{"id":7501,"date":"2024-12-16T13:41:06","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bh.novlr.org\/?p=7501"},"modified":"2025-02-10T12:51:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T12:51:59","slug":"how-do-you-respectfully-describe-body-types","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/how-do-you-respectfully-describe-body-types\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you respectfully describe body types?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“How would i politely describe body types without being vague?<\/em>“<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Characters are as diverse as the writers who write about them, but when it comes to describing them, it can be very easy to default to what we know or to succumb to clich\u00e9s or stereotypes. This can be especially challenging when describing characters\u2019 bodies. When you need to describe body types, it’s really important to strike a balance between being specific and respectful while avoiding harmful stereotypes or vague descriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why description matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Description is essential to really bring a reader into a scene and connect with the characters you\u2019re writing about. Physical descriptions help readers visualise characters<\/a>, which, in turn, can influence story dynamics. Body descriptions can reveal a lot about a character and even affect the way that other characters interact with them. Like people in real life, the way we look influences both who we are and how we interact with the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a personal example, I am quite short, but I have very long limbs. This gives me the illusion of being tall. Consequently, I am often asked by people taller than me to help them get things down from high shelves because they perceive me as taller than I am. This is a common interaction in my life that has changed the way I dress and carry myself. You probably have similar anecdotes in your own life, which is why building those descriptions into your characters can be such a great way to really make them feel real. How a character looks is not\u00a0all\u00a0<\/em>they are, but it does help create a well-rounded sense of character if we get a feel for how they interact with the world around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General guidelines to describe body types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thoughtful representation matters in modern writing. Descriptions should exist to make your characters feel like people and not like stereotypes. To achieve this, you must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n