Tell the audience what your characters look like, how they carry themselves and how they dress.
Caution: Don’t do it all at once. Dumping all the character’s details on the reader in one serving can jar them to distraction.
Examples:
1. Charles looked great in his custom-tailored, gray suit and black, Italian leather loafers. His fitted, white, monogrammed shirt complemented the imported, silk burgundy tie with its gold clasp that matched his expensive cuff links. Each had a small diamond set in the center.
#2. Paula’s auburn curls fell over her shoulders to contrast her green, cable-stitched Christmas sweater. Her deep blue eyes were enhanced by the contrast of her pleated red skirt and red patent-leather four-inch heels.
The descriptions of the two characters above give a clear picture of what they look like without question. However, the story stops while the reader considers all the details. It’s much better to describe each player as the story moves forward.
Example:
Charles entered the lounge and spotted Paula immediately. Her long legs and shiny, red heels grabbed his attention. He unbuttoned the jacket of his gray, custom-made suit, smiled and walked toward her.
Paula sat back in the booth and pulled her long auburn curls off the shoulder of her green Christmas sweater. She noticed the glint from gold cuff links. She grinned. Charles always dressed to the teeth. She adjusted her pleated red skirt and crossed her legs.
Charles adjusted his silk burgundy tie, an unbreakable habit. He slid into the booth and kissed her.
Study the examples above and evaluate the differences.
In the first two scenes, the characters are introduced like fashion plates at a New York Designer expo. There’s no “life” to the description. Yes, the reader gets a hint of what type of people the characters are, but the story stops to let the audience admire clothing and the suggested position the characters have in society.
The second example works better to move the story forward. The audience learns that the two people know each other, they’re both well-heeled and it’s Christmas time.
Create a dynamic outline of your main characters. Decide what they look like, and include all their physical characteristics. If they’re high-society, they’ll live differently than blue-collar workers or car thieves. All of that determines how they dress, and/or how they conduct themselves in public or privately.
This is not an exercise in creating characters; it’s the process by which you introduce characters you’ve already created.