Is it a good idea to say my FMC looks exactly like a celebrity?

[Kumquatqueen]

Given loads of readers will have no idea who she is (I've just googled), I'd add a bit of extra description - "she looked rather like AS, you know, a blonde girl-next-door type with a wide mouth and heavy lipstick implying what she'd like to have in that mouth".

 

[Rob_Royale]

I would call it lazy writing and unnecessary. In most cases, you could give a general description and allow that the reader's mind is going to fill in the visual blanks. No need to go into super detail.

Ian turned and when he saw the woman, his heart jumped in his chest and a shiver ran through him. She was immaculately dressed in a grey, curve-hugging business dress with four-inch black leather heels. Her jewelry sparkled at him.

"Can ... can I help you?" He replied.

When the strikingly beautiful woman smiled at him, his discomfort tripled. There was something predatory in her smile. She wore blood-red lipstick and burgundy eye shadow, which perfectly complimented her shoulder-length auburn hair and dark eyes. Ian couldn't quite place her age. He figured anywhere between forty and fifty, and her figure gave nothing away in that regard. One thing was certain though, she knew how to make a first impression without saying a word.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I think within this thread there are a lot of good rules, but as with all rules there are exceptions.

In my story after this one it will be mentioned that the main character looks like Tom Hanks. It is a big part of the story so it’s got to be there.

If people are at a party and songs are playing then you can create the vibe more by dropping the song in there (although now equally it could be argued we could use our own filthy versions we created a few weeks back).

And there’s no harm in saying a haircut is reminiscent of a celebrity either. Personally I don’t know how you’d elaborately describe some haircuts so I don’t think pointing out a celeb’s is a crime either.

BUT you don’t want to be doing it all the time. I remember a Brett Easton Ellis book being like a name-drop of celebs and it just got very dull very quickly,

 

[Bramblethorn]

BUT you don’t want to be doing it all the time. I remember a Brett Easton Ellis book being like a name-drop of celebs and it just got very dull very quickly,

My experience with Ellis is limited, but I got the impression he does that kind of thing not as a descriptive short-cut but to convey the shallowness of his protagonists through their fixation on celebrities and brands. It can be quite effective for conveying that kind of character, but I just can't take a whole book full of people like that.

 

[Duleigh]

For example, if, in a story I have in mind, I picture my FMC as one with the looks of Amanda Seyfried, is it a good idea to declare it in the text? Or will the reader be put off, feeling that limits their imagination?

I would say no, I personally think that if you can't describe the actress you're thinking of, there's plenty of websites to help you with adjectives. With me when I run into something like "She looked just like Emily Schlotsky" I could quite easily think "That daffy broad?" and look for something else to read because I don't like what she was saying last week on the news. Or I may say "Emily who?" and go look her up and end up with something else to read.

You could say "She looks just like Melanie Griffith" Melanie Griffith used to be quite pretty, then she got addicted to plastic surgery. You run the risk of your reader not knowing what Melanie looked like in 1988, because she's not a turn-on any more.

Your FMC is YOUR FMC. Almost everyone's FMC looks like someone, or a combination of someones, describe them but keep the need or desire to do a Google Image Search to zero. Also, don't overdescribe, let the reader's imagination do some of the work for you.