When do I describe looks?

I need help, because every time I reach this part of writing, I feel like I screw up. Sure, I'm a tough critic of myself, but still. What I'd really like to hear from anyone is when to describe the looks of the main character. Do you do some action and lead up to the description? Describe them fully as early as possible? Slowly describe them over several pages? Give the generalities you want the reader to know and let them fill in the rest as you tell the story? Whenever I do it, it doesn't seem to sound right (man, do I sound insecure). For an example of how I describe a lead character, see "Season of Change" under fantasy fiction.

Also, if the lead character is not human, like a character I'm working with who is a humanoid feline, when should I describe what she or her species looks like? Or, how should I introduce the fact that he/she is not human? I don't want the reader naturally assuming she's human then going "Whoa! What is she again? Where'd that come from?"

Afterthought: when do you think you reach the point of describing a characters looks too much?

Anyway, I'm just looking for some opinions.

It's not a hard and fast rule.

How does it fit best with the flow of the story, and the structure of the writing? I tend to let other character's reactions, comments, POVs describe eachother in increments. It's the way a person acts that most defines them best - and so speech patterns and attitude seem more important - especially in the beginning.

One almost-hard-and-fast-rule: DON'T DROWN THE READER IN CHARACTER DESCRIPTION. A sentence can be enough. The best way to describe is with well-chosen words.

All right...I hope 'tis helpful. I'm terribly tired.

There's a quote from John Ames in this writing book I have:

"The problem with creating a complete photo of your character is that we all have varying standards of beauty, different traits in the opposite sex that turn us on. Make your heroine too clear for me and I just might not like her. But give me just enough to shape my ideal, and we're in business."

I don't usually give a full description of my characters all at once. I tend to just kind of mention a character's curly hair, like, "I pushed a curly lock of hair behind my ear." Stuff like that.

Hope I helped.

The trouble with describing looks, if you ask me, is that the audience/reader always knows EXACTLY what you're doing. No matter how you try to work it in, it always sticks out. At least, that's how I feel! I mean, I've read books which do everything they can to fool me into thinking I'm not really reading a description at all - some have a cinematic approach, like JK Rowling, and place the character as "anonymous person" in a setting, then describe them etc. Or, like CassandraJ said, they work it in with snippets here and there - "she brushed back a loose strand of black hair" and so on. I've done it myself, so I'm particularly sensitive to it, I guess. But either way, I'm aware of what is going on.

SO...how the hell do you do it without the reader noticing?

Personally, I think the best approach is to just do it. Accept that both you and the reader know you're giving them signposts to what the character looks like, give a few details, then move on. I guess the best way is probably to do it a bit at a time, and not to describe too closely - i.e. dont describe their lips, eyelashes, beautiful wavy locks or sexy hips (or really sexy anything, actually...as a reader, I find that particularly annoying...and a sure sign of a Mary Sue and/or bad author). Leave the reader a lot of scope while directing the generalities. So, say, you can tell them your character is called Hannah, her hair is dyed red (and her mother hates it) and she works as an accountant. Dont describe her dress, her make-up, her eyes. Let the reader connect the dots and let Hannah's behaviour - speaking quickly, moving briskly, being abrupt, brusque, etc. - guide their impression of her face, her body, her personality. Above all, DO NOT GIVE SPECIFICS about height and such. People who write, "Ashleigh was around 5'2" can get really annoying

It's probably best not to dump detail all that often. And I would not make a description of one character go on for pages and pages.

http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/index.html

Have a look at that site! It has a whole lot of useful stuff, and there's at least one article on description which I found really helpful (the one with five rules).

Describe them fully as early as possible?

Well, if you ask me it's all how you introduce the character. If they walk in on a main character, perhaps a description from the point of view of that main character is in order. Like "she was the ugliest woman he had ever seen ... " except obviously not that lame.

But maybe if the character was just sort of ... there ... from the beginning or something, they would get little bits of description every now and again hidden in actions and stuff like that.

Vary it. Too much of the first idea will get really annoying and probably boring really quickly. The second idea doesn't really annoy readers (in my opinion anyway).

It'd be a good idea to read books you enjoyed, particularly one's with characters in similar situations to your characters, and see how those authors handled the description and whether you enjoyed reading it or not.

I'll go have a look at your piece now, and see if I can help you there!

Well, personally, I do not like when they are described looking at their reflection in a puddle, lake or mirror, or in a newspaper (such as in Alex by Tessa Duder.)

Usually I try to integrate it with some sort of action, and do it in 'stages' not in a big block of description.

http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/index.html

Have a look at that site! It has a whole lot of useful stuff, and there's at least one article on description which I found really helpful (the one with five rules).

BTW This site is so cool, I think it's a great help.

Only describe features that are noticable. If my character is as fat as an orca, I'm going to say if she could swim, she could probably join a pod of whales with no problem at all.

Don't overdo it though. No long lengthy description. Or even lengthy. For example, I often see stories which have the following, "She burshed her long chestnut hair back, blinking the tears out of her deep blue eyes." You get the drift. That sounds annoying.

In a way, I like to create my own image of the character. If it's important, tell me. If it isn't, then keep it to yourself. If you describe your characters' personalities well enough, the reader may already assign the looks to the character. That's why clichés are great -- they keep you from describing your character's description. XD

Er... I hope this post isn't TOO nonsensical.

For non-human characters, particularly CAT type ones, you might want to work it into the way they move - not something as flat-out as "she walked like a cat" but instead of saying "walked" say "strolled" and instead of saying "jumped" say "sprang" or something. Make it catlike without having to say its catlike.

Um. Just an idea....

Quick characterics of simple features - hide them in the sentances that lack intense action...but applying them with an action is acceptable. What your character looks like isn't hugly important - who they are is more so, and you must develop that. So make it short and sweet on first meeting, and let them get their job done.