I have a lot of thoughts about writing plus size characters,
both as a reader and as a full-time freelance book editor.
Recently, it’s been on my mind for two reasons!
For one, I’ve seen a lot of reactions to the fact that the romantic heroine in the third season of Bridgerton is plump. A couple of the responses have been mean, but most of them have been positive.
The second reason this is on my mind is that the heroine in my work in progress—the sequel to Her Knight at the Museum, in which she’s an important character—is plus-sized. Her body type is not important to the story, though.
I know that writing plus-size characters is a sensitive and complex topic, and I’m interested to hear what other people think, too!
Obviously, don’t use fatness to represent a character defect.
I say “obviously,” but unfortunately, I come across this now and again as a reader. Sometimes a writer will use a larger body as an indication that the character is one (or more) of the following things:
•lazy
•greedy
•self-indulgent
•sassy
•crass
•slovenly
•stupid
Of course, a person with one of these character flaws could also be plus-sized. When the character’s body type is mentioned repeatedly or described with contempt, that’s when it feels to me that a corollary is being drawn between their body type and their undesirable personality.
(Other body types have stereotypes as well. For instance, a shallow female character is often made to be a skinny blonde woman with large breasts; a brave male character is often well over six feet and musclebound; an oppressive, joyless, or out of touch character is often, well, old. But we’ll just focus on plus-size characters here.)
Be careful about judgmental and prescriptive language when describing plus-sized characters.
I’m talking about language like:
“He could stand to lose about twenty pounds.”
“She was plump, but still pretty.” (How about an and there, instead of a but?)
Now, if you want to show that your point of view character is a judgmental jerk who goes around assessing people’s fitness and/or attractiveness, then fine, I guess? I probably won’t want to read about them, but that’s just me! If you don’t want people to think that of your point of view character, avoid this kind of thing.
In my experience, most people have negative reactions to the words “fat” and “obese.” Yes, “fat” was reclaimed by the fat acceptance movement, but for many people, it triggers countless painful memories. Different readers are going to have different feelings about this, though.
You might think that plus-sized writers would avoid denigrating descriptions of larger bodies, but that isn’t always true. More than once as an editor, after I’ve made a note about this kind of thing in a manuscript, the author has circled back with me to say that they’re plus-sized and have internalized a lot of negative messages about their own body. To me that is heartbreaking, but since the prejudice against larger people is so prevalent, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.
Don’t repeatedly remind the reader that a character is plus-sized.
This is something I’ve seen a lot with secondary characters. They’ll be introduced in the first scene with a mention of their plumper body type. Fine; got it. Then, in subsequent scenes, the author tells me again and again that they are fat.
Imagine if writers did this with people who are neither fat nor thin:
“He leaned his average-sized body back in his chair.”
“I saw her regular-sized figure in the crowd.”
It’s weird to do this no matter what body type the character has. One caveat is that if the point of view character is attracted to the plus-sized character, they’ll likely pay more attention to that character’s body.
Don’t show a plus-sized character constantly eating, talking about food, or thinking about food.
This really reduces a character to their body type. With minor characters who just show up for a scene or two, it’s especially easy to plug in stereotypes, but a story always pulls us in more when even the minor characters feel real.
And it’s just embarrassing to have a plus-sized major character who isn’t even, well, fleshed out! Make sure you know all about their background, their goals, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies and interests, and their quirks.
A larger character might often think about their size, or they might only rarely think about it.
They might’ve been plus-sized from childhood, or they might’ve have gained weight more recently.
They might be confident in their body, insecure about their body…or somewhere in between…or confident in some situations and not in others.
They might be hard-working and driven.
They might be capable and competent.
They might be neat and tidy.
They might be sophisticated, or even a snob.
They might be shy and sensitive.
They might be an expert in something…like playing the stock market, remodeling houses, catching killers, or almost anything.
They might have a passion for something…like gardening, making videos, volunteering at animal shelter, or almost anything.
They might be a skilled fighter.
They might be an amazing lover.
A larger character can be any kind of person.
A character’s larger size isn’t necessarily a problem to be solved.
Some people like to read about characters’ weight loss journeys and who find them inspiring. However, I think it can be both depressing and misleading to read about weight loss as an obligatory goal or as a prerequisite for the character succeeding in their career, regaining their confidence, and/or finding love. Even though some people are biased against larger body types, success, confidence, and romance aren’t dependent on a “normal” body mass index. Stories that suggest or insist upon this correlation may help perpetuate that bias.
What are your thoughts about writing plus-sized characters?
Do you have examples of positive plus-sized representation? Have you written plus-sized characters yourself? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!
