Oct 27, 2017, 3:57 AM

@seraphim73 said in Character Information: Wiki or Mu*?:

@faraday I've mentioned this before, but I like my descs to say something about the character rather than just describing them. I don't always manage this, but for say... a swashbuckler, I might use more purple prose (while trying not to go overboard, because that definitely gets old fast), but a by-the-book pilot might have more of a just-the-facts description. Word choice is big for me here.

I studied costume design in college. It was, like... officially my thing. I so get this. I so get this. While it takes a bit of media-based translation... have I mentioned I so get this? Costume design's main focus isn't actually the historical bits and bobs, it's about conveying character and character traits.

You get a different impression from these, and it's directly related to character:

  • she has a defined jawline

  • she has a stubborn chin

  • she wears a lot of jewelry

  • it looks as if she's upended her entire jewelry box on herself

  • she dresses like a goth, mostly in black

  • she dresses like an escapee from Hot Topic Addicts Anonymous

...and so on. Each pair says the same thing in terms of a physical description, but one presents something about the character that people may be able to infer more clearly than a sterile description of appearance might, without losing the ability to visualize the character's appearance.

I kinda see the difference as being between 'you can visualize the character's appearance' and 'you can visualize the character', and I tend to think the latter is more helpful and engaging.