Visualizing Characters

In my head the people are clear, often somebody I know or knew, or combinations of several people. Often the names are of people I knew in high school or college or the army, sometimes slightly changed or first and last names switched with another character.

Lately I haven't been describing them as fully as they are in my mind. I like generalities. As someone already mentioned, leave it to the reader to fill in the picture. My work has evolved somewhat and I can't really say how detailed the descriptions are in my earlier stories, I can only remember the basic plots anymore. I blame the lipitor.