How Observant Am I?
A few days ago, I met a woman with a pronounced facial deformity. I held out my hand and said, "It's nice to meet you." She said, "We've met before. Remember..." and she went on to describe the location we met the first time and that's when I remembered meeting a woman. Not necessarily her, but someone at that location.
I realized then that I'm quite bad when it comes to taking notice of people. Not prosopagnosia bad, but bad. If you got a haircut, I'm probably the last to comment on it. Glasses, hair color, perm, clothing... forget about it. I think it boils down to the fact that I don't care much about these things.
That got me thinking, when I'm writing, rarely do I add descriptions of people. Usually, I'm forced, in the second or third round of edits, to add whether the character is male or female. (That's a bit of an exaggeration.)
So I thought: Is there a correlation between how much a writer notices about the people around them and how much character description they add in their books?
Then I thought: I need to stop thinking about stupid things and get writing...
Clarissa - I don't think that's crazy at all to think that the number of things writers notice might be related to the amount of character description. In fact, it's quite intriguing. I'm going to have to think about that...
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for not putting any math in your quiz today. That was not nice of you to do in your other one. ;-)
I notice all that stuff and I have a really sharp memory for it, but in college learned that it freaked out girls, because they thought it meant I was obsessing over them or something. I would try to say, "No, no, I just remember stuff." They would say, "Stuff like a conversation we had three years ago and where it was that we were drinking Polar Pops?" And I would say, "Yes!" And they would get all weird and try to just exit the room.
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah, I notice people's haircuts, weight-changes, injuries, new clothes, vacations, stress, allergic reactions, whatever.
I almost never comment, however.
I think the key point might be that which you find interesting. For instance, the difference between Elmore Leonard's focus on dialogue in opposition to description and the over-emphasis of some other writers on description of every little element of a character.
ReplyDeleteNot crazy; just another example of the complexity of the creative personality.
The quiz said I'm pretty observant, but I don't add a lot of character description. My CP is always pinging on me about that. I try to give hair and eye color and maybe another thing or too if forced. That's about it.
ReplyDeleteI got a 10/10 and always put WAY too much description in!
ReplyDeleteI think a happy half-way would be perfect... not sure I'll ever achieve that, though!
It was just a thought. Because... sometimes the things I notice about people (the way they slouch or their body language) I'm more prone to write about.
ReplyDeleteCD
I am pretty observant but I have a terrible memory. Often times, I recall people but I'm not sure where I know them from.
ReplyDeleteHonestly- I think there is some correlation. We often here, go to the mall and people watch, sit down at a park and people watch, this way you can give character details. So perhaps even if you don't notice them perse, there is still some type of correlation.
ReplyDelete8/10? Crazy. I notice every little change - I would never presume a tan equalled coming back from a holiday. Most people get the fake tan going BEFORE they go on holiday. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt depends for me if I'm 'looking' at that person. Most of the time I live in my head and I really am not paying attenting but god help you if I am. If I am paying attention to you when we met, I'll remember your coat, the buttons on your coat, the sound your shoes made on the waxed floor, that you smelled of Lemon Pledge and pepper. I have a tendency in my books to give readers a few details of my character, just enough to give them something base their 'view' of the person on.
ReplyDeleteBut personally, I'll know everything about what my character looks like down to the underoos but my readers don't need that much help.
TirZ
10/10 for me. I've always been very observant of other people. You know when you're picking out something to wear, and you think, "I just wore this a few days ago, but I washed it and want to wear it again. Eh, no one will notice." I'm the one that does. :P
ReplyDeleteOr people that have certain catch phrases they use all the time, or hand motions.
I never say anything though. I'll compliment on a new haircut or the nice tan, but beyond that I just in the random information box.
I think being aware of other real people and their mannerisms, habits and quirks are helpful when developing and describing our characters.
Interesting quiz but I don't do well on yes/no quizzes because some days I'm more observant & will notice tiny changes. Other days [nights, whatever] I won't notice as much. I also think some writers love description a bit too much, while others are intentionally vague.
