John Terrell Obituary, How Old Was Ellen Page In Hard Candy, Best 44 Magnum Semi Auto Handgun, Articles H

Thanks, Sana. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Also his mother was poor and anyone who knew that might wonder how he could afford such clothing so it hints at the actual story. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Our characters are always (mostly!) I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. A few easy changes are to make one side longer than the other, so basically creating a diagonal cut instead of the standard horizontal one. You dont need it to sign up. But it makes a good story. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. Nudity was often either a complete taboo or just common place in many cultures throughout history, so by changing these taboos (and others) you immediately create a fictional piece. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. As soon as the actor enters stage right or left, we have an inkling of whether theyre a wealthy landowner or peasant, an elegant heiress or humble flower-seller. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. If there is one thing I hope you take from all of this, its that none of this is about describing what a character looks like. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. Embarrassed by her own inability to dress in finery for the occasion (and by being upstaged), Katerina resorts to scathing mockery of Amalia. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. You can also check out some of my other guides too, like: If you have any questions about this guide on fantasy armor, please get in touch. In fact, you should be putting lots of thought and development into protagonists because thats who the story is about.But how much thought have you given to your tertiary characters? Community . Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Have fun with it. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. Using a squared, pixelated look or circuitry patterns usually works great too, which can even be combined with layered clothing to create the circuitry feel. This is mostly something to keep in mind when designing for characters living in the future, but it could work for alternative historic universes as well. Clothes that are suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions. Or theyll be living off soda crackers and peanut butter for the next week because they drained their checking account for a suit to impress at their job interview. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. Stylish. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. - Taboos and nudity. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. I mean what your character wears provides a clue to how they see themselves, how they want to be seen, and even how others see them. In my case my character is new in town and this description of clothing doesnt come until hes getting ready for the party in chapter 4 and its in the context of getting dressed, there are reasons behind it, the party is a very big deal for him getting his foot in the door with other teens in town and he wants to be impressive or maybe wants lot of attention with all the sparklies. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. For example, if a character is going on a date, you could write: Gem wanted to look sexy for her date downtown (but not easy), so she changed into more comfortable clothes. We all love a character with a cool set of fantasy armor: the baresark Rek from David Gemmells Legend with his enchanted coat of bronze, or Tomas from Raymond Feists Riftwar Cycle with his gleaming white dragon plate which gifted him incredible power. For example, fur usually wasn't used as a piece of decoration for clothing and if used at all was often worn around the neck and shoulders or underneath other (often hide) clothing to keep warm. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. A knight, by definition, was a lord. Its a good time. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. I used to be under the mindset that describing attire was boring and it was better to let the reader fill in those details but especially with the novel Im working on now, I have used clothing to portray more about their character. This is a fun one. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. and our Select the most striking details and move on. Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham said, Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. Try applying this philosophy to clothing descriptions in your writing and see what happens. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. As far as guidelines go this is the first to be broken though, consider this one more of a starting point rather than something to necessarily end on. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Be specific and accurate. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. Great idea. Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. One very important aspect of describing attire well is understanding why youre describing it in the first place. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Well come to this below. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. Elsewhere, Mantels novel is full of descriptions of garments for specific, era-appropriate purposes: Riding cloaks, town coats, and other clothing people of means would have worn at this time. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. This is a heavy generalization of course and entirely based on Western culture of today, but these rules may not apply at all in a fictional universe, no matter if it's futuristic or based on a historic setting. I don't mean make your characters walk around naked, but exposing (or covering) body parts in ways we don't today helps make ordinary clothing look different, which in turn helps sell the idea of it being futuristic. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. Every time we got separated in a public space, I discovered myself in a sea of mature women with the same haircut and pastel tops. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. But for writers like me who get stuck in the white socks, green dress rut, heres a quick reminder: Details about fabric, fit, quality, and color are super effective when it comes to creating a sense of character, place, or moment. There's a few other elements to keep in mind as well, but in most cases it's best not to worry at all, let your imagination go wild and simply create and enjoy what you want to create. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. Lets take a look at some ways you can develop those unique ideas: In this section, well take a look at some cool pieces of knight armor in fantasy that people have designed over the years, to give you even more inspiration for your own designs. As such, the contemporary tales that have followed, like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between, have paid homage to that era. But they werent administrators. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. What matters more to them: fashion or function? If Im wearing lipstick with no plans of going out, one of two things is happening: Im in a great mood or Im feeling like I have zero control over my life and failure is inevitable. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. One thing Ive always wondered is if someone wearing plate could fall down just right in a muddy battlefield, and get stuck there in the same way a large flat rock gets stuck laying in mud. These aren't the only elements either, pretty much every part of clothing changes with the times and depend heavily upon what's fashionable at the time. