Suspicious Characters

I am the greatest. Buy my books. — The Palimpsest Pen

Dear P.P.,

I want to tell everybody what my character looks like. What’s the best way to do this?

P.P.: Describing a character so that everybody sees him exactly how he is supposed to look can be tricky. One way is to have them describe themselves while they are looking in a mirror.

“Joe knew he was hotter than the average, 6’2” muscular jock. His twenty-two year old, unblemished skin was tan, like the kind of tan of a fawn’s coat, and smooth like a newborn baby’s butt (except it wasn’t soft and squishy, but rather chiseled like Michelangelo’s David)…”

You can also compare him to the actor who inspired you, or, better yet—post a picture with your description so that everybody knows who you mean.