How should I go about creating my characters hairstyles? I can never find any that look like they would go on my character and I can never decide what would look good on them. Also how do you describe characters appearances naturally in a story?

fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment:

One of the pluses of working in a non-visual medium is that you don’t have to know just exactly how everything looks! 

If you’re doing character design for something like animation or a comic, you’re going to have to figure out the details of what everyone looks like (from all angles! yikes!), but in writing, you can gloss over whatever visuals you want. 

For example– instead of describing what kind of hairstyle your character has, you could just say that it was ‘stylish’ or ‘unkempt’ or even ‘in desperate need of a trim’. 

words to describe hair(styles):

– cropped 
– layered 
– long
– fluffy 
– sleek
– shiny 
-shaggy 
– wiry
– curly
– wavy
– straight
– bobbed 
– overgrown
– braided 
– coiffed 
– smooth
– wild 
– fashionable
– unfashionable 
– elaborate 
– simple 
– highlighted 
– pulled up/back
– clipped 

If you are doing something that is (or will be translated to) visual media, you can always try looking up different hairstyles online– there are a lot of examples! And if you’re writing a regional or period piece, you can also look into what was fashionable for people in different times and places. 

As when deciding any other aspect of a characters appearance, consider:

What does this detail convey about them?
(In terms of: Personality? Time period? Region? Social class? Performative intent? Current situation? Age? Occupation? Subculture? Desire to blend in or stand out? Practicality?) 

Appearance and personality are always sort of interesting to work out, because people act out their personalities in such different ways– for example, someone who doesn’t give a damn about their hair might keep it short so it’s a non-issue in their daily life, but someone else who doesn’t give a damn about their hair might grow it out long because they think going to the barber is a pain. Likewise, someone might wear dresses all the time and seem like they’re quite a snappy dresser– but dresses are a whole outfit inside a single garment, so maybe they just have to dress in a hurry everyday and plan accordingly! 

Some good times to work a characters appearance into the narrative:

– When introducing a new character (keep it a little brief, though, stick to what really stands out about them!) 
– When highlighting differences between characters 
– When revealing aspects of a characters personality that you want to show rather than tell 
– When they look different than they usually do 
– When a POV character is paying particular attention to another person
– When you want to imply where they’ve been or what they’re doing 
– When it’s affected by the environment or narrative 

Try folding descriptions into the narrative as you describe a scene– for example, appearances can create a non-verbal exchange between two characters:

Ada’s hair was pulled up into something sleek and viciously stylish. Professionally crisp highlights kissed the darker blonde of her hair, accenting the warm tones of her skin just so. She looked like she’d never had a split end in her life. 

Kai’s mind went immediately to kitchen scissors and the rough, ragged ends of her own home-clipped hair. She stopped herself before she could touch the limp curtain of hair around her face, but couldn’t prevent the flush she felt spreading across her cheeks.  

A slow, faux-modest grin spread across Ada’s face. It was obvious to Kai that Ada was used to inspiring a sense of hot, shameful inadequacy in others with just a look. She grit her teeth. 

I think that the biggest trap that writers fall into when describing characters is to list out the same set of features, in a way that isn’t fresh, and isn’t specific (or is overwrought). I’m talking about the laundry list of hair color, eye color, height. It’s not bad to include these things, but just saying that a character has blue eyes a) isn’t a very distinguishing feature b) doesn’t say much about the character’s personality. 

Think of how you describe real people when you’re trying to explain who they are to someone else– you go with the most distinctive or descriptive things. Instead of saying “you know, the guy with the reddish blonde hair?” which could mean several people, saying “that guy who looks like he’s under a geas to not cut his hair or he’ll lose his powers” really narrows the pool down. 

I hope that that answered your question!
-Evvy