I find I like writing in 1st person, because I like an inner monologue, or random thought train once in a while, but I've realized... when I write first person, I sometimes completely forget to describe the character. I find it hard to get in, simply because I never look at my reflection and think about describing myself. And sometimes when I read first person, having the character describe themselves sometimes bumps me out of the reading groove. Especially outfit descriptions, which I see a lot in the occasional cheesy romance I pick up. My last short story, I ended up just sneaking in little bits, but only in how they interacted with the world, like their hair color when another character ruffled it, or their build when someone was surprised at how strong they were. But I'm not sure those little bits of description are enough or not.
So, when you're writing in 1st person how/when do you fit in the character description? And how much description do you usually include?
v42: - - - HM
I am horrible at description, so I've taken some classes on it.
Strategy 1 - compare and contrast yourself to others. "I have [my father's] hair too, a dirty red color like Tennessee clay" (The Autobiography of a Traitor and a Half-Savage by Alix E. Harrow) "we made a strange pair. Annie, a stout, tall Apache woman, had severely thick eyebrows and lips that turned down, even when she smiled. She also shaved her head daily, as if preparing for war. Her features contrasted with my girlish face and willowy frame. Primary school bullies called me "Pocahontas," so it goes without saying that I never braided my hair. However, I kept it long to protect my ears and back from the sun." ("Nkásht íí" by Darcie Little Badger)
Strategy 2 - give narrator's opinion on their looks, or how it affects their actions instead of just a straight mirror description. Can't find a good example of this at the moment, but this would be things like "I hate my big nose" or "I slather on the sunscreen since my mayonnaise white skin burns so easy"
Hope that helps!
SHM - 4
HM - 11
R - 11
My published works
I find I like writing in 1st person,
You could use action and thought to mix in description.
Clothing and implied MC sex: My body armor pinched like a cheap bra under the department-issued Blues as I ...
Thought, if you have a spot to slip in MC name: You’ve got this, {enter MC name}.
Description mixed with action:
- I twisted a hair tie in and jogged through the ...
- I squared my five-eight frame and checked my duty belt. LED torch, two hinged cuffs, ...
Stuff like that.
Avoid using the "looking in a mirror" trick.
Writers of the Future:
2026 V43: Submitted
2025 V42: RWC, HM (HM Resubmit), HM, SHM
2024 V41: RWC (HM Resubmit), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: -, -, -, HM
2020 V37: -, R, -, -
Other Achievements:
2025 SWA: Crime Fiction Contest - 1st Place, The Lighthouse Prompt - 3rd Place
Todd S. Jones
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
Another way to accomplish this is through secondary character interactions and dialogue. Other characters in the story talking about them to others, or even directly to them.
"It's my own fault. I should have never underestimated you. I saw your puny arms and skinny legs and took that for weakness. But what you lack in muscle, you more than make up for in mind."
"There are three rules to writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
— W. Somerset Maugham
Drop me a line at https://morganbroadhead.com
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