How to Quickly Give Insight Into Your Character's Circumstances (60-Second Story Tip #20)
Channel: Speaking CPR
Date: 2021-04-14

There's a terrific way to give us insight into your characters without describing that person… tell us how that individual is dressed.

The way a person dresses can give us insight into that individual. For example, you can describe a woman as walking into a room with her head held high, wearing a dress that had seen better days but was finally pressed. And her clean shoes had also seen better days. They were worn but they were freshly polished. 

What does that tell you about this woman?

She cares about her appearance, she's got confidence and she wants to be seen. She has pride.

Compare that with the individual who you describe as walking into a room with torn pants that clearly haven't been washed in days. His shirt is stained and kind of smells. And he has an overall demeanor of someone who's struggling. That tells you that this person could have financial difficulties, maybe some health issues going on. His situation isn’t good. 

This gives you a quick picture of that person without a long, lengthy backstory that nobody wants to hear. 

Describe how your characters dress, and we'll have a better understanding of their personalities and their situations.

In the next tip, you'll hear one other useful tool to use to describe your characters’ personalities.  

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