PHYSICAL FEATURE THESAURUS

UNDERWEIGHT BUILD



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HELPFUL TIP:

Physical features should do more than simply describe how a character looks. Just like their occupation or area of giftedness, a character's appearance can say a great deal about them. Hinting at traits through clothing choices, alluding to an emotional state through movements, and highlighting certain details for comparison or contrast purposes can help readers form opinions on who the character really is.
DESCRIPTORS AND KEY ELEMENTS:
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SIMILE AND METAPHOR EXAMPLES:
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CLICHÉS TO AVOID:
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TWISTING THE STEREOTYPE:
  • More often than not, extreme thinness is the result of a disease or disorder. But what if this build was normal for someone, with no medical reason for it?
  • When a person is deliberately underweight, it's often out of a desire to look or be smaller. But what if there's another psychological reason? A girl might be keeping her weight down as a punishment for a past act, or as part of an unhealthy religious practice, or out a misplaced desire to please a loved one. There are any number of reasons why an underweight character might look the way she does; come up with an original motivation, and you'll have the foundation for a new character that readers will remember.
  • Underweight bodies are almost always attributed to girls, but boys can struggle with this, too.

PEOPLE LIKELY TO HAVE THIS BUILD:
People with eating disorders
Malnourished and impoverished people
Drug addicts
Homeless people
The terminally ill
Models and actors

FAMOUS EXAMPLES:
Angelina Jolie
Kate Moss
Calista Flockhart
Keira Knightley
Nicole Richie

OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS BODY TYPE:
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