled Girls,
    I wanted to invite you all and your readers to participate in the contest I'm having on my blog! It's the search for the most romantic couple in Literature. Come play! It will be fun. Nominations are open now but may go fast so think of your favorite couple and come nominate them NOW!

    Check it out here: WORDS

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank so much for your comments, Roxo & Melinda. :-)

    Great words, Melinda! I'm going to check out your post now.

    ReplyDelete