: Re: Do I need to repeat character descriptions of main characters from one book to the next? In the second book of my trilogy, do I need to repeat everything about the main characters' appearance

@Angela458

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You don't need to describe your main characters in detail as you would have done in your first book.

However, you do need to briefly describe their key/relevant features so that someone, who is reading your sequel without having read your first book (which is pretty common), can quickly get an idea of who your character is and get straight into the story (which is what the reader's interested in). Otherwise, they'll have to buy your first book and refer to it specifically for your characters' descriptions, which would inevitably ruin the reader's experience and discourage them from reading your books (not what you want!) .

Think of it this way. Every story should be able to be enjoyed by itself, to a satisfactorial extent. Even in a series, there shouldn't be reliance on the reader having read the previous books as this simply isn't always the case. Yes, sequels will generally be related to the plot of the previous book, but they shouldn't be heavily dependent; they should be able to be enjoyed, to a satisfactory extent, by themselves. If you don't describe your main characters (briefly) in sequels, then you'll undoubtedly discourage them from reading on (as they'll feel a need to have read your previous books (this effect would be worse if you don't describe your character in book 5 as opposed to not describing in book 2) ).

Note (Spoiler Alert):

Beware of describing your character's key details too often in series, especially if the details are relevant to plot twists. For example, in the Skullduggery Pleasant series (by Derek Landy), Erskine Ravel (a good friend of the main character), is described as having golden eyes. This description is repeated in the second and third books, but isn't mentioned again after that. In book 5, the mastermind of a plan that will destroy the world is revealed to be 'The Man with the Golden Eyes'. In book 8 (out of 9 in the first series), this mysterious man is revealed, in a major plot twist, to be Erskine Ravel. This was completely unexpected as after the third book, Erskine's golden eyes are never referenced again.

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