What would a reader like to know about a character first?

Question

Two characters of opposite sex meet in a blank room (nothing remarkable about the setting) for the first time and the reader isn't familiar with either of them. Since genre would sway the answer to this, let me say it is Action-adventure. My question: 'What would the reader want to know about each character in order to make them more real physically?'

Answer 1

There's a famous adage in writing that is "show, don't tell." Of course, a writer can explicitly tell us how the woman is sad or how the man is angry, yet taking time to detail their actions, movements, and even their dialogue can subtly reveal that much more about what type of person they are instead of simply telling us. Rather than say the woman is sad, the writer might note how her eyes are puffy and red from crying, how distracted she seems, and how she hardly says anything. The writer might note how the man was seething, clenched his hands into a fist, and loudly plodded up the steps all to showcase how frustrated they're feeling. Maybe how they respond to each other in both situations can help add to to their "realness." How do they respond to their situations? Do they get along? Is one more affectionate than the other, or, does one not respond well to the other character's forwardness? It might benefit to outline the characters' personalities, background, traits, livelihood, and quirks ahead of time, all so you can try to implement or play with these intricacies into the text.

Answer 2

Love the question! You are asking for subjective answers, since every reader responds to a story differently. If it were me, I would say to start with a facial feature, such as eye color or facial expression. For example, “His hazel eyes darted around the room, chasing a shadow that seemed to disappear every time he blinked.” Or, “She allowed me a glimpse of the beginnings of a smile, her cherry red lips punctuating her pale face.” Whatever you do, use imagery and make us feel like we are in the room with them. Best of luck!!