As a plus-size author who only writes plus-size heroine, I agree with what you said about how to portray them. We think about more than food. We don’t need a significant other to make our lives complete. We are also capable of being the woman or man that saves the day. Bravo for being a sensitive subject out in the open.
Hi, Juniper! Good point about characters not necessarily needing a significant other to make their life complete. I have a couple of romantic images here because I write romance, but it doesn’t have to be in every genre. 🙂 Thank you so much for commenting!
I’m starting to outline a book where the heroine is a plus-sized character. I have gotten several requests from my readers to please give them someone to relate to. A curvy woman with hips and thighs. I’m really excited to see where this story goes!
Nice! I do think it’s nice to see curvy women represented in fiction, especially because they are still under-represented in movies and TV.
Nicola Coughlan, who plays Pen in Bridgerton, responded to a body-shaming female interviewer who said, “You were very brave to do a nude scene…” Her reply was, “I’m proud to be part of the perfect breasts community!”
Hahahaha, I love it! (And I’m jealous.) Good for her!
Thanks, Bryn. I’m a normal-size woman who used to be overweight, if not obese. It was a problem I struggled with for many years.
I’ve heard all the insults, all the put-downs. I hated myself, considered myself weak and lazy and hopeless. And there were medical issues that went hand-in-hand with my excess fat.
My weight made bad relationships between some of my family members and me even worse. I’ve suffered from chronic depression since childhood, and it got even deeper because of my weight. And especially the problems it gave rise to.
Then I resolved to lose weight and keep it off. I did and I have.
I hope you can see why to me, there’s nothing romantic about being overweight. I read and write romance novels for, well, the romance.
Therefore I don’t read any romances in which one or both protagonists are overweight. For me that’s a deal-breaker. And I refuse to even think about writing any.
You want to help overweight people? There are better ways.
Hi Mary! I know that we all bring a lot of personal experience to this topic. After going back and forth on it for a while, I decided not to share my own personal experiences for this blog post. You and I obviously have very different perspectives on this issue, but as always, thank you for reading!
“Therefore I don’t read any romances in which one or both protagonists are overweight. For me that’s a deal-breaker.”
Well, fat people exist. They fall in love, have careers, build families (or not). Many of them do all that without ever achieving what’s considered a healthy weight. That’s why they need to be the main characters of novels. I’m sorry that you aren’t able to read such books yet. Maybe someday you will be able to enjoy them for what they are!
I’m a writer and I’m about 50% fat by body weight, so I’m pretty big. I have a couple of observations: people only obsess about food if they’re malnourished or starving, not if they’re just plain hungry. They might think, “oh, hey, I’d like a burger,” but they won’t obsess about it. I barely ever think about food. Just at mealtimes. Second … people talk about how any fat-positivity is “promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.” Okay, but where is the commentary about Sherlock Holmes/House, M.D.’s addiction to hard drugs? How come we get 7 seasons of House popping pills and his unhealthy lifestyle was never talked about in the media as a bad example for viewers? It’s pretty obvious that how you look is more important than what you do.
I have read So. Many. Books. in which fat is seen as a personal or moral failing. It’s really not. Fat is just fat. It would be nice to see more neutral fat representation in the media and in books.
Hi Terra! Oh my gosh…you bring up such a good point about other unhealthy lifestyles. For instance, I used to drink two glasses of wine on most days, which was detrimental to my health, and now I drink zero alcohol on all days. After I made that change, I was shocked to notice how much heavy alcohol use was not only normalized but glamorized in books, movies, and TV.
The habits of pulling all-nighters or running on very little sleep are often glamorized in our media as well. I admit that I regularly run on about half the recommended amount of sleep. Poor sleep habits like mine are destructive to one’s health. (As I’m typing this, I’m thinking, Okay, I really do need to make a change. 😂 It’s tough because I’m on deadline as an author, and I need to do enough freelance book editing to survive.) But I never see anyone protesting depictions of this in the media.
Thanks for the post, and thanks for reading!
Olivia Dade does a phenomenal job of showcasing strong, dynamic plus-sized female characters. What always strikes me is how evocative her language is in spicy scenes…it absolutely ADDS to the heat.
HI LAURA! It’s been a while since I’ve read one of Olivia Dade’s books and I’m due for another one! I’ve heard so many good things about At First Spite.
As a plus size woman, it is hard to read authors belittling those who are large. There is a cozy mystery series that I stopped reading because of the negative remarks about plus size women by the protagonist. I was disappointed because I really enjoyed the series. I’m heartened by the fact that there are now authors like Olivia Dade, Talia Hibbert (writes IR with plus size heroines as well as neurodiverse characters) and can’t forget the trailblazer for mysteries- Sue Ann Jaffarian. Thanks so much for your much needed counsel about how to represent plus size people with dignity and respect.
