I am not an expert by any means. Being a student majoring in English, however does give me unlimited access to the incredible minds of people who have dedicated their lives to the profession. The reason I am starting this blog is to not only pass on the tips my professors have passed on but to have a sort of journal to look back on when I find myself in a rut.
Anywho, onto what this post is actually about. Now I have written my fair share of characters with eyes like whatever gemstone and hair like the sun or whatnot. I love picturing a character for the first time, I really do, however hearing about a character in this book with emerald eyes and a character in the next book with those same emeralds it just becomes incredibly boring and dull. These are the cliche's many learning writers fall into, myself included. I decided to compile a description list and loving a good challenge I chose the color brown. in the following excerpts, I tried using not only their eye color but the way they are shaped or the way the react to something. I might compile a list at the end of this on what you can describe besides color.
Anyway here are the brown eye descriptions:
- Sunken almonds with thin lines bordering his eyelashes. Glassy and focused, however, the slightest excitement widened them like stars and revealed arbitrary specks staining each resolute ring. I remember in science class they told us about why insects had survived centuries before and after the existence of the human race. They’d immerse themselves in a burnt gold tree resin during the winter - some never melted and remained in amber prisons for thousands of years and I can’t help but feel your eyes are made of the same mucilage.
- Young stars shielded by blonde eyelashes battering as running bulbs of tears ran down his pale speckled cheeks. The sun would be jealous if it ever witnessed how bright his otherwise deep mesmerizing eyes were. Captivating pools of amber glossed over by anguish and heartache.
- Eyes like marbles always wide with curiosity and curtained by a brown cascade of bangs. It would be an injustice to compare them to gemstones or anything else for that matter because their wild speckled hoops of color are her own and I swear to you-you won’t find it anywhere else. Puddles of mud, earthy, no I can’t describe them as dirt when they are so much more mesmerizing. They are the gold that the masses have desperately tried to pull from the ground, don’t ever let them dilute you… don’t ever let them tell you they’re just brown.
I wonder if you can tell I have brown eyes yet? Anyway, keep in mind I'm learning just like you so if you have any tips for the descriptions above feel free to comment. Here is that compiled list I made while my blood is still caffeinated:
Things to describe other than eye color
- Their gaze
- Their eyelashes
- lines under their eyes
- tired?
- state of their makeup
- bloodshot or egg whites
- eye shape
- glossy or foggy
Hope this helps. Feel free to add more to this list and I'll see you next Sunday.