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. Borrowed armor wouldnt fit as well as a suit made for the wearer and wouldnt be as well balanced, so someone in borrowed armor would be more likely to have problems moving in his armor. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Maybe your character heads out on the town wearing a daring leopard print jumpsuit, only to have their best friend immediately ask where they got the kitty costume.. Its a bit OCD of me. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. Like say a vest with mirrored sequins and rhinestones, but they all go in a pattern and you feel the need to describe the pattern line by line? This article has compiled 100 different words you can use to describe clothes, and below the main list of 100 words we've explained our reasoning for a lot of the top picks from that very list, for your personal enjoyment. It's your creation, your imagination and your time you use and spend, so make sure you use and spend it on something you enjoy. Before I delve into the more detailed aspects of creating clothing there's one final thing to keep in mind and that is that fashion repeats itself. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. But let's take a step back and look at what kind of clothing is usually associated with futuristic settings. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. In other words take what exists and apply it differently. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. They were warriors first and foremost. The fact that Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Non-visual senses are big, too. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. Allrightsreserved, create an authentic sense of time and place, Use fashion and clothing history archives, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg, 1: Use clothing to show status and position, 2: Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, 3: Describe clothing to contrastcharacters personalities, 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, 5: Change characters clothing to highlight character development, 6: Use clothing details to recreate authentic setting, Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, Describe clothing to contrast character personalities, Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, Change clothing to highlight character development, Use clothing details to create authentic setting. So we've covered ways to make clothing look both futuristic and historic, but these are all just guidelines and mostly based on what's been done before. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. Blend in? Not to mention the social status of a person. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. The image you create has to play a role in the narrative.Consider the character arc. When describing clothing in writing, consider: You can also use this aspect of clothing description to paint a vivid picture of the world you imagined. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. For more information, please see our As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Each lesson breaks down the analysis of one component of a fashion collection, progressing from a consideration of the designer's technique and influences to the . Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Well, mostly. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. More on that in a bit. One of the first things I learned when I moved to L.A. is that writers do not dress professionally for big meetings in Hollywood. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. Or at least they know what century theyre in. That said, once you describe how a person dresses you shouldn't really keep doing it unless it is relevant to the plot. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. When shes not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. Great article. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. They looked something like this: One of the main defensive strengths of plated armor came from its curved design, which deflected both blades and arrows. Some materials are used more than others, some colors are more desirable than others and some accessories are more desirable than others and these all changed throughout time. Meanwhile, the character who works two jobs while going to school full-time might scour the Goodwill rack for a designer tag to help them fit in at the same party. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. Clothing is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to establish an historical setting. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. Maybe a bit of both. Your articles are always very informative. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. Showing what your characters are wearing can be a great way to show your readers what they might be up to that day without having to actually narrate anything. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. Your email address will not be published. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. Not a Dabble user? Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. It took a while to get ready, with the help of somebody else needed, usually squires, who began with the feet and worked up from there. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. Casual. Impress someone with my indifference? Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. Theyre just too important defensively. All of these advancements will become more and more common as time goes on, so it'd make sense for them to be part of our clothing in the future. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. A simple t-shirt could be cut diagonally in the front, give both shoulder parts a different style from the arms, elongate one side and so on. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. A band t-shirt. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. (Cough-cough-cough.) "He was wearing a spandex tank top" is an improvement from just mentioning that your character's wearing a shirt; but consider adding the element of color: "He was wearing a black-and-yellow-striped spandex tank top.". When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. Not quite. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. Each suit was tailored to the individual. or the world theyre desperately resisting. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. - Geometry. The pieces around the vital organsthe chest and headwere thicker and heavier than those on the arms and legs to try and reduce weight as much as possible. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. But it provided an odd sense of security. Compare this, then, to Dickens description of Gradgrinds wife in the following chapter (Gradgrinds wealthy but poverty-claiming friend has just told Mrs. Gradgrind he was born in a ditch): Mrs. Gradgrind, a little, thin, white, pink-eyed bundle of shawls, of surpassing feebleness, mental and bodily; who was always taking physic without any effect, and who, whenever she showed a symptom of coming to life, was invariably stunned by some weighty piece of fact tumbling on her; Mrs. Gradgrind hoped it was a dry ditch? Lots of gear would have been looted. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. Youre not infodumping. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. Great points. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. If its 1st person you'll describe things from the POV of your character, and I find that that's different than if you're in, for example, 3rd person. For example, the corset wasn't popular until the 16th century and while earlier versions can be found incredibly early they weren't common place. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods?