Skill Focus – In-Character Description

Because the room shouldn’t just look “cold”—it should look cold to them.

✨ Welcome to the Internal Lens Studio

Every time your character notices something, it’s a chance to show:

• How they think

• What they fear

• What they want

• Who they are

In-character description means your narrator isn’t just observing—they’re reacting, interpreting, and projecting.

We’re not just describing the world. We’re describing the world as filtered through them.

🧠 What Is In-Character Description?

It’s using voice, emotion, and bias to make the description personal.

“The sky was gray.” → Neutral.
“The sky sagged over the city like a wet blanket.” → In character.
“Gray again. Of course it’s gray.” → Also in character. Different voice. Different mood.

It’s not about adding flair. It’s about letting the character’s emotional filter color the scene.

🛠️ Try This Rewrite Drill

Here’s your flat description:

“The kitchen was small and clean.”

Now rewrite it in the voice of:

• Someone who just got dumped

• Someone who just escaped a war zone

• Someone who's moving in for the first time

💡 Tip: Let their state of mind leak into how they describe space, objects, light, even smells.

🎯 How to Build This Skill

Ask:

• What emotion is this character feeling right now?

• How would that emotion color what they notice?

• Would they describe this this way—or is that just me describing it?

You don’t have to be poetic. You just have to be personal.

🧪 Quillwyn’s Golden Rule

If the narrator were a different person, would the description change?

If yes = You’re in character.
If no = You might still be in your own head.

💬 Need Help? Ask Quillwyn!

Drop a scene and say:

“Can you help me rewrite this in my character’s emotional voice?”

She’ll help make your description feel like it came from inside the character—not just the author.