Has anyone ever thought “I don’t care what color his eyes are” or “what does the size of her hips have to do this journey?” Or my personal favorites are, “well, what color are his eyes” and “how wide are her hips REALLY?”
You know where this is going: physical descriptions of characters.
Sure, establishing attraction between two characters could use some physical traits to highlight. Everyone has their personal attractions. But besides that, when does describing a character become too much? Or do you feel there is too little to your character altogether?
Sometimes we think of the readers first. Readers come in all shapes and sizes – and we also want to highlight everyone thinks differently. But you knew that already. The way a reader can interpret your characters varies. Some enjoy rich, written word describing every nook and cranny of your world…others envision a movie scene, playing itself out in their head.
But what’s also important to keep in mind is yourself. It’s up to your discretion as a writer if you wish to pursue colorful scenes adorned in magical items or timeless pieces of furniture. Or that may not be the point of the story. Factor in everything (point of view, genre…we mean it.) Some writers feel comfortable with a simple “an average man/woman comes into the crowded bar…” and the reader’s creative mind can take the reins from there.
Get comfortable with your characters for who they are, not they look like.