: Re: Is it bad to describe a character long after their introduction? I have a tendency to forget to describe character's appearance. But I always describe them, though often a little while after

I think it is a job for rewrite. I do not even THINK about my character's physical traits very much until such a trait becomes necessary to the plot -- Say for example I have actor characters, and I want my male character to be rejected as the romantic interest. One way of doing that is by making him too short for the female lead, the producers want somebody at least 3 inches taller than the actress they have already chosen. I decide my character is 5' 9", the actress they cast is 5' 8", and that is why he loses out. (Though I will probably never mention the specific heights in the story; more like "we're looking for somebody at least 5' 11").

But instead of describing this THERE, in the second Act, if I think 5' 9" would be a workable trait, I go back and put it where it belongs: In the first half of Act I, the setup of the world and the characters where the reader is expecting all sorts of new information to appear. I will likely have to invent some excuse to have his height matter, so I do that, and double-check the rest of the story to ensure this new height doesn't make any other scenes feel unrealistic.

The first half of the first act is where you have pretty much complete freedom to do anything and be forgiven by the reader. That is where we introduce magic, fantasy worlds, space travel, aliens, psychic powers, miracles, Gods, immortality, anything that demands a suspension of disbelief for the reader/viewer, in order to accept and enjoy the story. The same goes for physical traits, skills, or innate abilities that will matter to the plot line, like the male actor's height in my example.

Once that window closes (usually with the inciting incident) the reader's openness to new critical information fades quickly. New information increasingly comes to be seen as a deus ex machina that breaks the suspension of disbelief and jerks the reader out of their immersion.

I am sure some great writers might get away with it; but rather than relying upon my genius writing ability, it is easier for me to just follow the standard rules: Go back and rewrite, get it into Act I, and preferably before the Inciting Incident; it only takes a little creativity and a line or two of text.

Richard had to jump a few inches to grab the new box of coffee filters from the top shelf of the cabinet.

Ah, Richard is not very tall.

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: Why do authors use variations on a character's name within a single story? I am having trouble understanding why authors use multiple version of a character's name in the same story. I feel

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: Are there fiction ghostwriters who have gone on to become successful writers in their own right? I currently freelance as a ghostwriter. Are there any other ghostwriters who have had any success?

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: I'm not a RPG player, but it sounds to me like you are engaged in standard fiction writing with a 3rd person neutral narrator; perhaps unlimited (knows what all characters think and feel).

: Re: Is it bad to describe a character long after their introduction? I have a tendency to forget to describe character's appearance. But I always describe them, though often a little while after

More posts by @Welton431

: Why do authors use variations on a character's name within a single story? I am having trouble understanding why authors use multiple version of a character's name in the same story. I feel

: Are there fiction ghostwriters who have gone on to become successful writers in their own right? I currently freelance as a ghostwriter. Are there any other ghostwriters who have had any success?

: How can I write a panicked scene without it feeling like it was written in haste? I normally try to place myself in my character's shoes and I think to myself, "how would I react if I were

: I'm not a RPG player, but it sounds to me like you are engaged in standard fiction writing with a 3rd person neutral narrator; perhaps unlimited (knows what all characters think and feel).

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