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Read the following character description.
Yarwait was a disagreeable old man who loathed everyone around him. He scavenged in bins for his daily food and rolled cigarettes made of shreds of tobacco from stubs which he collected from the gutters and rolled into strips of paper. He wore grimy, fraying, fingerless mittens. His long, straggly hair hung around his face like a tattered curtain. Yet, in spite of all his anti-social ways, he had an incredible story to tell to anyone who dared get close enough to hear it.
The description contains details about Yarwait's appearance (he wears frayed and dirty clothes and has long, straggly hair); his actions (he scavenges in bins for food and cigarettes); and his feelings (he loathes other people). It also suggests that other people are afraid of Yarwait and hints that he is actually a very interesting person.
A good description focuses on more than one aspect of a character, and does not always mention things directly. For example, the author does not actually say that people are afraid of Yarwait but we know that they are because many people do not dare to go near him.
In this activity, you can write your own character description, focusing on different aspects of your character and how others react to him/her.