Hi Kimberley! Ugh, I think it’s very tough when something like that comes out of nowhere—it’s like a sucker punch. I love Talia Hibbert’s books! I haven’t read Olivia Dade for a while, so this is making me want to read her latest. I wasn’t familiar with Sue Ann Jaffarian, so thank you for the recommendation. And thanks for posting!
Excellent points on inclusivity and stereotyping. Plus-sized characters should range as widely in personality types as the rest of the cast. A good way to show this might be to contrast two plus-sized characters in our stories, illuminating how different they are. Hmm…next book idea.
Hi Naomi! That’s such a good point about having more than one plus-size character. I noticed they did this in the old TV show The Office. Stanley and Phyllis were both plus-sized, and they had very different personalities. 🙂 Thanks for commenting! Hope everything is going well with you!
I love plus-sized characters, especially in romcoms. I myself am considered plus-sized and I remember the first time I saw a book with a plus-sized heroine. That book was off the shelf and in my hand faster than I could swipe my debit card. Reading that book and others like it made me feel more seen and accepted. It’s such a small thing when you think about it, but it can make a world of difference for readers.
Hi Erin! I agree—it’s not a big difference from a writing standpoint, but it’s a big difference for a reader! It means so much for people to feel represented.
Hi Bryn. I love this post. I am a plus size woman but writing a plus size main character for the first time. My character is on a weight loss journey but is more based on overall health, similar to my own personal journey to wellness that is more than just staying in a calorie deficit. Her partner loves her just the way she is and supports her but checks in and makes sure that she’s doing things like going for a hike because she wants to and not because she feels like she has to. This gives me a lot of thought as I develop the story and the character.
Hi Megan! I feel like this story could be really inspiring to people on their own journeys to better health. It sounds very holistic and avoids the idea of conditional love. I think a lot of readers will enjoy it!
I was impressed by how M.A. Nichols handled the plumpness of her heroine in Flame and Ember. Although body type made her a target of vicious society people, she is in no way a cliché character. She is multiple-faceted. Food is rarely mentioned. She enjoys dancing and horseback riding. She is always genuine (and mostly optimistic except where the plot demands otherwise.) It was truly a refreshing read.
I don’t think you should worry about body image. After all, your hero starts as a stone statue. You can’t be more non-traditional than that!
Hi Jessie! This sounds like a great recommendation, and it does sounds like a refreshing read! Haha, good point about Griffin being a nontraditional body type, since he starts out as stone. 🙂
As a rubenesque woman with three chronic incurable autoimmune diseases–none of which are because of my body size–I find some of the comments here disappointing, while others are uplifting. Other than my incurable diseases, I am healthy. No diabetes, no blood pressure issues, no heart issues, etc… Fatphobia is rampant, and we are treated as less than. I can outwork and outwalk a lot of people.
I will write characters which I vaguely call curvy–curvy has a lot of connotation. Most of the time, I don’t overly describe physical size. I try to mention other physical traits more–eye color, hair color and length, height, etc… It’s easier than dealing with the hate. Life’s too short for hate.
I am a zaftig woman. Accept me or not.
Hi Denise! I did not know about your autoimmune diseases, and I am so sorry to hear about it. You are obviously not the kind to complain, but it sounds like such a struggle. It also sounds like you don’t let it slow you down much! I agree—curvy has a lot of connotations. Personally, I never need to know the exact dress size of my heroine. There really is a lot of fatphobia in the world, but yes, life’s too short for hate! I appreciate your post, as always!
For more than 15 years, I was the non-clinical facilitator for a support group, I testified for legislation before the state Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee multiple times–interviewed by local TV station for that. I was invited to speak before Congress, but I didn’t have a babysitter. I helped organize fundraisers and more. I’ve been an advocate for those with disabilities for many years. I even successfully won a federal Title III, ADA violation complaint.
There are a lot of things you don’t know about me. lol I have a lot of layers.
This is amazing! But honestly, I’m not surprised! I’ve already figured out that you contain multitudes!
An excellent post and a timely reminder about sensitivities.
Thank you, V.M.! Thanks for reading!
I love this! I often write about overweight characters and it’s never the focus of the story. Sometimes their backstories involve dealing with trauma from someone’s constant bullying about their weight. I’m overweight myself and went through some of that. But, I never present them to the reader that their weight is a problem unless they say something about it in dialogue. I try to use friendly terms to describe them. It’s worth mentioning that most of the US struggles with overweight, so many readers will see themselves in an overweight MC, so I am sensitive to the issue and try to put it in body-positive terms. I may not be happy with my RL Dannis Cole body, but I’m not going to make every overweight character unhappy with their size 🙂
Hi Dannis! That is such a good point about a lot of people in the U.S. struggling with weight, to some extent or another. I love it that you use body-positive terms. I don’t have my ideal figure, but it doesn’t really matter—it’s not like I’m pursuing a modeling career. 😂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and thanks for reading!