ReplyDeleteI love to watch people and study them, but at the same time, I typically do not observe things like in the test above. I do put in descriptions I think. Now, I have to go check.
ReplyDeleteI love people watching and I'm always noticing people's haircuts-- Tanning not so much. I don't add a lot of description in my writing because as a reader I don't love it. But it's an interesting quiz and a great idea.
ReplyDeleteawesome post!
hi miss clarissa! for me im a big watcher. i think i got that from being sick so much and didnt have nothing to do but just watch and lots of time i made up stories in my head bout the people i saw. when i got writing all that watching got put into my characters so i got lots of stuff that describes them. but i been thinking i could only need to say as much as could keep the story going so maybe i could need to learn more about doing descriptions.
ReplyDelete...hugs from lenny
Well, I scored 6/10. Not bad, I guess. But I don't add actual descriptors for characters. Their actions & words play double duty in that. And, tanning - for a girl who doesn't tan it just doesn't register for me. I still remember minute details about people I haven't seen since high school.
ReplyDeleteFunny to think about though.
Patti
I think definitely it reflects on what is written. Often I read something and realize the writer knows little more than the surface fluff.
ReplyDeleteBut then having experience working in a prison for 5 years, I truly honed my observation skills. Haircuts, nah; hands in bulging pocket, yes! :)
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
Luckily, with a children's book there is not the same great need to describe the characters, the child readers of the age I write for seem more interested in what they do, that the story keeps moving along fairly rapidly.
ReplyDeleteI got 6/10, not sure what that would mean. According to my old lady, I have some weird corners in my brain >:)
ReplyDeleteCold As Heaven
I'm horrible at this (4/10) to the point that it'll take me weeks to notice something is different. I don't describe my characters in detail either.
ReplyDeleteI'm a people watcher (not stalker status.....yet). I got 8/10 in the quiz. Lost points because I don't add loads of character description in my books. That would be because I've not written one yet. That may change soon! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat post and a nice little "quiz"!
Never thought about this!
ReplyDeleteI'm told I've a terrrible short term memory, and I have to met someone a few times before I recall them unless we've had a proper conversation. I recall gestures, quaint details, voices or eccentricites but I dont even realise I do untill they pop up in characters of mine!
On the otherhand I find physical descriptions unnessecary for what I write, I keep it very general even though I see the character myself in great detail.
I think its a gift to the reader to be able to imagine how a character looks, its why movies dont do it as well as books - there has never been a Heathcliff who quite matched my imagination!
I don't notice nothing! I took your test and got a 2 and I think I cheated. I might know something is different but am not sure what. I think I have face asphazia (sp?) as well as comma dislexia. I just do. I went to pick up an orchid my step-mother ordered. She knows the women at the plant store well (I was visiting). They said - oh you mean Stella with reddish gold hair! I said - no she has gray hair. I mean she's old right and I have white hair. No she doesn't - reddish gold. Her new step-daughters from the plant store know her better than me. I can remember a voice from a zillion years ago - even one I barely heard. I can remember a dream that I'm told for fifty years - but facial features or glasses or wigs or god help me what you described? fuhgedaboudid.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I don't pay all that much attention to whether I add character descriptions in my writing (but then again, it's been so long since I've written fiction, that I hardly remember how I used to write at all...). But I think I don't do a lot of it, since I often find it hard to weave in naturally. Besides, like you I don't care about haircuts, glasses, clothes etc - in characters. In real life, however, I notice these things (or at least most of them - I failed the tan-question), and I am very good at remembering faces.
ReplyDeleteThus for my part the theory only partly stands - I care about these things in real life, but that doesn't translate to me caring about it in my (or others') writing. I prefer getting to know a character's personality through action and speech, and to make up the physical description in my head (I often find I picture a character quite differently than it is described in the text, for some reason).
I got ten out of ten :) But then again I am a psychologist and a professor so it's my duty to notice things on people :)
ReplyDeleteThere are no right or wrong answers. If you received 10 that means you're observant and you write a lot of description. If you got a low number, you either have a bad memory or you're not that observant. However, you probably don't write a lot of description as well.