Yes, I have written what I would call a plus-sized character, and she was one of my favorite characters. I write fantasy, and paranormal fantasy – my character was named Rosemary, she loved working the kitchens and creating magic in home and hearth. She was just lovely! I think weight is such a funny and very subjective subject – Here is one area I will agree with my doctor, the BMI scale should be tossed. Everyone is unique and different. Trying to everyone into the same “box” isn’t really a good thing. I knew of a body builder who lived where they have socialized medicine, they use this as a standard metric for health, and so body builders were having to take mandatory classes – in turn, these same body builders are educating the educators. So, it’s kind of an odd thing to use, especially when bone size and density, and so many other things that make us unique individuals, are not taken into account. Anyway, great post! I enjoyed it! Hope you had a great day!
Renae, your Rosemary character does sound just lovely! I agree—the BMI is deeply flawed. I appreciate your comments! Thanks so much, and I hope you’re having a great week!
All good points, but don’t forget plus-size heroes. I’m writing a guy who yes, wears a lot of sweaters to hide his 40-something dad bod! But his lady love (who is a bit pear-shaped) only notices the kindness, and then heat, in his eyes.
Janice, I love plus-size heroes. I would like to sell one! I love it that you’re writing one!
My protagonist is a kick-ass, 1920’s, WWI survivor who has no qualms about calling herself stout. 😀
I think people who haven’t lived being plus-sized should give the same consideration to writing a plus sized character that a white author would give to writing a character of color.
There’s a lot of really good stuff here. I am plus-sized, and I’ve tried writing plus-sized characters. I find it hard to indicate character body shape in first person narratives while avoiding having the character hating themselves. I don’t want to read books where the female narrators constantly complain about their body size or shape. Own those big hips, small breasts, or weird noses! (It’s me, LOL. I have a weird nose that I still haven’t come to terms with!)
I want to talk about this part in particular: “Obviously, don’t use fatness to represent a character defect.”
While it didn’t go viral, the wildest Twitter thread I ever started was when I ranted about how writers shouldn’t make their villains fat, “ugly,” disabled, or unattractive, because there isn’t a connection between moral character and physical appearance. In hindsight, I didn’t articulate my point clearly or in the most polite terms. But wow, the responses! While lots of folks liked it, dozens or even hundreds of poster (mostly men) came out of the woodwork to tell me how wrong I was, sometimes in very nasty ways.
The scariest thing is that there were several posters who verbatim said “Physiognomy is real.” Up until then, I had NO IDEA that there were people who still believed that the shape of a person’s face or body indicated something about their character! Apparently, some people really think that internal “ugliness” corresponds to external physical unattractiveness. That was just mind-blowing to me.
When I act as a beta reader, one of the things that makes me cringe most is when an unlikeable character is described as physically unattractive, overweight, balding, having bad breath, etc. Writers still use “unattractive” traits as a way to indicate that characters have unlikeable personalities, and I find that really sad.
As someone who’s always struggled with her weight and is currently plus sized, I’m fully aware of how people view us larger people, especially how society sees larger women. It can be quite frustrating when people make assumptions based on our appearance, and it goes the same for plus sized characters, even in books where the people aren’t seen.
I once read a review about a book in which the main character was described as “pleasantly plump,” which I genuinely like as a description. Her weight wasn’t talked about more than two or three times, and it wasn’t key to who she was. It was just part of her physical description. Her hair was long and lustrous and thick and gorgeous, but that wasn’t mentioned often either.
This particular reviewer, instead of focusing on the story itself, just kept going on and on about how the main character shouldn’t be seen as desirable by any man because she’s obviously repulsive and disgusting. Nothing was said about the story or the hardships faced by the character because of stuff done to her, none of which had anything to do with her weight.
It made me really curious about the book, and so I read it and loved it. The story was really good and well written, and the main character was a beautiful woman with a good heart, tinged with a wee bit of bitterness, and she was hard working and a good person, in spite of the hardships in her life.
Now I want to read ot again, but it was a long time ago and I can’t remember its name or author.
When I write stories, certain images of the characters come to mind. Most are average size, because that’s what the majority of the people I know are like, but I have had others who are underweight and some who are overweight. I try to write positive stuff about each character since people are multifaceted, and I don’t want to stereotype anyone.
Thanks so much for this post. Hopefully it’ll help writers keep things in mind when writing their characters, especially plus sized ones.