ReplyDeleteCD
I don't think there's a correlation. I'm like you w/ descriptions, beta readers get me to add them. But I notice faces. I remember people years later that I only met briefly.
ReplyDeleteHa, usually writers OVERdescribe their characters. I think you're onto something though; it is very revealing as to whether someone notices things like that. How much they pay attention or how observant they are, how busy their lives are, whether they are visually aware or otherwise, etc. Intriguing!
ReplyDeleteA LOT of character description isn't necessarily a good thing. My hubby tells me he could drive a truck through the house and I wouldn't notice. It's pretty much true too. My friends tease me because I never see them in a crowd. I'm always walking straight past them. However, when I'm switched on and paying attention, what I notice is behaviour more than appearance.
ReplyDeleteSince you're describing me as well, I'd have to say yes! I'm not observant of personal details and I don't add a lot of those descriptions to my writing. Of course, you know that!
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad. I liked your little test. I've always been rather observant. I'll pick out one or two people in a crowd to observe while I'm at a baseball game, standing at the checkout, waiting for the bus, etc. I always look for new little features or ticks I can use for characters.
ReplyDeleteLovely Clarissa!!! I notice when people have haircuts and new shoes, a nip, a tuck and botox!!! I'm just nosey and have a good memory. But putting all these in creative writing stumps me more than ever - I have to really make the effort to create a visible character in writing. I can see them very clearly but descriping them in word form is an effort for me!!!
ReplyDeleteTake care
x
I only got 8/10 because of the question about noticing people have been on vac because of their tan - I notice people have been on vac because they've lost their tan, ha ha!
ReplyDeleteI'm very observant and put way too much description in my stories, cut cut cut. Be nice to reach a happy medium..:)
O don't think there is a relationship between the two. I deliberately leave out a lot. I give a rough sketch, because I know the reader wants to envision their favorite image in that space. I hope this works. Only time will tell.
ReplyDeleteNancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
I notice all of those things- haircuts, clothes, faces- but I still struggle with describing my characters.
ReplyDeleteI am observant but i dont describe characters anally.
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side i thought the lady would be relieved one person did not notice her especially for that facial deformity
As I'm reading all of the amazing blogs I'm reading today... I'm thinking I should get back to writing!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't notice 'things' either ... and my writing isnt very descriptive... hmmm ... now you have me thinking
Like I need a survey to tell me that LOL! Its like the T-shirt from a schizoid I saw, "I'm crazy, and so am I."
ReplyDeleteI love this post, Clarissa. LOL! I consider myself pretty observant but I am not sure how much of that I bring to my writing.
ReplyDeleteI'm good with faces but hopeless with names. Teachers always talk about kids at school by their surnames, but I can only remember their first names (and only after a LOT of practice) I always worry I'll get a good kids and lazy kid mixed up on their reports!
ReplyDeleteI do think it's enriching to know and embrace our weaknesses though (they're what make us all so adorable).
I've had this feeling.
ReplyDeleteIt's important for me to be observant in my day job, but when I'm "off duty" I tend not to get involved in "noticing" things. Guess it's a way of giving my brain a break, LOL!
I even impart my this ability in my characters. In my present WIP I posted a query and one comment was, "Would a teenage boy notice how blue another teenage boy's eye are?" The answer is yes, he's observant especially if the bright color of this boy's eyes are unusual.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that so many people take things the wrong way. C. N. story is a sad one of people's negative reactions to her observations.
Great quiz. Interesting subject ... yes I got a 10
Michael
I need to stop thinking about stupid things and get writing... LOL (Me too. Well, I´ll just finish my blog round and then ...)
ReplyDeleteI don´t notice clothes, glasses or hairstyle much either, but I notice what people say and how they intend it - are they ironic, annoyed, bored etc.
So it is impossible for me to describe people´s faces and build very well, but I think I am quite good at rendering a realistic dialogue. I also notice things like body language, and I try to include that ability in my fiction as well.
I am the least observant person in the world, and I think this shows in my writing.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a visually motivated person. So I don't write any character description on the first go-round. I just have to dedicate a whole edit ot description.
ReplyDelete